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Hold This Government to Account the Campaign to Protect Vital Services, and the Public Sector Which Provides Them Continues

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Hold This Government to Account the Campaign to Protect Vital Services, and the Public Sector Which Provides Them Continues PUBLIC SECTOR Reviewwww.cpsu.asn.au April 2011 Hold this Government to Account The campaign to protect vital services, and the Public Sector which provides them continues. “This Government must The PSA’s Job Cuts = Service Cuts campaign is gaining increasing community be held to account for support and there are some positive signs that the harm it is inflicting some in Government realise this. The recent Cabinet re-shuffle is a clear on its employees and indicator that the Government has realised some earlier decisions have no community the community they support. But this can only be the beginning. It must serve.” be accompanied by changes to policies which Jan McMahon, PSA General Secretary saw jobs, services and working conditions cut. The PSA is determined to continue this campaign on multiple levels as it has since the day former Treasurer Kevin Foley handed down his Budget in September last year. We are not alone in this fight. The community and other unions are standing shoulder to shoulder with us. “The response has been strong and the support from members and the community has been very significant,” PSA General Secretary Jan McMahon said. “We will continue to hold this Government The radio ad says: PSA General Secretary Jan McMahon addressing rally/media. The cuts outlined by Former “The State Government has to account for its actions. impact of the Budget; Treasurer Kevin Foley included: started slashing jobs, services Some of the actions the PSA has • Numerous rallies and marches; • A cut of 3750 Public Sector and worker entitlements as undertaken, many of which are detailed further • Union delegations to Electoral Offices; jobs over 4 years; part of its Budget cuts. in this issue of the Review, have included: • An ongoing High Court challenge; • A two tier system of Targeted • Regular Worksite Representative meetings • Lobbying of political parties; “Almost 4000 jobs are set and updates; Voluntary Separation Packages; to go which equals service • Union meetings at worksites. • Creation of a new interactive website – New radio advertising showing the cuts to • The Government will reconsider reductions, longer waiting doesntaddup.com.au jobs, services and entitlements was rolled out its “no involuntary redundancy” times and less support for • Regular media exposure regarding the during February. policy after one year if insufficient South Australian families staff reductions are achieved, in need. despite a promise by the Premier “The Government must be that this would not happen; held to account for betraying High Level Talks • Long Service Leave accrual workers and making South Senior PSA Officials have met with Premier and Attorney General John Rau, to be reduced from 15 days to a number of new Ministers in recent Treasurer Jack Snelling, Minister for Industrial Australian families bear the Relations Bernard Finnigan and Minister for 9 days per annum after July 1 brunt of unjustified cuts. weeks, in the wake of the Cabinet re-shuffle. Public Sector Management Gail Gago. this year for workers with The opening of channels of “If job and service cuts are Discussions have been preliminary, as 15 years service; already making your life communication is seen as a positive step, advised in previous individual PSA briefs while recognising that until policies are • Recreation Leave Loading to be harder tell us why at to members. changed which see cuts to jobs, services and removed for non-shift workers www.doesntaddup.com.au” Meetings have been held with Deputy conditions the campaign will continue. from July 2012 JOBS HOLD THIS AUSTRALIA WATCH GOVERNMENT DAY HONOURS TO ACCOUNT continued Page 4 Page 6&7 Page 10 P2 PUBLIC SECTOR REVIEW APRIL 2011 Secretary’s Column President’s Column TIME FOR ACTION WHAT IS THE RANN GOVERNMENT’S LEGACY? By Jan McMahon By Lindsay Oxlad he campaign to Hold this members have seen jobs and entitlements n Wednesday 16 March 2011 bargaining in good faith has been irreparably Government to Account has slashed with no consultation, no negotiation. I was fortunate to attend the damaged by the opportunistic actions of the We are already seeing jobs and consequently continued well into 2011. PSA Don Dunstan Foundation Rann Government which by its actions now T services disappear with no apparent concern members have demonstrated their O puts the Industrial Relations Commission by Government about the impact on those oration and was impressed to hear resolve to stand up for what is right. who need them most. We know workloads about the many achievements of Don in the difficult position of not being able to With the tide of community opinion confidently certify any future enterprise are already high, and this is only set to get Dunstan during his time as Premier of overwhelmingly onside, the worse. Something needs to change now. agreement covering the public sector. What South Australia. Government has had no choice but to The PSA has played its role by not does certification of an Agreement mean when begin the process of change. backing away from its obligations to Repeatedly referred to as a great reforming one of the parties can unilaterally alter it to Premier, one who achieved significant and The decision by Kevin Foley to step down as members and the community, and is fulfilling suit its needs? its vow to protect the public sector. We have lasting reforms that benefited all South Treasurer shows the impact the union and More so as it will surely flow on to be community campaign is having on the marched the streets of Adelaide, crammed the Australians. seats of Parliament House, knocked on the used as a precedent by other private sector Government. But this is not the end, it can What then of his successor, the Rann door of parliamentarians and hit the skies, employers in all sectors of the economy – only be the beginning. Government lead by his pupil Mike Rann? radio waves and internet with our message. retail, manufacturing, transport, services, The PSA welcomes any steps to begin to Reflecting on the past twelve months, the mining, telecommunications, entertainment, repair the damage done by former Treasurer In an historic move the PSA will now take Government’s record can only be described as Foley's last Budget, however much needs to its dispute over the Government's decision to hospitality, etc. disappointing, marked by lost opportunities be done. override the current Enterprise Agreement to It must also be troubling to the business the High Court. As we have said, no stone and a loss of Labor values and principles. Significantly, the PSA has met with four community with any contractual arrangements will be left unturned in challenging these key Government members whose new roles budget measures. The attacks on Workcover are with the Government. Is there now a will have a direct bearing on PSA members. heightened risk that Governments now and in Initial meetings have been held with Deputy Government Members of Parliament have certainly not in the Dunstan mould the future will seek to avoid their contractual Premier Rau, Treasurer Snelling, Minister seen rallies at electorate offices and and will not be a proud legacy delegations as part of the campaign. Meetings obligations by passing legislation when it Gago as Minister for Public Sector of the Rann Government’s years. Management, and Minister Finnigan who of all public sector unions continue regularly suits them to do so? to plan campaign activities. We have in no took on the important portfolio of Industrial Equally the Government’s decision to cut Finally, the most abhorrent legacy is the way become complacent or diverted from the Relations. Government threat to “reconsider” the “no focus of our campaign. 3,750 public sector jobs (and therefore much The importance of these meetings cannot needed services to the community) as an forced redundancy” policy that Premier It is time. Time for the Government to act be understated. For months the PSA has been unnecessary part of its budget strategy was not Rann committed his Government to maintain calling for Government consultation and on its promise to listen to the people of this something that the community will applaud not once but several times, in writing and negotiation to no avail. Now, the lines of state. To listen to our message that job cuts underlined in letters to the Public Service communication have reopened in what can will mean service cuts, to negotiate not let alone workers in the public sector. only be a positive move for members. legislate, and to leave our leave alone. The further action by the Government Association prior to and after each State PSA members have an expectation that Our message to the new Ministry is that it to legislate away Leave Loading and Long Election. That is not something that Don this will lead to genuine discussions and a is time to start a fresh relationship with your Service Leave employment entitlements Dunstan would be proud of nor would he review of budget decisions. However, until employees and the people of this state. One despite the fact that they were enshrined in tolerate such action. based on trust, transparency and commitment there is a commitment to reverse any of the an Enterprise Agreement agreed to by the In the light of these actions by the Rann disastrous budget measures which have been to quality public sector services. Government and the public sector unions Government the Public Service Association imposed on the public sector and the It is still too early to tell whether these (on behalf of the employees) and certified by community, we will continue to campaign. latest changes really do herald a new era. and the members that it has the honor to Meetings are good, but actions by While we hope it can, we will continue to not the Industrial Relations Commission is not a represent will continue to campaign up to the Government are better.
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