Download - The Australian Worker Magazine Issue 4 2009
AWU21_p1_CoverFINAL.indd 1 1/12/2009 4:19:03 PM
You want FSS Financial Planning gives you
✹ Clarity ✹ Understanding
✹ Certainty ✹ Control
✹ Vision ✹ Motivation
✹ Purpose ✹ Reassurance
Financial advice isn’t just for people
thinking about retirement. No matter what
age you are, or what state your fi nances
are in personal advice from FSS Financial
Planning can help.
Plan to make a difference
For a confi dentfi nancial future
Issued by FSS Trustee Corporation (FTC) ABN 11 118 202 672, AFSL 293340, the trustee of First State Superannuation Scheme (the Fund) ABN 53 266 460 365. Q Invest
Limited ABN 35 063 511 580, AFSL Number 238274, trading as FSS Financial Planning, provides fi nancial planning services under its own Australian Financial Services
Licence. Neither FTC nor the Fund is responsible for any advice given to you by FSS Financial Planning. While FTC is not involved in the provision of fi nancial planning services,
the Trustee has retained FSS Financial Planning to provide fi nancial advice to Fund members relating to their Fund account. The information contained in this document is
current as at October 2009.
Call 1800 665 756 Email [email protected] Visit www.fssfp.com.au
For more information about how FSS Financial Planning can help you:
AWU21_p1_CoverFINAL.indd 1 27/11/2009 11:00:23 AM
AWU21_p3_Contents.indd 3 1/12/2009 4:21:00 PM
AWU21_p4-5_Bill & Paul.indd 4 1/12/2009 4:22:38 PM
AWU21_p4-5_Bill & Paul.indd 5 1/12/2009 4:22:57 PM
6 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
FAIR WORK ACT
6 theaustralianworker
❯ ❯
The major changes
The safety net conditions
The Fair Work Act is now part of working life. But what does it all mean? Cate Carrigan looks at “The
Act” and demystifies some of its key elements. WRITTEN BY CATE CARRIGAN PHOTO GETTY IMAGES
What’s what in the new system
What does it all mean for unions like the AWU?
part ofIT’S ALL
THE ACT
OPPOSITE: Under the Howard regime’s
WorkChoices, workers and their Unions were on the
brink of losing the “tug-of-war” over working
rights and conditions of employment. The election
of the Rudd Labor Government has heralded
a new era in workplace fairness and justice.
AWU21_p06-8_FairWork.indd 6 1/12/2009 4:24:15 PM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 7
“Workers will no longer be forced into AWAs, which were used to attack
collective bargaining in the workplace and to erode wages and conditions.”
AWU21_p06-8_FairWork.indd 7 1/12/2009 4:24:44 PM
8 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
“We have seen a remarkable number of people who have taken
the new opportunities available to join the Union.”
Union rights and responsibilities
So, when can workers strike?
Unfair dismissal
◆
FAIR WORK ACT
AWU21_p06-8_FairWork.indd 8 3/12/2009 8:30:02 AM
10 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
WORKPLACE SAFETY
10 theaustralianworker
safetyIN TUNE WITH
AWU21_p10-13_OCCHealth.indd 10 1/12/2009 4:25:45 PM
AWU21_p10-13_OCCHealth.indd 11 1/12/2009 4:26:06 PM
12 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
WORKPLACE SAFETY
“There should be an unqualifi ed obligation on
employers to provide a safe
and healthy workplace and
when something goes wrong,
employers must prove they did not
break the law.”
Identifying key concerns
Giving workers a say
Making employers responsible
AWU21_p10-13_OCCHealth.indd 12 1/12/2009 4:26:32 PM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 13
“Employers have really gone to town on this issue and run a bit of a scare campaign around it, saying unions will abuse it. Since 1943, there have been less than 20 prosecutions, so it hasn’t really been abused.”
◆
Empowering occupational health and safety representatives
Respecting the role of unions
The right to take court action
AWU21_p10-13_OCCHealth.indd 13 1/12/2009 4:27:14 PM
AWU21_p14-19_Postcard.indd 14 1/12/2009 4:29:49 PM
AWU21_p14-19_Postcard.indd 15 1/12/2009 4:31:47 PM
AWU21_p14-19_Postcard.indd 16 1/12/2009 4:34:51 PM
AWU21_p14-19_Postcard.indd 17 1/12/2009 4:38:02 PM
AWU21_p14-19_Postcard.indd 18 1/12/2009 4:41:02 PM
AWU21_p14-19_Postcard.indd 19 1/12/2009 4:42:59 PM
AWU21_p20-21_Government.indd 20 2/12/2009 8:21:48 AM
AWU21_p20-21_Government.indd 21 2/12/2009 9:11:54 AM
22 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
GOVERNMENT REVIEW
“Captain Kev and his team still
show a more humane approach
than did their predecesors.”
◆
Kev’s Team swept on to the fi eld and is conducting
a well-rounded innings.
AWU21_p20-21_Government.indd 22 2/12/2009 8:24:22 AM
AWU21_p024-26_Aboriginal.indd 24 2/12/2009 8:27:36 AM
AWU21_p024-26_Aboriginal.indd 25 2/12/2009 8:28:07 AM
AWU21_p024-26_Aboriginal.indd 26 2/12/2009 8:28:45 AM
IUS Group Income ProtectionInsurance for AWU members?
Two thumbs up!
:IUS has paid more than income protection claimsand more than in benefits to Australian
working families.
PS21,000
$350,000,000
Phone: 1300 651 450 or, 02 8912 7200 Fax: 02 9954 1750 E: [email protected] W: www.ius.com.auLevel 20, Northpoint 100 Miller Street North Sydney NSW 2060 Australia
Postal: PO Box 6215 North Sydney NSW 2060 Australia
International Underwriting Services Pty LimitedABN 32 074 494 885 AFSL 237881
If you would like more information, please call your local IUS Client Relations Manager:
Eamonn Cuddihy 0408 992 205 Sean Pendleton 0417 171 030
Harry Early 0413 612 551 Jodie Bechara 0425 272 705
Sean Pendleton 0417 171 030
Victoria: NSW:South Australia: Queensland:
Western Australia:
The AWU and IUS:Working together to protect members.
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 28 2/12/2009 1:26:04 PM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 29
A country that makes things
TULIP launches Palestine-Israel solidarity fund
❯ ❯
A national manufacturing roundtable
discussion in Canberra has seen key
company, government and union leaders
come together to map out a future for
Australian manufacturing.
The meeting was a key step forward in
the Manufacturing Alliance campaign
organised by Australia’s biggest manufacturing
unions, the AMWU and the AWU.
The roundtable was opened by Federal
Industry Minister Kim Carr, chaired by the
Dean of the Faculty of Business at the
University of Technology Sydney, Professor
Roy Green, and attended by over 30 senior
company executives from some of Australia’s
largest manufacturing fi rms.
The meeting demonstrated a shift to
a more collaborative approach between
workers, government and business.
“This is a meeting that would not have
been possible two years ago,” AMWU
National Secretary Dave Oliver said. “Today,
we have seen how much more can be
achieved by working together in comparison
to the confrontational, hostile environment
encouraged by the last Liberal government.”
Participants discussed major areas
of co-operation to form the basis of
a new strategy for manufacturing in the
years ahead, and seven key success factors
were identifi ed to sustain a high-growth
strategy for Australian manufacturing:● Building better manufacturing
businesses; ● Better macro-economic policy and
management; ● Successful global engagement; ● Boosting key industries;
● New-generation manufacturing; ● Growing productivity through collaboration;
and ● A manufacturing industry Australia
believes in.
AWU National Secretary Paul Howes said
the forum had opened up a dialogue which
would be good for workers and industry.
“We need to also focus on the industries
of the future, and strategies that will build
on our manufacturing base and which exploit
our know-how and wealth of innovation,”
Paul said.
The meeting concluded with a strong
consensus that bringing business, unions and
the government together would improve the
sector’s ability to focus on achieving
productivity based on innovation, co-operation,
open engagement and exports.
■ Let’s bust the dustThe AWU is calling for “prioritised
removal” of all asbestos-containing
materials from Australia by 2030.
AWU National Secretary Paul Howes has called
for the creation of a federal national asbestos
taskforce to manage this process.
“The AWU is advocating a ‘dangerous
product’ recall as this slow-moving catastrophe
has destroyed the lives of thousands of workers,
and will kill and maim thousands more over the
next 20 years,” Paul said.
Paul said the federal government must
establish a national body with a regulatory
mandate to map priority areas – such as
schools and public places – for asbestos, and
oversee its careful and complete removal.
“A national asbestos taskforce could
facilitate and resource an asbestos summit to
bring together industry leaders, regulatory
bodies and the nation’s top medical asbestos
disease experts,” Paul said. “Together with
governments – state, federal and local – such a
summit could identify urgent priority areas for
asbestos removal and develop a national
strategy to deal with this ‘slow-burn’ national
emergency once and for all.”
Paul believes the prioritised removal of all
asbestos products from Australia by 2030 is
achievable, if the federal government makes it a
priority. Tasmania, for example, is already considering
the prioritised removal of asbestos products from the
state. He has also called for the establishment of a
national asbestos register for all Australians ill from,
or exposed to, asbestos and for the establishment of
a register of all priority areas linked to a national
register of asbestos present in buildings
“This would streamline compensation payments
for asbestos victims and, in time, help to establish a
uniform national level of both compensation and
medical care,” Paul said.
In addition, he said the government should
commission an actuarial study to cost the resources
necessary to start to remove asbestos in a
systematic way.
“We believe that an actuarial study will show it
is cheaper to remove asbestos materials from
Australia than to fund the medical cost of treating
Australians contracting asbestos-related diseases
over some decades to come,” Paul said.
The inaugural executive meeting
of Trade Unions Linking Israel
and Palestine in October saw the
launch of the TULIP Solidarity Fund
to support Israeli and Palestinian
unions undertaking projects of
mutual interest.
Chairing the inaugural TULIP executive
meeting in London, AWU National
Secretary Paul Howes said, “The
opportunity to provide practical support
to working people in Israel and Palestine
should not be missed. We aim to
support projects developed by Israeli
and Palestinian trade unions to bring
progress to a region in need of more
action rather than words.”
TULIP has determined to work
towards objectives which help to create
greater opportunities for positive relations
between Israeli and Palestinian workers.
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 29 2/12/2009 1:27:38 PM
30 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
FRONTLINE NEWS QLD
L- R AWU Organiser Wayne Mills, retiring AWU Member Charlie Spiteri and AWU Bandag Delegate Matt Hunter.
Queensland Branch NewsRead about what YOUR Union is doing for YOU...
The AWU’s Queensland Branch is pleased to be
a successful applicant to the Q150 celebrations,
which commemorate Queensland’s
independence from NSW as a colony.
The Union has a proud history in Queensland, dating back to
1886, and its library has many historically signifi cant
and important artefacts dating back to the 1890s. It
has received a $10,000 grant from the Queensland
government to preserve its membership rolls.
The rolls are the most important items in the
library and date back to 1913. The Union often
■ AWU wins grant to preserve historyreceives telephone calls inquiring about past AWU
Members, and the rolls enable family members to
research as far back as 95 years for information
about their predecessors.
The rolls provide an invaluable resource for
historians researching Queensland’s past, and the
AWU is pleased to be able to assist family members
and friends with information about their forebears.
The Union takes its role in Queensland’s history
seriously and thanks the state government for its
assistance in preserving it.
Goodbye and good luck, CharlieRetiring AWU Member Charlie Spiteri started
work at Bandag Australia on February 1,
1972, and he’s been an AWU Member the
whole time. Charlie will retire at Christmas
after a lifetime of hard work.
Married with three boys, who are now aged 34,
32, and 30, Charlie came with his parents to
Australia from Malta in 1963, when he was 15.
They landed at the Port of Brisbane, and moved to
Bundamba, and Charlie’s been working pretty
much ever since he arrived in Australia.
Why had Charlie stayed at Bandag so long?
“If I wasn’t here, I’d just be somewhere else,
mate!” he said. And of the best thing about
working for Bandag? “I work, they pay me.”
Charlie’s been on the afternoon shift for
25 years and said one of the big advantages is
that you can get up early and go fi shing, then
get back in time to start your shift.
He owns seven boats of all shapes and sizes,
and his sons have inherited their father’s love of
fi shing, but that’s not always a good thing.
When Charlie’s son borrowed his boat once
he came home and said, “Dad, we [slipped] up
today. We lost your [boat’s] motor in 80 feet of
water.” It had come off after they’d turned too
sharply in the dam.
“They always bring me home a feed of fi sh,
though.” Charlie said.
He used to enjoy pig hunting before his
knees gave out, and in retirement plans to spend
his time breeding budgies. At some point, he
wants to visit the Whitsundays.
But there will be one aspect of Charlie’s work
that he won’t be sad to leave behind: carbon
black. “It gets in your pores,” he said. “If I’m lying
on a white sheet and I sweat a bit, the sheet turns
back where I’ve been lying. Saltwater gets rid of a
bit of it, but I’m never completely clean.
AWU delegate Matt Hunter admits things will
be a bit quieter without Charlie around. “He’s a
barrel of laughs. He’s got some good stories.”
And Charlie knows they’ll struggle without
him. “They’re bloody hopeless, this lot!” he said.
■ Vale Brian Hutchings(09/09/39 – 12/08/09)Brian Hutchings’ working life
started out when he became a
telegram delivery boy at the age
of 14. He then started work on the
family cane farm on Klondyke Road
in Ayr, Queensland. From there, he
then went on to work at Pioneer
Sugar Mill for 11 years.
For about seven of those years, Brian
was the AWU Delegate at the mill, a
role in which his efforts were highly
regarded. In 1979, as a result of his
efforts on behalf of the Union, Brian
was offered the job of AWU Organiser,
where he remained until he retired on
July 4, 1997. Brian will be sadly missed
by all those who knew him.
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 30 2/12/2009 1:28:29 PM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 31
❯ ❯
Working for the love of the job – yeah, right!
■ AWU wins landmark wage decision A landmark decision by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
to increase wages by up to 27 per cent, or more than $160 per week, for
disability-support workers will provide safer and more secure services
for Queenslanders with a disability.
■ Star gazerAWU member Jean Falconer has been working at the Sir Thomas Brisbane
Planetarium for more than 21 years. Originally a member of the Australian
Theatrical and Amusement Union of Employees, she became an AWU Member
when the unions merged in 1992.
Since March 2009, Laguna Whitsunday Resort, located
20 minutes south of Proserpine in the Whitsundays,
has been delaying employee wages from three days
out to two weeks after its scheduled payday.
These delays were fi rst brought to the notice of the Union in
May and even after many calls and letters to the resort’s
management, a successful and regrettably continuing media
campaign was launched mid-September to seek redress.
The resort’s owner, David Marriner, who also owns the
Marriner Theatres in Melbourne, has from day one blamed
the problem on Queensland government’s decision not to
proceed with building the Whitsunday Coast Airport and its
effect on the number of visitors to the region.
The situation under which workers now fi nd themselves
is best summarised by a letter that was received by the AWU
Whitsunday offi ce.
“After 22 years in the workforce, I had always accepted
that my pay would be there for me on payday. It never
occurred to me that in this country my employer of more than
10 years could put his workers in such a predicament that
they were weeks behind with their pay, and that the situation
would drag on for months.
“It was very confusing and worrying for all of us and our
families, especially for couples who both depended on the
same employer for their total income. Amongst my fellow
workers, it was very distressing to see how it affected
everyone.
“There were many without any savings, people being hit
with heavy dishonoured bank fees and one poor lady who lost
her home when the bank ran out of patience. Over the last
six months, approximately 30 people have had to leave,
being unable to survive on ‘fresh air’.
“At fi rst, everyone thought it would be okay – but as the
weeks dragged on and management had no answers – apart
from ‘[we] should be grateful to have a job’ to ‘you should
learn to budget your money’, it was obvious we would need
to take a stand.
“That would never have been possible without the good
advice and strong support from local AWU Organiser Paul
Robertson. He really understood and kept trying to get
answers for us and gave us updates. He was at the front line
and never gave up until he got results and as it happens he is
still on the case because our pays are still not regular.
“Shame! Shame! Shame!”
AWU Queensland Branch President Garry
Ryan said the decision by the independent
umpire granted a raise for support workers
working in the non-government sector
by between 22 per cent and 27 per cent
over 22 months (from September 2009
to July 2011).
“We sought the increase on behalf of
our Members and on behalf of the families
and their clients. The commission’s
decision is a just outcome for the workers,
but it also a welcome outcome for
Queenslanders with a disability, and their
families,” he said.
“The decision is a good outcome for
the AWU and provides people with a
disability and their families with safe and
secure support that meets their needs.
“The wage increase applies to
thousands of workers in the non-
government organisations. Base wages of
disability support workers in the non-
government sector had not kept up with
their colleagues working in the community
sector. They will now.”
“These workers are committed to
assisting people with a disability to live as
independently as possible through more
fl exible choices, as well as support options
to enable them to stay living within their
own communities.
“Our Members are dedicated to their
jobs. However, it has been diffi cult to
attract and retain staff to an industry that
has a high staff turnover rate.” Garry said.
The AWU commended the Bligh
Government and Minister for Disability
Services Annastacia Palaszczuk for
allocating $414 million over four years in
the June state budget for non-government
organisations that provide direct services
to highly dependent clients.
But it’s not too hard for the nearly 80-
year-old Jean to make it to work. “I don’t
feel like I’m nearly 80. Sometimes I think
I’ve got my numbers wrong. It’s a privilege
to have an incentive to go to work.”
Working as a good team, the staff
at the Planetarium are proud of the
job they do. “We like to think we make
people welcome. Astronomy can be a
little overwhelming.” And, she said, “The
Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium has
a wonderful reputation. There’s nothing
like it in Sydney.”
When she was four years old, she
said, her mother used to take her for
walks and talk about the constellations.
“It’s amazing that this is where I’ve
ended up.”
Jean worked for a legal fi rm before
she started at the Planetarium. Her
brother was the caretaker and her sister-
in-law worked in the booking offi ce.
After the rigours of legal research, she
thought she’d be kind to herself and just
do part-time work.
A big supporter of unions, Jean
believes it is thanks to the hard work of
the workers who came before that she
could enjoy the favourable conditions
she works under.
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 31 2/12/2009 1:29:55 PM
32 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
FRONTLINE NEWS NSW
NSW NewsRead about what YOUR Union is doing for YOU...
■ Bushfire season loomsAWU Members engaged as fire fighters at Forests NSW
and the National Parks and Wildlife Service not only have
to contend with the dangers of fighting a bushfire but also
have to watch their backs over bureaucratic interference.
Forests NSW has cut close to 90 positions over the past
three years and now wonders why it can’t keep up with
hazard-reduction burns.
The bureaucratic solution is to contract out parts of the fi re
operations. AWU Greater NSW State Secretary Russ Collison
said, “Contracting out fi re fi ghting is completely insane.
Contractors get paid to keep fi ghting fi res, so what incentive
is there to put out the fi res quickly? Contracting out of fi re
operations has failed in the US, and it won’t work here.”
Russ notifi ed a dispute with then primary industries
minister, Ian MacDonald. The delegation also included AWU
Greater New South Wales Branch Assistant Secretary Stephen
Bali, AWU Port Kembla Branch Assistant Secretary Wayne
Phillips and Delegates Jamie Churchill and Greg Murphy.
The meeting with MacDonald proved a success, as
he declared that no trial with contractors will take place
without proper consultation with the AWU. All options will be
considered, including the AWU’s position that the best way to
secure the safety of the local community and forestry assets is
by having a well resourced and a suffi cient workforce employed
by the NSW state government.
With the fi re season upon us, the AWU requests everybody
to ensure their homes and valuables are secure and safe from
any threats of bushfi res. Human life is far more important
than any possession. Please ensure that you have a fi re safety
management plan if you are living in bushfi re-prone areas. And
good luck to all fi re fi ghters.
■ Let’s stay ‘stronger together’: Swan to AWUAustralia’s economic performance is the envy of the world, thanks in
part to its unions. And union members across the country have played
a big part in this success, federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said when
he addressed a crowd of about 300 at the AWU Greater NSW Branch
Delegates’ Conference in Sydney last month.
“Our economic performance is the envy
of the developed world, and that’s partly
because of your actions, because of
your leadership, and because of your
commitment,” the Treasurer told the
conference.
“Despite all the diffi culties and all the
challenges imposed on us, we begin the
long road to recovery with the strongest
growth of the advanced economies and
with the lowest debt and defi cits,” he said.
Treasurer Swan told delegates he
has always admired the AWU’s motto of
“stronger together”.
“It is a timeless sentiment and
during the white-knuckle ride of the last
18 months, it has taken on even greater
meaning, because nothing in my political
life has demonstrated it as well as our
response to the global recession has,”
he said.
The AWU has been fully behind
the Rudd Government’s infrastructure
spending as a strategy to help the country
get through the global fi nancial crisis.
And the fi ndings of October’s
AWU-Auspoll survey backs government
commitment to continued stimulus
spending (see out Auspoll report on page
28). The recently released poll results
showed clearly that workers want the
government to maintain its commitment
to spending taxpayer dollars on backing
Aussie jobs.
The Treasurer revealed stunning facts
and fi gures behind the stimulus and
infrastructure spending which has
delivered such extraordinary results for
the country:● The Australian economy is expected to
grow 1.5 per cent this fi nancial year
when other advanced countries are
struggling to grow at all;● All of that growth in 2008-09 and
2009-10 will come from stimulus
spending – without it, there’d have
been no growth in either year;● The stimulus has saved 200,000
Australians from joblessness; and● Australia’s unemployment rate of 5.7
per cent is the second-lowest in the
developed world.
The Treasurer said he didn’t want
Delegates to go away with the
impression that the tough times are
already behind us but he felt Australia
and the Rudd government were up to the
task of protecting the nation from a
worse downturn.
“Our economy has shown it is
stronger than other countries because
our workers are stronger, our unions
are stronger, and our resolve is stronger
as well,” he said. “I’m going to try and
ensure that these are now the things we
focus on because it will best encapsulate
what it means to be, as the AWU says all
the time, “stronger together”.
Treasurer Wayne Swan with AWU Delegate Daniela Koneska.
NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service employees.
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 32 2/12/2009 1:30:10 PM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 33
❯ ❯
● Hunting in national parks – no way
The Shooters Party in the NSW Upper House
is trying to hold the government to ransom
by voting against its proposed legislation
until it permits recreational shooting of feral
animals in all national parks. Yet, there has
been no discussion with affected
stakeholders about the consequences of any
such action. Should such changes take
effect, however, workers would have cause
to fear being shot accidentally whilst
undertaking their duties. Tourism would also
likely drop once families think twice about
camping on account of fears of a stray bullet
hitting a child playing in the bushlands. AWU
Greater NSW Branch Secretary Russ Collison
said, “This is an ill-conceived, poorly
thought-out idea by a minor political party.
There was no consultation with anyone, and
we call on the NSW Labor government and
every sane politician to reject this legislation.”
● Ripen for success Tomato Exchange,
located in Guyra on the NSW North Coast,
has embarked on establishing a collective
agreement for its workforce. The AWU has
commenced a campaign within the
organisation, the nation’s largest tomato
producer, to build strength in the workplace so
as to begin negotiations for pay and conditions.
AWU Greater NSW Branch Vice-President
Glenn Seton said, “We have doubled the
AWU Membership over the last two months,
with many non-members also expressing
interest in joining and having a say.”
● Piggery workers prevail Union members
in the piggeries at Riverlea (formerly known
as QAF) have agreed to a 12-month
agreement resulting in a wage increase
of four per cent. Located in Corowa, the
outcome at Riverlea is a remarkable
achievement given the pressures caused
by the drought over the last fi ve years, as
well as a lack of steady supply of stock feed.
Hopefully, conditions will improve over the
next 12 months, allowing for a better
atmosphere in which to conduct the next
round of negotiations.
● You know what I mean Workers at
Valvoline Australia are in the fi nal stages of
negotiating a new 2009-11 enterprise
agreement. Delegates Peter Cragg, Darren
Anderson and Adam Perry have represented
the Members during the often tense
negotiations with the company in seeking
a range of changes. The Members at the
site have put forward a strong case for
maintaining their present decent conditions.
It is likely that an in-principle agreement will
go out for a full vote of the Membership in
the coming weeks.
● Cross City Tunnel agreement AWU
Members employed as motorway patrolmen
at Sydney’s Cross City Tunnel-Eastern
Distributor have fi nalised negotiations for
a three-year agreement with Leighton
Services, securing a four per cent wage
increase per annum. AWU Greater NSW
Branch Secretary Russ Collison
congratulated workers on a great negotiated
outcome and also on achieving 100 per cent
AWU membership among its workforce.
● Environmentally friendly and fi nancially
benefi cial Sims E-Recycling has recently
negotiated a successful enterprise agreement.
The company specialises in recycling
computer equipment, mobile phones, TVs
and any other electronic material and had to
move to a new location to Villawood due to
expansion. It has become one of the world’s
largest electronics-recycling organisations.
All workers on the Sims E-Recycling site are
Union Members, and the AWU thanks them
for their support and loyalty to the Union cause.
● Hot water at Rheem Things were getting
terribly heated around water-heater
manufacturer Rheem Australia after six
months of lengthy and diffi cult workplace
negotiations. Its workers were engaged
in protected industrial action. Rheem
retracted its so-called “fl exible working
arrangements” and the workers have voted
to accept a three-year agreement which
secures a 10.5 per cent increase over the
life of the agreement.
● ACT now Workers at the ACT Department
of Territory Municipal Services are
undertaking discussions about the needs of
its workers prior to negotiations now beginning
formally that will replace the agreement
which expires in March. This is a great time
for workers to
join the AWU
to maximise
their say and
involvement in
the negotiations.
Interested
workers should
contact Robert
O’Neill in the
AWU’s ACT
offi ce on 02
6285 3068.
Around the shops
Piggery workers have achieved a four per cent wage increase.
❯ ❯PHOT
O GE
TTY
IMAG
ES
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 33 2/12/2009 1:30:51 PM
34 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
FRONTLINE NEWS NEWCASTLE / VICTORIA
Newcastle News Port Kembla NewsRead about what YOUR Union is doing for YOU...
■ Newcastle Delegates’ conference goes off without a hitchIn October, the AWU Newcastle Branch hosted its first Delegates’ conference
in over a decade and the event was declared a great success. One hundred
Delegates attended the two-day conference at the Waratah Mayfield RSL Club.
A wide range of industries was
represented, including aluminium
smelting, steel, metal manufacturing,
construction, green-keeping and nursery,
RTA, Forests NSW, Department of Land
and Resources, horse racing, and food
and manufacturing industry.
“The main aims of the conference
were to bring our Delegates up to
speed on the new Fair Work Act, union
growth campaigns and strategies, and
occupational health and safety. I think
the Delegates got a lot out of this
conference,” AWU Newcastle Branch
Secretary Richard Downie said.
The conference boasted an
impressive list of speakers to address
the main topics. Mark Bray, Professor
of Employment Studies, Faculty of
Business of Law at the University of
Newcastle, addressed the new Fair
Work Act in detail from an academic
perspective. He focused on the intentions
of the legislation, contrasting them with
those of the old WorkChoices regime.
Senior Deputy President Rod
Harrison discussed the impact and
benefi ts of FWA against WorkChoices
from a social and community
perspective, and AWU Senior Legal
Offi cer Zoe Angus gave a revised
summary of the key points contained
within the new laws.
Delegates got involved in several
workshops over the two days. On day
one, workshops covered the new
award-modernisation process, while
day two’s investigated union growth and
strategy through workplace-mapping
exercises and roll-play.
MRM Lawyers partner Wayne Dever
spoke to Delegates about major issues
concerning workers’ compensation
using case studies in which workers
had incurred workplace injuries and
depicting their physical, mental and
fi nancial tolls.
AWU National OH&S Director Dr Yossi
Berger spoke about what has changed
with OH&S in workplaces and what has
not and demonstrated how employers
speak of OH&S being a priority when the
reality is often quite different.
With the audience participating,
he took the Delegates through
a one-on-one interview process in
which delegates roll-played employee-
employer interactions.
Delegates were challenged to
consider how they would have handled
things differently after an accident
and how to avoid accidents in the
future. This exercise engaged those
present by taking them beyond their
comfort zones.
“The guest speakers were all of
the highest calibre and of great interest
to our delegates. I would like to give
special thanks to MRM Lawyers,
Australian Super, ME Bank and IUS for
the role that they played over the two
days,” Richard said.
■ AWU Members Sacrifice Saves CompanyThe recent change of ownership of the Metal Manufacturers
called for the company to relocate its billet castor. The billet
castor is used to melt copper to form billets used in the
manufacture of metal tubing. The billet castor operations
account for 190 Tube Division jobs in Port Kembla.
The relocation project was estimated to cost Metal Manufacturers
approximately 13 million dollars. According the company’s senior
management, most of this capital would need to come from its
parent company located in the US.
However, management believed it likely that such a capital
investment would be approved by the Board. Therefore,
management felt that it was necessary for the workforce to show
some sacrifi ce and solidarity to convince the Board that it was a
worthwhile investment for the long term.
“Of course we wanted to cooperate in making sure the
company remained viable, but we were a bit wary when
management asked the workforce to make substantial sacrifi ces to
secure the approved capital investment needed to relocate the billet
castor.” AWU Port Kembla Branch Secretary Andy Gillespie said.
As many companies have tried to use the Global Financial
Crisis as an excuse to cut entitlements, the Union was cautious
about supporting the company’s requests and insisted that the
company produce evidence that the measures were necessary to
ensure the relocation project’s approval.
The Union found the evidence to be accurate so negotiated
with the company (and other unions involved) to achieve a
satisfactory solution. It was resolved that the workforce would
sacrifi ce some of their annual leave and long service leave
entitlements over an eight month period. Employees would take
two days’ annual leave or long service leave each month and after
the eight months the situation will be reviewed.
“The employees at Metal Manufacturers should be
commended for the sacrifi ces they have made to make sure this
company remains competitive and viable. Without their sacrifi ce
the company and the wider community would be at risk.”
In late October, management informed unions and employees
that funding had been approved. This would not have been possible
without the sacrifi ce and commitment of the employees at Metal
Manufacturer. The billot caster will be moved in early 2010.
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 34 2/12/2009 1:31:40 PM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 35
❯ ❯
ABOVE: Branch Secretary Cesar Melhem (left) with ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence, ACTU President Sharan Burrow and AWU National Secretary Paul Howes.
Victoria NewsRead about what YOUR Union is doing for YOU...
The ball is one of the main highlights
of the year and gives rank and fi le
Members the chance to mingle with
others from the across the Union
movement and the ALP.
Victorian Secretary Cesar Melhem
paid tribute to the hard work of the
AWU Delegates and OH&S Reps
across all sites. He made particular
mention of the Members involved in
fi ghting the Black Saturday bushfi res.
“I don’t think anything in this world
can repay these people,” he said.
Cesar also reminded the audience
that protecting jobs was a top priority
for the Union during the economic
downturn.
“We will not stand by and allow
workers, who did not cause the crisis,
Partying with praise, the AWU wayThe AWU knows how to throw a good party – with a few rousing speeches
thrown in – and the 11th Victorian Branch annual Members’ ball was no
exception to this rule. This “legendary” event on the Union calendar saw
1200 finely dressed comrades gathering at Crown for a night of eating,
dancing and celebration.
to become its main victims. This will be
an ongoing fi ght for us in the year ahead.
“We are resisting pressures for
reduced hours, pay freezes, redundancies
and roster changes that cut take-home
pay. And in too many of these cases, we
see employers using the fi nancial crisis as
an excuse to cut costs, regardless of
ongoing production or profi t levels.
“We will not accept it. We cannot
allow workers to be forced to do more
with less, and at the expense of their
workmates’ jobs.”
In keeping with the upbeat
atmosphere of the night, Cesar also
delivered a positive message about
union growth.
“Despite the downturn, despite the
opportunism of some employers, despite
the doomsayers forever predicting the
demise of unions, we are growing –
from 23,000 Members last fi nancial
year to over 24,000. And we have
delivered real wage growth. And our
Delegates and Organisers can all be
proud of that.”
National union leaders at the ball
included AWU National Secretary Paul
Howes, National President Bill Ludwig,
ACTU President Sharan Burrow and
ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence. They
were joined by ALP State and Federal
MPs, and AWU supporters.
Guests were entertained by
master of ceremonies comedian Paul
Martell and the Darryl Cotton Band,
featuring Wendy Stapleton.
■ Home grown trams back on trackVictoria’s position as a future leader
in manufacturing public transport
infrastructure has moved a step
closer with the announcement that
two Melbourne companies are on the
short list to build 50 new trams.
AWU Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar
Melhem said he was delighted with the
Brumby Government’s decision to
shortlist Alstom and Bombardier.
“The Union has lobbied hard for
changes to the State Government’s
procurement policy and our hard work has
TRAM TIMETABLE March 2010 Tenders to be submitted
September 2010 Successful bidder selected and trams ordered
2012-13 New low fl oor trams start rolling off production line
paid dividends,” he said. “It makes sense
and value for money to provide a level
playing fi eld for local fi rms when they have
to compete with overseas companies.”
Cesar, who is on the Victorian Industry
Manufacturing Council added: “Building
trams in Melbourne for use in our city will
create around 150 jobs and gives certainty
to many workers who have the skills and
experience to deliver a high quality product.”
“Once we have a critical mass of
manufacturing, we will be well placed to
become a centre of excellence for other
public transport infrastructure projects,” he said. “We have the
people here, the fi rms here, to build the best trams in the world.”
The value of the initial tender of 50 trams is $250 million.
The Preston depot will also be redeveloped as part of the $38
billion Victorian Transport Plan.
The tram contract has been declared a “Strategic Project” under
the Victorian Industry Participation Policy which means at least
25 per cent of the manufacturing contract has to be local content.
The local content provision is expected to raises the total
local content over the life of the contract to more than 50 per cent.
“We congratulate Minister Pakula for the Victorian Industry
Participation Policy. There will be multiple fl ow-on benefi ts for the
local economy and for workers,” Cesar said.
He also said it was heartening to see that jobs would be
created because the State Government will be using Australian
steel and locally produced piping for the Desalination Project.
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 35 2/12/2009 1:32:06 PM
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 36 2/12/2009 1:32:29 PM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 37
But nine months later what’s making him
more nervous than anything else is the
prospect of wearing black tie at a posh
Sydney star-studded awards dinner.
“Give me my yellow uniform any
day,” he said, laughing.
Yorin is an engineer at Qantas and
an AWU Delegate and has been an
active CFA member for four years. He
and fellow CFA fi refi ghter John Kendrick
are fi nalists in the national “Pride of
Australia” awards for bravery.
They were nominated for their
successful rescue of a bulldozer operator
who was creating a fi rebreak near
Wandong, north-east of Melbourne, on
Black Saturday.
“My wife Yvette is in the CFA
too, and we were working away on
■ AWU Delegate wins bravery award for Black Saturday effortAs a CFA volunteer firefighter on Black Saturday, February 8, 2009, Yorin Miller
faced many moments of danger that would have rattled even the bravest.
different vehicles putting out spot fi res.
Our crew got a call to escort a dozer
who had to put in a fi re break – it’s
standard practice for crew to accompany
machinery.”
In the early afternoon, Yorin went
with fellow CFA volunteer John Kendrick,
leaving Yvette behind. They were driving
a Landcruiser ute with a water tank on
the back.
“When we got to the meeting point,
we found the dozer operator had already
left, so we only had a rough idea where
he was, because we were following the
dozer tracks,” Yorin said.
“We started going up a dirt track
between farmland and pine forest, we
had to stop a few times as we were
being ‘fl ashed over’ quite a bit and we
were unable to see past the bonnet
due to the smoke and embers.”
The men were in the thick of the
deadly Kilmore East fi re, before its
catastrophic wind change. That fi re
later killed 121 people.
After about 15 minutes the
pair could not fi nd the bulldozer
operator and the extreme conditions
drove them back to the main road
where they learned from others that
he had not appeared.
Undeterred, Yorin and John went
back to look and found the man near
his fi re-damaged dozer under a blanket
with a water fi re extinguisher wetting
himself down. The dozer was later found
completely burnt out.
“He was pretty relieved to see us,
but he said he wanted to get his fi re
extinguisher and esky. We said ‘no way’.”
“The GPS was not working properly
and the Wandong tanker was trying to
organise air support but the helicopter
couldn’t see us and were not able to
offer assistance. The heat and smoke
was awful.”
They drove out with a fog of water
spraying the ute from the tank. The day
was not over for Yorin and John either.
They continued fi ghting fi res until 4am.
Yorin and John won state awards
for bravery and are now in the running
for a national award which was to be
announced in Sydney on November 30.
Yorin said many CFA volunteers have
undertaken extra training this year and
admits the weather signs are “ominous”
so far. “You have to take it day by day
and see what happens,” he said.
AWU Victorian Secretary Cesar
Melhem said Yorin was one of many
Members who did valuable volunteer
work for emergency services such as the
CFA and the State Emergency Services.
“The AWU is proud to have people like
Yorin as part of our Union.”
“The men were in the thick of the
deadly Kilmore East fi re, before its catastrophic
wind change.”
AWU Qantas Delegate and CFA volunteer Yorin Miller with the bravery award
he earned for his rescue efforts in the Victorian bushfi re tragedy.
❯ ❯
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 37 2/12/2009 1:32:51 PM
38 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
FRONTLINE NEWS SOUTH AUSTRALIA / WEST AUSTRALIA
South Australian News
■ AWU speaks loud at ALP state convention
■ Saved by the lunch bell at Roxby DownsWorkers at the BHP Billion Roxby Downs mine in South
Australia were spared what could have been a tragic
workplace accident because they happened to be on their
lunch break.
Had they not been, there is a strong possibility that as many as
10 may have been injured or killed when a skip, a large container
that hauls ore from the bowels of the mine in its Clark shaft, tore
loose from its cable and went crashing 600–700 meters down
the shaft. Eighty per cent of the ore that comes out of the Roxby
Downs site travels up the Clark shaft.
According to internal Union intelligence, the skip and its
associated machinery was designed to haul 6–7 million tonnes of
ore per year. BHP Billiton had however increased the haulage on
the equipment to 10 million tonnes per year, despite warnings
from designers of the equipment that such an increase would
surely lead to excessive and premature wear and tear, putting the
equipment under additional levels of stress. Sure enough, the
equipment succumbed to it.
In eight months, BHP Billiton has seen 11 workers killed on
its international mining leases, seven of which were in Australia.
The AWU has been pressuring BHP Billiton to address its safety
practices, with no co-operation from the company to date. AWU
South Australian Branch Secretary Wayne Hanson sits on the
Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
“When the committee undertook research into the mining
industry to establish the frequency of manual-handling injuries,
BHP Billiton responded negatively,” Wayne said. “They refused to
participate by stating that they were happy with their OH&S
practices and they did not require the assistance of any third
party. We were frustrated and disgusted with this lack of
co-operation from the company.”
Those employed on BHP Billiton mining leases are reticent
about raising safety concerns because the company’s workplace
culture discourages it.
“Their employees are frightened to say anything for fear that
their contracts will not be renewed or extended.” Wayne said.
The AWU is confi dent, however, that with the new industrial
relations regime coming into effect, that it will be in a better
position to break this code of silence and will be seated at the
negotiation table in the future, whether BHP Billiton likes it or not.
“When the ITEAs [individual transitional employment
agreements] expire, workers in the mining industry will be looking
for the Union to negotiate industrial instruments to protect their
terms and conditions of employment. The AWU will be ready to sit
down with BHP Billiton and negotiate. In doing so, we will address
the code of silence that can be so fatal for workers.” Wayne said.
At this year’s South Australian
ALP state convention in Adelaide,
passionate addresses by AWU South
Australian Branch Secretary Wayne
Hanson about manufacturing and
metalliferous mining saw two key
motions carried.
“We must grow our manufacturing base
so we can secure future job opportunities
for our kids and their kids and generate
the wealth for their future,” Wayne said.
Following the Manufacturing Alliance
regional tour to South Australia in
September, Wayne made sure to use the
convention as an opportunity to beat the
drum for manufacturing and to continue
to put pressure on the state government.
He moved a procurement motion at
conference, which was seconded by the
AMWU’s South Australian Branch
Secretary, John Camillo. This type of
co-operation is a fi rst for the two unions in
South Australia and is an example of how
the Manufacturing Alliance is alive and
thriving at the state level.
Speaking on the motion, Wayne said,
“The Manufacturing Alliance unions met
recently with our Members here in
Adelaide at the Australian Submarine
Corporation. Our Members gave us the
same message that manufacturing
workers are giving to us in union meetings
right across the Australian continent.
Workers are sick of seeing government-
funded projects being given to an overseas
tender. Our Members cannot accept that
our tax dollars are being used to line the
pockets of offshore interests.”
The convention was reminded of the
importance of manufacturing to local
communities in SA, and especially in
regional centres. Although surprised to
see the two unions working so closely
together, the convention was
nonetheless impressed by their
co-operation and the motion was carried.
In another motion, the AWU
addressed the lack of value South
Australia is gaining from mining the
state’s resources, party because of the
lack of value added in the manufacturing
sectors to them but also because of the
low rate of return collected by the state
government.
“Delegates we want to see that
South Australians get our fair share of
our fabulous mineral wealth and the
ripple effect that fl ows from it,” Wayne
said.
In South Australia, royalties on
metals mined in the state currently
account for just 3.5 per cent of profi ts
made by the mining companies. When
compared to Western Australia and
Queensland, where royalties amount to
7.5 per cent and 10 per cent
respectively, there is reason to be
concerned that the state is allowing its
resources to be extracted without
enough profi t fl owing back into the state.
“These precious metals are ours.
They don’t belong to mining developers,
they belong to the people of South
Australia, the taxpayers of South
Australia, who fund the infrastructure
and in return we want, and we have
every right to expect, a bigger bang for
our buck,” Wayne said.
Read about what YOUR Union is doing for YOU...
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 38 2/12/2009 1:34:42 PM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 39
■ Capral campaign at Canning Vale movesfrom strength to strength
Western Australia News
■ Rest in peace Paul FryOn September 2, AWU West
Australian Branch Member Paul
Fry was killed at work. The letter,
below, from Paul’s family thanks
Union members for their support at
throughout their ordeal. We would like to express our gratitude to the men and women from the unions on sites around Australia who have so generously supported us, at the worst time of our lives. Paul’s untimely death shocked us to the core. Knowing too well what a tough year this has been fi nancially makes us even more appreciative that his fellow workers and fellow union members have dug deeply into their own pockets to provide us with the everyday essentials. We had no life insurance, no mortgage insurance, no wills and no savings left.
September was a bittersweet month for us. Paul was killed on September 2nd, his eldest son Jackson turned 17 on the 5th, Fathers Day was on the 6th, Paul’s birthday was on the 7th and his youngest son, Jethro, turned eight on the 14th. Paul’s middle son Taylor turned 14 in July. How wonderful for his three brave boys to witness fi rst-hand the type of man he was through your eyes. A hardworking, honest man, with a generous spirit and the ability to make everyone feel better about themselves. A man who took pride in a job well done, enjoyed the challenge of getting a team to work well together and appreciated relaxing with a well earned VB and some great music.
Time moves on, but we are left shattered. Paul is relegated from the handsome, charismatic man he was to a number, an incident, a safety regulation and we as his family are treated by some just as badly. We are disappointed that promises made in newspapers and to the family have not been honoured but it makes the generosity of you hard working men and women even more precious. Thank you. You’ve given us support and the ability to continue on. Paul’s death will not be in vain, please remember to be safe and go home to those who love you.
From Donna, Jackson, Melody,
Taylor, Jethro, Brick and Delilah.
“Our Delegates at Capral are great. They are always trying to fi gure out new ways which can improve
conditions.”
Construction Organiser Terry Paterson (left), with AWU Member David Wilcox and Capral Organiser Craig Beveridge.
Capral Aluminium as been the
target of a recent growth campaign
by the AWU WA Branch and
Organiser Craig Beveridge.
Over the past few weeks, through
intensive site visits, the distribution of
information material on rights in relation
to union membership and pay rates has
seen the current membership jump to
over twenty, despite starting out with
only a couple of Members at the Capral
Canning Vale shop.
Capral Organiser Craig Beveridge
puts the success of the campaign down
to maintaining regular contact with
activists and delegates, some of whom
will be completing a shop steward
training course in early December.
“Our Delegates at Capral are great.
They are always in touch and trying to
fi gure out new ways which can improve
conditions for the blokes out there.”
Craig’s strategy for the site has
been to visit often and with a number of
Organisers to demonstrate a strong and
visible presence for the Union,
with Organisers speaking to workers
in multiple locations in weekly blitzes.
“For a site like Capral there are
many lunchrooms and, smoking areas all
over the site, which makes it hard to get
around and see the guys. But with other
Organisers coming out we are seeing
a good response.”
The campaign targeted the site fi rst
after a tip-off from current members on
poor work and pay conditions. The focus
for Craig and the Western Australia AWU
is to build a strong membership base
before EBA negotiations next year.
AWU WA Branch Secretary Stephen
Price said the success could also be
attributed to contact with other AWU
Branches across Australia.
“We have been in regular
contact with the other Branches that
also deal with Capral Aluminium. This
information has been vital for our
one-to-one conversations and mapping
activities,” he said.
❯ ❯
Read about what YOUR Union is doing for YOU...
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 39 2/12/2009 1:34:59 PM
40 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
FRONTLINE NEWS WEST AUSTRALIA / TASMANIA
■ Dampier-to-Bunbury natural gas pipeline
“I’ve been working in
this industry for over 30 years and
these dongas are a bloody disgrace.”
■ AWU non-propelled dredging conference 2009In November, the AWU WA Branch
was represented at the Union’s
Non-propelled Dredging Conference
by AWU West Australian Branch
Assistant Secretary Paul Asplin.
In the weeks before, Paul had travelled
the north-west of the state to speak with
Members about changes they would like
to see made in the industry.
“These conferences are a great way
to address the shortcomings of the
dredging industry, and the feedback from
our Members goes straight to employers
and industry groups so that they can begin
to address the problems we encounter.”
One of the large wins came in the
form of a 15 per cent pay increase over
two years for all classifi cations in the
non-propelled industry.
WA Branch Secretary Stephen Price
said with projects under construction in
the near future such as the Gorgon gas
project off Barrow Island, west of Karratha
in the state’s north, it was important to get
such issues addressed now.
“Gorgon will employ around 10,000
workers during the construction phase.
With Barrow Island and its isolated
location and environmental provisions
that are in place, non-propelled barges
will be an essential part of the
construction project, and that’s why we
wanted to address the concerns of the
industry on behalf of our AWU Members
before projects like this start.”
RIGHT: Inspection of non-propelled
dredge in Port Hedland harbour.
LEFT: West Australian Branch assistant Secretary Paul Asplin speaking with workers about the state of the DBNGP camp.
Over the past fortnight, AWU WA
Branch officials have been catching
up with Members throughout the
Pilbara region.
These men and women work in some
of the most arid and isolated places in
Western Australia, and none more so
than those constructing the Dampier-to-
Bunbury natural gas pipeline, which
extends almost 1600 kilometres from
the Pilbara region to the south-west of
Western Australia.
The DBNGP is one of the longest and
largest-capacity natural gas pipelines in
Australia, supplying natural gas to
industrial, commercial and residential
customers in Perth and major regional
centres along its route.
However, despite the billions of dollars
invested into the projects, one thing that
has seen to be left at the bottom of the
agenda is the quality of their makeshift
camp accommodation.
“I’ve been working in this industry for
over 30 years and as an AWU Offi cial for
another 12 and these dongas are a bloody
disgrace,” AWU WA Branch Assistant
Secretary Paul Asplin said.
“The camps on stage fi ve of the
pipeline are only in place for an average
six to eight weeks before they are moved
down the line. The workers on DBNGP
who are currently working in 40°C
temperatures are unable to settle into
rooms before they are moved on, have
to share bathroom facilities and don’t
have drinking water in their rooms.
“With the heat out here, the workers
need to stay hydrated. Having no drinking
water in their rooms is a serious OH&S
issue that the Union has repeatedly been
on the back of [pipeline constructor]
McConnell Dowell to get addressed.”
Only the persistence of the Union has
seen the current set of dongas and
temporary accommodation retired at the
next rotation and sent to Papua New
Guinea. The AWU West Australian Branch
has been advocating on behalf of its
Members that the next camps contain en
suite bathrooms for workers and the
provision for drinking water in rooms.
“I fi nd it amusing that the Liberal State
Government plan to house hundreds of
prisoners in this type of donga-style
accommodation as crisis management for
the overcrowding of our jails. The ones
they’re using for convicted criminals are
probably better than the ones that these
workers have out here,” Paul said.
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 40 2/12/2009 1:35:17 PM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 41
■ Jockeys won’t be taken for a ride
Tasmanian News■ Tasmanian Delegates’ conferenceThis year’s Tasmanian AWU
Delegates’ conference focused
primarily on the new Fair Work Act,
which will deliver a better deal for
workers in Tasmania.
AWU Tasmania Branch Secretary Ian
Wakefi eld opened the event by thanking
the Delegates, Offi cials and Executive.
“Without all your hard work, we wouldn’t
be in the better industrial position we fi nd
ourselves in today under the new Fair
Work Act,” he said.
In addressing the transition to the
new legislative framework, the Tasmanian
Branch conducted two training sessions
for the Delegates. It represented a
preliminary step as the Union evolves
and applies the new Act to the bargaining
process, and the Union provided an
explanation of the steps necessary to
empower it to deliver best-practice
outcomes in the workplace.
The training was provided by AWU
National Organising and Campaigns
Co-ordinator, Daniel Walton and National
Training and Education Co-ordinator
Kathleen Galvin.
Where an employer consents,
the Union is also conducting information
sessions for workers about the new
laws. Recently unionised Renison tin
mine workers received briefi ngs on
site about how the new laws change
the bargaining process.
The conference also received a
briefi ng from the Minister for Workplace
Relations, Lisa Singh, about the Bartlett
Government’s commitment to strengthen
health and safety laws and its strategy for
dealing with asbestos issues in Tasmania.
“Under the new laws, where workers
organise and act collectively, they will
be able to ensure greater protection and
improvements in the agreements they
bargain with their employers,” Ian said.
The Tasmanian government recently
proposed amendments to laws
concerning disciplinary provisions
in the thoroughbred racing industry
that could dramatically affect actions
taken against jockeys.
The government said its amendments
were necessary to improve corporate
governance in the industry but both the
AWU and Tasmanian Jockeys’ Association
have expressed concerns about them.
Both the Union and the TJA said they
lacked adequate arrangements in appeal
processes for jockeys and that industry
expertise to hand would be inadequate in
dealing with such appeals. The two
groups’ lobbying included a two-hour
meeting with the full sitting of the state
Legislative Council.
The upshot was that the council voted
in favour of AWU and TJA amendments
which ensure that when a jockey
challenges a decision of a steward with
the racing appeal board, that jockey will
be able to introduce new evidence not
considered by the steward at the time
of the incident in question.
On their success, AWU Tasmanian
Branch Secretary Ian Wakefi eld said, “The
partnership between the AWU and TJA
continues to deliver real and tangible
benefi ts for jockeys in Tasmania and
I applaud the contribution of Kevin Ring
of the Jockeys’ Association.”
The parties were also successful in
ensuring that an advisor with technical
expertise in the thoroughbred racing
industry is appointed in order to ensure
that appropriate advice is given to the
appeals board when considering
disciplinary decisions by stewards.
“These are sensible amendments
which recognise the intense workload
of both jockeys and stewards on
race days and ensure that jockeys
receive procedural fairness when issues
of a disciplinary nature are proposed,”
Ian said.
“These are sensible
amendments which
recognise the intense
workload of both jockeys and stewards
on race days.”
ABOVE: The partnership between the AWU and the TJA continues to deliver real and tangible benefi ts for jockeys.
Read about what YOUR Union is doing for YOU...
AWU21_p28-41_Frontline.indd 41 2/12/2009 3:00:34 PM
AWU21_p42-43_Meet the Dels-Offs.indd 42 2/12/2009 8:30:26 AM
AWU21_p42-43_Meet the Dels-Offs.indd 43 2/12/2009 9:12:56 AM
AWU21_p44-45_Catch of Day.indd 44 2/12/2009 8:32:43 AM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 45
“The salmon industry in Tasmania employs hundreds of locals, and the AWU looks after the interests of some 300 Members.”
“I bunged him back in the water to wash him off,
and gave him a bit of a fl ick at the end. The next
moment he was off. That was it,
I’d lost him.”
Ian’s Barbecued Tasmanian Atlantic salmon in a Thai marinade1 Tasmanian salmon portion per person
Marinade:2 sticks of lemongrass2 tablespoons of soy sauce2 cloves of crushed garlic2 cm peeled and chopped ginger1 red chilli fi nely choppedJuice of 2 limes; remove the pith and grate the rind150ml olive oilFresh coriander leaves
Method: Combine the marinade ingredients (including the grated lime rind). Coat fi sh pieces with marinade, place in a bowl and leave in the fridge for one to two hours. Cook the salmon on a hot barbecue, and serve with jasmine rice and salad.
◆
AWU21_p44-45_Catch of Day.indd 45 2/12/2009 8:36:03 AM
46 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au46 theaustralianworker
FAMILY LIFE
AWU21_p46-49_Dad.indd 46 2/12/2009 8:38:03 AM
AWU21_p46-49_Dad.indd 47 2/12/2009 8:38:29 AM
AWU21_p46-49_Dad.indd 48 2/12/2009 8:38:57 AM
AWU21_p46-49_Dad.indd 49 2/12/2009 8:39:22 AM
50 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
FINANCE
50 theaustralianworker
H
Upfront fees
Loan feesDO THE SUMS
The dreaded mortgage. The very word is enough to turn the toughest to jelly! Our resident money man, Tom Scahill, looks at home loans and how you can make the pathway to your
Great Australian Dream a little less rocky. WRITTEN BY TOM SCAHILL PHOTO GETTY IMAGES
Ongoing fees – the equivalent of a higher rate
Comparison rate – a useful benchmark
What is a package loan?Package loans fold a mortgage, everyday bank account and often a credit card into a single product, providing convenience with big savings. Often the card fee is waived, there are fee savings on everyday banking and the home loan rate is discounted. Most packages provide a discount of 0.5-0.7 per cent, which is a great way to minimise higher interest rate charges.
The proof of the growing popularity of these loans is in the pudding, with around half of all home loans now written as part of a package.
AWU21_p50-51_Finance.indd 50 2/12/2009 8:41:13 AM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 51
◆
Parting ways can be costly
When do package loans work best?➜ For package loans, the annual fee is fi xed. This means the larger the mortgage, the lower the impact of the fee on overall cost. ➜ If you are borrowing more than $250,000, upgrading to a package with a fully-featured home loan could save you from being locked into a restrictive contract that might not suit your changing needs in a few years’ time.Put simply, the more you borrow, the more worthwhile a package loan becomes. ➜ As an example, the Canstar Cannex website provides a star rating on home loans and compared a $350,000 loan taken as a package against a standard variable and basic no-frills loan. Credit card and transaction account costs were added to the basic and no-frills loans to make the comparison fair. ➜ Based on the average rates from the major banks, the saving on a package loan was up to $2310 annually. Even without the transaction account and credit card, a standard variable loan still cost $2200 more annually than a package with the lot.
When is a basic loan the way to go?The major downside of a no-frills or basic home loan option is its lack of fl exibility. For instance, home owners will not have access to many of the benefi ts included in a package deal. That said, borrowers might not want the credit card or savings account that are commonly attached to a package.
If you are borrowing a small amount and are sure your circumstances aren’t going to change over the term of the loan, you might decide you are happy to keep your banking products separate.
Be aware that if you pay extra into a cheap no-frills loan and want access to that money, you may have
to pay a fee each time. This can quickly add up.For instance, fees could be charged for:➜ Depositing lump sums (like your tax return) into the loan.➜ Switching from a variable to a fi xed interest rate.➜ Paying your loan out early.
“With a range of packages and various fees to consider, it’s often diffi cult to come to
an informed decision.”
AWU21_p50-51_Finance.indd 51 2/12/2009 8:41:30 AM
AWU21_p52-54_Twitter.indd 52 2/12/2009 9:13:45 AM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 53
❯ ❯
W TWITTER LINK AT http://twitter.com/AWUnion
TWITTER LINK AT http://twitter.com/AWUnion
“Even our Prime Minister is on Twitter. So, could this emerging online technology become core to our political process? Can it make for more accountable Government? The answer is yes!”
AWU21_p52-54_Twitter.indd 53 3/12/2009 8:31:00 AM
54 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
◆
TECHNOLOGY
TWITTER LINK AT http://twitter.com/AWUnion
also legal. But business wants the practice outlawed and is taking its case to Germany’s highest court. However, this particular action came just days after Germany’s Federal Labour Court ruled fl ash mobs were a legitimate form of industrial action.
In Australia, many unions have a presence on Facebook and Twitter although a recent report stated that over 50 per cent of Australian workplaces had banned the use of social networking sites at their workplaces.
Having said that, Twitter is less “gated” than email, meaning you can share information with more people and ones you wouldn’t ordinarily email. And let’s be honest, do we as workers – and companies – really need more emails and spam cluttering up inboxes?
TOP: Chairman of Germany’s Ver.di trade union Frank Bsirske addresses protestors during a rally in February in Nuremberg, Germany. LEFT: Ver.di called on public sector workers to strike over a demand for better wages and conditions.
Mob rules“Flash mobs” have become a benign – and occasionally wacky – act of public expression. Flash-mobbers organise using online social media like Twitter, quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and then disperse.
Now, the same instantaneous internet technology is being used to help workers publicise a pay and conditions dispute. Ver.di, which represents almost 2.5 million German employees, used online technology in an innovative way to organise about 150 workers to load up shopping carts before leaving them standing in supermarket aisles.
Instead of paying, the fl ash mob handed over cards with slogans like “Fair Wages” and “Fair Means More”. Business came to a standstill it apparently took staff all day to put the goods back. “We wanted to draw attention to our problems,” the union’s secretary said.
The protest was a peaceful and was
AWU21_p52-54_Twitter.indd 54 2/12/2009 8:44:20 AM
© Copyright 2009 OneSteel Limited ABN 63 004 410 833. Published Sep 2009. BS0303
OneSteel is proud to be one of Australia’s largest companies, with a comprehensive portfolio of world-class steel infrastructure solutions, and a reputation for leadership built on quality products and reliable service.
OneSteel has a wide range of steel products, design capabilities and logistics services that drive rapid and cost-effective implementation of infrastructure projects in the areas of: residential, commercial & engineering construction; road, rail & sea transport; and even gas, water & rural infrastructure. As well as providing solutions for private infrastructure, many of our products are also suited to the recently announced government stimulus packages for schools, social & defence housing, transport corridor upgrades and local government infrastructure.
Contact us today to fi nd out about our Australian designed and manufactured steel solutions for your next infrastructure project.
FREECALL 1800 1 STEEL WEBSITE www.onesteel.com EMAIL [email protected]
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT SOLUTIONS
56 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au56 theaustralianworker
21st centuryROCKING INTO THE
Australian rock has come a long way since Johnny O’Keefe wailed into a microphone more than 50 years ago. Now, as the New Millenium approaches the end of it’s fi rst decade, Glenn A Baker, our rock guru, looks at the current music scene.WRITTEN BY GLENN A BAKER PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES/ACP LIBRARY/GLENN A BAKER
MUSIC
Powderfi nger
John Butler Trio
Killing Heidi
AWU21_p56-59_Music.indd 56 2/12/2009 8:45:11 AM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 57
❯ ❯
WBrave new world
Young and on fire
Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave in concert in 1995 Ben Gilles from
Silverchair
The global icons INXS
AWU21_p56-59_Music.indd 57 2/12/2009 8:45:41 AM
AWU21_p56-59_Music.indd 58 2/12/2009 8:46:20 AM
AWU21_p56-59_Music.indd 59 2/12/2009 8:46:53 AM
60 theaustralianworker www.awu.net.au
PARTY
60 theaustralianworker
sceneSTREET Yes, life can be a party! A great way to meet your neighbours, make friends
and build your community is to hold a street party. Here’s how its done...
WRITTEN BY AIDAN ORMOND PHOTOS ANTHEA WILLIAMSON
AWU21_p60-61_Street Party.indd 60 2/12/2009 8:48:08 AM
www.awu.net.au theaustralianworker 61
I
“I’d only moved there recently so I thought everyone knew each other. But some who’d been there for four or fi ve years said they hadn’t met before. It was fabulous! What’s more, a week later at the debrief I got to meet everyone again.”
◆
Want your own street party?Sounds like fun, but there are often insurance, traffi c management and logistics issues to consider. But one council actively promoting the idea is Melbourne’s Maribyrnong City Council.Councillor Michael Clarke, its mayor, tells The Australian Worker his team wants to make it as painless as possible to arrange. “Council has developed a street party assistance kit outlining 10 easy steps residents need to undertake to organise a street party. The kit is essentially a ‘how to’ of street parties,” he explains.
“It includes important information about the road-closure process, public liability insurance, sample invitations, an event checklist and other useful tips and advice.”
As a further incentive, residents can also apply to have the cost of public liability insurance reimbursed from the council after their event.If you’re planning a street party, on your checklist you might include letter-boxing the street(s) to drum up interest and feedback on best days, times and themes or skills. And if it rains, consideration might be given to a back-up plan as well as, of course, who’s rostered on to clean up.➜ www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/streetparty has more info. But if you are planning a street party, you must fi rst ask your own local council about their regulations.
AWU21_p60-61_Street Party.indd 61 2/12/2009 8:50:22 AM
AWU21_p62-63_Festive.indd 62 2/12/2009 9:21:38 AM
AWU21_p62-63_Festive.indd 63 2/12/2009 8:54:50 AM
AWU21_p65_Bindi.indd 65 2/12/2009 8:56:32 AM
AWU21_p66_Grumpy.indd 66 2/12/2009 8:58:36 AM
Low feesAt Sunsuper, it’s super simple. Low fees. No commissions. Our profi ts go back to our members. Phone 13 11 84 or visit www.sunsuper.com.au
Products issued by Sunsuper Pty Ltd ABN 88 010 720 840 AFSL No. 228975 RSE Lic No. L0000291 RSE Reg No. R1000337. You should read the Product Disclosure Statement before making any investment decisions. For a copy call 13 11 84.bcm:sun 0257
Super is about saving. So it makes sense to be with a fund like AustralianSuper that is run only to profi t members, doesn’t pay dividends to shareholders or commissions to agents, and has low fees.
As one of the largest industry super funds AustralianSuper looks after the retirement savings for over 1.4 million everyday Australians.
Put us to work for you. Call 1300 300 273 or go to www.AustralianSuper.com
Run only to profi t members
This information is of a general nature and does not take into account your personal objectives, situation or needs. Before making a decision about AustralianSuper, consider your fi nancial requirements
and read our Product Disclosure Statement, which is available on our website or by calling us. Statements made by members have been reproduced with their consent and this consent has not
been withdrawn at the date of publication. ‘Industry SuperFund’ logo used with permission of Industry Fund Services (IFS) and this consent has not been withdrawn at the date of publication.
AustralianSuper Pty Ltd ABN 94 006 457 987 AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.
Low fees AWU represented on the board Run only to profi t members 16 investment choices
““I like AustralianSuper because they’re an because they’re an
industry fund run only industry fund run only to profi t members.”to profi t members.”
Mark Sinclair, AustalianSuper member
AU
SS
299
39