IBM and Flightdeck workers reconcile

IBM has reached an agreement with employees at its Flightdeck facility in Baulkham Hills who had been threatening to strike for better conditions.

(Credit: IBM)

An organiser for the Australian Services Union (ASU), which had been handling the negotiations with IBM, said that recently the talks had been concerned with the text of new letters of offer for the employees involved and had now reached a conclusion. The letters are soon to be sent out to employees to check and sign, the organiser continued.

"We are pleased to have reached a resolution to concerns raised by employees at the IBM Flightdeck," a spokesperson for IBM said. "We reached agreement by making some physical improvements to the site to make it more comfortable for employees working long hours, and by clarifying some of our existing policies around overtime, meal breaks and shift allowances."

"The agreement represents a big improvement," the ASU organiser said of the negotiated changes.

Just under 50 employees at the IBM Flightdeck in Baulkham Hills had voted to take industrial action in the form of four-hour rolling stoppages after IBM declined to negotiate an agreement with employees.

In avoiding industrial action, IBM prevented any impact on its customers serviced by the Flightdeck, such as Qantas and Westpac.