Public Service Association of NSW Post Office approved PP 255003/01563 ISSN 1030–0740 RedAugust–November Tape 2016 www.psa.asn.au Privatisation regulation in PSA’s sights The PSA is leading the fight to block a new regulation that strips redundancy rights from all public sector workers in privatisations. • understand whether members comparable employment by the are prepared to take action over non-government sector body. the regulation if lobbying and At the moment, transfers have legal avenues do not achieve involved compensation for public the desired outcome. servants. The PSA secured a meeting with The planned changes mean the Reverend Fred Nile, who employees are not eligible controls the balance of power in for compensation if the non- the Legislative Council. government sector job is In August, PSA General Secretary ‘comparable’. Anne Gardiner was joined by ‘Comparable’ may fail to properly CPSU/SPSF Branch President account for: Mary Court from Schools, Glen • the medium-term risk to Barlow from Corrective Services wages and conditions via new and Jane Howrylak from Trustee Enterprise Agreements and Guardian (pictured) to • possible exposure to less meet Reverend Fred Nile. The redundancy pay delegation sought Reverend Nile’s • reduced job security support for a disallowance motion to stop the regulation that is • loss of favourable provisions being put to the Parliament by • the risk of working for the Shadow Minister for Industrial unscrupulous operators. Relations Adam Searle. Recent transfer arrangements to The PSA had called members other privatised bodies have been more generous, although offers Anne Gardiner, Glen Barlow from Corrective Services, Jane Howrylak from Trustee & Guardian and CPSU/SPSF Branch looking for Christian Democrat President Mary Court from schools Party supporters and active have diminished over time. participants in Evangelical churches to find people willing to The Government Sector a cross section of our members to • educate members on the talk to Reverend Nile. Employment Amendment speak about the regulation. regulation and its effect Nearly 60 members told There is still (Transfers to Non-Government The list of names, generated • ascertain whether members Organisers they would meet the Sector) Regulation 2016 under the by the PSA’s Strategy and had read our e-bulletins on the Christian Democrat leader to seek regulation Government Sector Employment Policy Directorate, comprises of his support on the issue. time to vote approximately 6800 members Act 2013 was brought in by • brief members on our political Under the proposed GSE randomly selected from a strategy to have the amendment the Baird Government without regulation, a government worker to keep the representative cross section of disallowed in Parliament whose sector agency is transferred consulting public sector unions. worksites from our database. • invite members to participate in to a non-government sector body Staff in the PSA Organising The purpose of the telephone lobbying politicians to support is not entitled to any severance PSA strong Directorate have been telephoning calls was to: a motion of disallowance or redundancy payment if offered Anne Gardiner From the General Secretary Defending public services is exactly what we have done When I was voted into office as the banner of Defending Public It is through the Defending Public step in its efforts to signal to the anything and some of whom are PSA General Secretary in late Services. Services campaign and the hard community what they risk losing. being investigated for fraud. 2012, the union did not have a This overarching campaign was work and dedication of the PSA’s TAFE is a world-class vocational focus to underpin its work. kick started in August 2013 with a staff and delegates that the The secret sell-off trainer that equips people with union has now become the go to the skills the state needs moving It did not have a central clearly series of meetings across the state. A second advertising campaign brand for the media and within forward. defined rallying point it was The PSA’s cars were badged with titled “Stop the Secret Sell Off” the broader community as the working towards or under which it Defending Public Services. has now been launched. Pray that the electrician you call was operating. defender of public services in NSW. has done more than a two-week In April 2014, the PSA launched The theme was determined by The PSA, the important work of private training course. No organisation can function its first ever statewide advertising this year’s Annual Conference members and concerns about the Similarly with ADHC, which is effectively without a blueprint campaign to promote the attendees. and a goal which was why I provision of public services to the being totally privatised, leaving no importance of our members’ work. A 30-second advertisement was introduced – via the PSA’s Central community now receives regular safety net for those with high-end Titled “Which direction are aired on radio in Sydney, Goulburn, Council – the union’s first ever coverage in the media. needs, and no choice for others. we headed?”, it alerted the Newcastle, Bathurst, Wollongong, Strategic Plan. We have even broken into The The private sector isn’t going community to the attack on Tweed Heads, Central Coast, Daily Telegraph which traditionally to offer the same specialised But more than an internal driver public services. Dubbo, Grafton and Wagga. has not exactly been sympathetic services as ADHC currently does. was needed. It is being supported by roadside The ad was launched by respected to either the public sector nor the Why would it? How will they What was additionally required billboards in prominent locations political commentator Jane Caro union movement. make a profit if they do that? was a clear statement of intent across the state, including a prized and screened on television, in Keep up the good work to members, in the face of the In fact we have made media site on the Alfred Street Harbour cinemas and online. highlighting Mike Baird’s secret relentless attacks under firstly inroads to the point where we are Bridge approach. By the end of the campaign in July, sell-off. the O‘Farrell and now the Baird now asked to write opinion pieces A website has also been set up at it had generated almost 68,000 It’s a secret that is far too Government, that the PSA was on issues important to the union stopthesecretselloff.com.au. fighting for you and the services views on YouTube. in what is a clear sign of the important to keep – for the sake Once again, the aim is to alert you provide so expertly each day The ad was subsequently degree to which the profile of the of the future of NSW. the community to the fact the across NSW. rescreened in cinemas in Sydney PSA has been elevated over the Anne Gardiner NSW Government is selling off and regional areas between last few years. General Secretary A declaration to the community everything it can to the highest January to March, 2015. was also needed, to inform the We have had several articles bidder who in turn provide a public that the PSA is fighting In addition, billboards were published on matters from prison cheap low cost (to them) service. to preserve and, where possible, displayed highlighting the work of overcrowding and child protection The decimation of TAFE is a tragic expand the services they require specific groups. to the importance of union example in which the Government and rely so heavily upon. An online campaign using youth- governance. is blindly giving countless millions For that reason we decided the focussed Friendlyjordies promoted On the back of these efforts the to cheap private operators who work of the PSA would be under our vital work. PSA has taken another major are unqualified to train anyone in Win for PSA in PSA/CPSU wins Pillar fight redundancy provisions for Newcastle University The PSA/CPSU has been in dispute with the University More than 90 percent of Pillar of Newcastle (UoN) over its treatment of members in employees who voted have accepted Infrastructure and Facilities Services whose positions were a three-year agreement preserving slated for outsourcing. conditions in the face of the potential privatisation of this government business. UoN declared our members a formal hearing occurred in Once notified, members will detached on 31 May, even though Newcastle on 16 August 2016, then have an opportunity to The first year will see a 2.5 percent pay they were required to continue choose voluntary separation or rise, followed by two percent and 1.5 where Commissioner Saunders in their jobs until an external redeployment. percent rises over the following two years. was asked to determine the contractor could be obtained correct interpretation of the UoN has been ordered “to This important win means greater security and the outsourcing process enterprise agreement regarding withdraw the detachment notices of conditions and entitlements. completed. The Go-Live dates the circumstances of when an issued by it to employees in Ninety percent of responses to an earlier were September for Logistics and the Infrastructure and Facilities employee can be detached. survey submitted by PSA members October for Security. Services area, other than those supported accepting the three-year The PSA/CPSU claimed UoN With a number of affected employees who have already agreement. was in breach of the enterprise members in attendance to show notified the University of their Two earlier staff ballots were held and lost. agreement by detaching staff their support for the dispute, election for voluntary redundancy, The first rejected Pillar’s proposal for a whilst they were still required to Commissioner Saunders handed and not re-issue a detachment one-year agreement, and the next threw perform their duties.