2nd October 2024

Misleading Statements Retraction

We, the Tasmanian Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) formally retract several dishonest and misleading statements made in recent weeks.

The incorrect statements were made by CEPU Organiser, Chris Clark, while reflecting on the recent safety ruling of the Fair Work Commission, and while campaigning for a ‘No vote’ on the TasNetworks Enterprise Agreement.

On 3 September, a Fair Work Commissioner ruled that CEPU officials had ordered action in TasNetworks’ Transmission Control Room that ‘threatened to endanger the life, the personal safety or health, or the welfare, of the population or of part of it’ during storm recovery. The Commissioner suspended CEPU industrial action as a result.

Today, the CEPU formally retract the following misleading statements that Mr Clark subsequently made in a specific ABC radio interview (with similar statements made in other general media interviews), reflecting on TasNetworks’ evidence to the Commission, and the Commissioner’s suitability to make a ruling:

1. “What we would say is that the management of TasNetworks were prepared to bend the truth, omit a lot of information and basically paint as bleak a picture as possible”;
2. “If TasNetworks management is prepared to go into the Fair Work Commission and over-exaggerate or what we would say, stretch the truth, then they've got to make a decision based on what's in front of them”;
3. “But when you're (the Fair Work Commissioner) not a subject matter expert in power systems and you've got someone with TasNetworks saying the union's done a range of things, which I would say some of them were outright lies”; and
4. “… very fast and loose with the truth, that particular manager I would say”.

The CEPU withdraws those false statements and commits not to repeat them.

The CEPU also concedes that the following statements it made on a recent ‘Vote No’ flyer are misleading:

1. Backpay will be taxed at 48 cents in the dollar;
2. The $6k sign on will also be taxed at 48 cents in the dollar;
3. $6k = take home will be $3,120, tax will be $2,880.

These amounts were calculated at maximum income tax rates. The amount at which these benefits are taxed will in fact vary according to an employee’s overall salary. We acknowledge this and retract the statements in full – we admit that these statements were misleading to potential voters in the Proposed TasNetworks Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 vote.

The CEPU takes its good faith bargaining obligations seriously. The CEPU regrets that these false and misleading statements were made in the context of a crucial Enterprise Agreement vote. The CEPU will take immediate steps to inform members that it has retracted these statements and that they were misleading.