Court throws out Telstra union case
The Federal Court today dismissed Telstra's claims that its unions were feeding its employees false and misleading statements.
"Unions have been advising their members honestly and openly. The court has dismissed any argument to the contrary," Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) assistant secretary Chris Walton said in a statement.
"It was bad enough for Telstra to deny their right to be represented. Telstra today has sought to thwart our ability to properly inform them about the nature of the proposed agreement," he continued.
Telstra had commenced the action earlier this week, with the ACTU given a day of grace to prepare for court.
The company and its unions have been at loggerheads since negotiations to form a new enterprise bargaining agreements to replace expiring Australian Workplace Agreements failed in July.
The antagonism is set to continue, despite the court's ruling. Telstra has decided to appeal the decision which the Australian Industrial Relation Commission's (AIRC) senior deputy president Brian Lacy made earlier this week, Walton said.
Telstra did not reply to requests for comment in time for publication.