• Insecure Work Campaign • Qantas Workers Step Up • Industrial Round-Up • State Election Central & Southern Queensland Clerical & Administrative Branch Update Our Vision Summer 2012 Contents Branch Secretary's Report 3 State Election – Focus on ASU Members 4 ASU Delegate of the Year Award 7 Insecure Work Inquiry Comes to Town 8 Ground-Handler Agrees Not to Sack ASU Members After Court Action 9 Qantas Workers Step Up 10 2012 Delegates’ Training Calendar 11 Award Modernisation 12 Equal Pay – SACS – Letter from Julia Gillard 13 ALP Adopts Big Changes 14 Australian Government Must Act on Fiji 15 Accessing Assistance 16 Robin Hood Tax Campaign 16 Digital Surveillance by the Boss 18 Industrial Round-Up 19 Queensland Health Update 19 Local Govt. & Utilities Update 20 Energy Sector Update 21 ACTU National Union Awards 22 Agreements Update 23 GLAM Report 24 Speak Up for Health & Safety 25 The ASU Branch Update is kindly sponsored by the following organisations: Authorised and printed/published by Julie Bignell, Branch Secretary - Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical and Services Union, Central and Southern Queensland Clerical and Administrative Branch, Union of Employees and the Australian Services Union Central and Southern Queensland Branch - Level 3 - 27 Peel Street, South Brisbane Q. 4101 Australia PO Box 3272 South Brisbane BC QLD 4101 Australia. Tel: 1800 177 244. Fax: 07 3017 6275. - Website: www.qld.asu.net.au - Email: [email protected] 2 ASU Branch Update Summer 2012 Branch Secretary’s Report Insecure Work is important and could binding on elected parliamentarians – lead to real change if government is and thanks to that we hope to see some prepared to do something about the significant improvements as to how appalling situation in our country where we bargain with employers, and how 40% of all workers do not have secure workers can access help in the future. employment. It’s recommendations will go to ACTU Congress in May, and We have also secured agreement for a lead to negotiations with the federal Task Force into the Business Services government with a view to doing Industry – an industry that employs something meaningful about this more workers than the manufacturing situation. industry, but which currently has no Welcome to the summer centralised planning or assistance. edition of our ASU C&SQ On the political scene, the ASU through This activity will be overseen by Branch Update. As you will consistent large-scale lobbying has Minister Greg Combet, and will be secured an amazing win with the a great opportunity for the ASU to see, 2012 is going to be a very Gillard government agreeing to over participate and promote the interests busy and interesting year for 2 billion dollars of funding towards of our members in the industry, and ASU members. pay equity for social and community we’ll make sure we keep you informed sector workers. While the decision is about this. Not only do we have a variety of yet to be handed down by FWA, this is enquiries and reviews that affect ASU a stunning victory that belongs to the Finally, please consider the atrocious members at the national level, we also many members who worked so hard for events occurring under the dictatorship have changes locally brought on by so long. Congratulations! in Fiji. The Australian government must global economic instability, as well as do more to encourage change – and we the usual politics that comes with state And of course, we have provided our all have to consider how we would like and local government elections. usual opportunity to ASU members being oppressed in the way that our who are running for election to speak colleagues currently are in the union Important reviews of the modern award directly to their fellow ASU members movement there. Why not let your system, as well as the Fair Work Act about what they feel is important. It’s local member of parliament know you itself, mean that we have to be on our great to see political candidates proudly support action on this front? toes and resist the inevitable attacks advertising their union membership in from employer groups seeking to an environment where it is often very In Unity, maximise profits and minimise losses. easy to downplay the importance of As we have seen in 2011, employers are collectivism and courage. becoming even more militant, using tactics such as closing down the entire Intensive lobbying by delegates to enterprise to force workers to drop off the recent national conference of the on legitimate industrial aims such as Australian Labor Party has resulted in Julie Bignell changes to the Party Platform – why is income and employment security. Branch Secretary That’s why the ACTU Inquiry into this important? Because the platform is Australian Workers Will Benefit from Greater Transparency of Superannuation Funds A Productivity Commission inquiry into Mr Lyons said unions had long supported not-for-profit default superannuation funds in modern industry funds against retail funds because they had awards will shed welcome light onto the consistently provided better returns and greater value for workers and that the inquiry would lead to a more relative performance of industry and retail transparent and open system, which all funds should funds, say unions. welcome. ACTU Assistant Secretary, Tim Lyons said there should be Mr Lyons said the inquiry, along with the Government’s transparency about the performance and operation of commitment to increase the Superannuation Guarantee superannuation funds in awards so that workers can be to 12%, would go a long way towards ensuring more sure which fund delivers the best savings for them. Australians had adequate savings for retirement. Source: ACTU 3 ASU Members Get Into Gear for the State Election 2012 With the 2012 State Election due to be called, we asked proud ASU members who are running for parliament to tell us a bit about themselves. into non-union agreements, just like they did last time they Hon. Anna Bligh were elected. Party: ALP Electorate: South Labor strongly supports the rights of unionists. This Govern- ment has always supported union delegates as appropriate Brisbane representatives in the workplace, who should be provided with resources, time and rights to perform their work. Thank you for the chance to tell you about some of the issues that matter We’ve maintained strong union encouragement and to Queenslanders. delegate right provisions in policy, directives and collective agreements. And continue to recognise the role reps play in I’m proud to say that our government has greatly improved ensuring workplace health and safety. public services like health, child safety, disabilities, corrections and education. We’ve increased funding and In 2012, union members face a stark choice between Labor frontline staff in each of these areas. and the LNP. Last election, in the face of the global financial crisis, we The recently elected LNP government’s in NSW and Victoria made jobs our centrepiece. I’m proud to say we’re on track provide an insight into what union members would face to reach our ambitious 100,00 jobs target. This election, with should the LNP win government here in Queensland. record investment driving unprecedented demand for skilled labour, Education is our focus. In NSW they have legislated away the independent umpire. 10 days before Christmas the Victorian LNP government Over the past decade, Labor has introduced big reforms to announced they would slash 10 per cent of the public education. We have added an extra year of schooling in Prep, service despite ruling out cutting the public service on the we’re undertaking the largest expansion of Kindergarten in day before the election. our state’s history, and we’re moving Year 7 to high school. Claims by LNP leaders before elections cannot be trusted. Labor has a plan to turn the resources boom into a golden Once elected they always revert to their ideological era that can last for generations – the Queensland Education opposition to unions. Trust. The Trust would be established by dedicating 50 per cent of all LNG royalties and investing them in the education Campbell Newman has already said he believes the current and training of future Queenslanders – positioning our state Industrial Relations laws have swung too far in favour of as a high-skill, knowledge economy that can drive our future unions and workers since the abolition of WorkChoices. prosperity. There can be no doubt that his ideological position on industrial relations will be bad for union members. Labor is proud of our record of working with Unions. We are the only party that supports the ongoing role of unions in As Lord Mayor Campbell Newman oversaw contracting out the workplace, through right of entry, access to new starters of many Council services. He has already announced plans and inductions, delegate rights, grievance procedures, con- to cut Queensland’s public service and outsource sultative processes, CEO level meetings and the Queensland management of taxpayer-owned assets. Labour Advisory Committee. And Labor will always retain an independent umpire. I’ve been proud to be a member of the ASU for many years. I’m particularly proud of the work the ASU has done to Only Labor has a proven track record of improving the lives improve the conditions of working women. of Queenslanders. Under an LNP government all of this is at risk. Unions work to make the lives of Queenslanders better every day and I remain proud to be a part of that. Labor is the party of collective bargaining. We believe pay and conditions are best determined by negotiating collective I’m proud of the record my government has delivered agreements with Unions.