Union slams Telstra board`s Vegas junket

Telstra's board meeting in Las Vegas has been labelled a "junket" by the union representing its workers.
The Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) has heavily criticised the
Telstra executives' trip to Nevada, especially after CEO Sol Trujillo has told US
investors the potential loss in revenue from its failed National Broadband Network
(NBN) would be between $1 billion and $2 billion.
The 10 board members began arriving in Vegas on Thursday and are staying at the
plush Bellagio Hotel, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported.
The CEPU says the board has held a meeting there and has also attended a consumer
electronics show to examine new gadgets on the market.
CEPU's Victorian Branch Assistant Secretary John Ellery says the visit was "ironic"
at a time when the company was facing significant challenges, including an ongoing
industrial dispute.
"While the board and Mr Trujillo are hobnobbing in Vegas at shareholder's expense,
Telstra's share price shows no improvement," Mr Ellery said in a statement.
Union members are in the midst of what the union describes as an "increasingly
bitter" enterprise bargaining dispute aiming to secure entitlements for the next few
years.
Instead of having a `junket' in Vegas, Mr Trujillo and the board needed to be
concentrating on the tasks at hand - resolving the industrial dispute and sorting
out its NBN bid, the CEPU said.
Telstra has rejected the accusations, saying they are there for an important
technology fair.
In a statement, Telstra said the Consumer Electronics Show, which executives are
attending, was the premier event for showcasing the latest innovations in technology
and communication.
The world's top companies attended the fair, and Telstra wanted to remain at the
cutting edge of technology, the company said.
"Telstra and indeed Australia cannot afford to be left behind the rest of the world
in technology and events such as (the fair) ensure that we remain at the cutting
edge," the statement said.