Blue Mountains Union News BMUC News and Views selected by the Blue Mountains Unions Council May 2008 Rights at Work Senators' threat to Unions, Government Welfare to Work: need Abolish the ABCC Power Sell-off opinion 2008 will be a big year resurrect WorkChoices and climate change for overhaul Construction workers It makes no commercial for the Rights at Work The threat by two As the largest A new report funded fought hard to remove sense to sell off campaign: achieving a Senators to join with membership based, by the New South the Howard profitable businesses to decent legal framework the Coalition and block public interest Wales Department is Government and its fund other projects restoring our rights, the next stage of Rudd organisations, unions calling on the Federal WorkChoices laws at such as schools, making sure Labor's Government’s are examining the Government to make last year’s election. hospitals and public IR laws get through industrial relations impact of warming on urgent changes to the More needs to be done transport. the Senate. laws are an affront to work in terms of the policy.. for a fair workplace Page 2 the majority of jobs of their members Page 3 relations system for Costa Loses plot Australians and the public interest. our own industry. ALP Conference Page 2 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 "Today is an historic day in the campaign to looking at their future careers to de-rail a Premier restore workers' rights. that won the unwinnable election," he said. New AWAs "For more than ten years the Liberals and Mr Iemma earlier told the conference that private Nationals promoted AWAs as a means to attack sector involvement was necessary because the workers’ rights and drive down their pay and Government on its own could either fund banned conditions — from today this is no longer possible. electricity or services - not both. Unions welcome the ban on new Australian "A recent Senate Report confirmed that thousands AMWU NSW Secretary Paul Bastian said: Workplace Agreements (AWAs) that took effect on of Australian workers lost pay and conditions "The sale means that there is no public control or Friday 28 March but plan to continue the under Work Choices AWAs through the loss of scrutiny over crucial issues whether they be social, campaign to scrap Work Choices in its entirety. public holiday pay, annual leave loading, shift allowances, overtime pay, penalty rates, industrial and environmental. redundancy pay & other conditions. ACTU President Sharan Burrow said: "It means that everything is left up to the market. There is no commitment to deliver new base load "The law to ban new AWAs is an important first "Unions now call on employers to respect the will power, there is no commitment to environmental step in restoring the rights of Australian workers of the Australian people and allow workers to get considerations and nothing about keeping a cap that were taken away by the former Liberal off a lower paid or substandard Work Choices on costs to the consumer." Government’s Work Choices IR laws. AWA and go onto a union collective agreement that properly protects their wages, conditions and Mr Bastian said that the AMWU along side other "But the job is not over yet. This is not the end of rights," said Ms Burrow. unions in NSW are committed to keep fighting. WorkChoices. Unions will continue to campaign for the complete dismantling of WorkChoices and NO! Power privatisation rejected 7 to 1 "All the unions are united in their opposition to for the establishment of a fair and balanced IR this and we know we have the support of the system that fully protects workers’ rights. Delegates at the New South Wales Labor Party Conference in Sydney overwhelmingly rejected a public. Eighty five per cent of the people of NSW are opposed to this sale." "Unions are determined to achieve laws that give State Government proposal to privatise the workers: electricity sector. In an address to the conference on the weekend, Mr Bastian called on all ALP Members of • Protection from being dismissed unfairly. Premier Morris Iemma wants to sell electricity retailers and lease power generators, but an Parliament to respect the vote of the conference. • The right to bargain collectively to improve our amendment to Labor Party policy moved at the "This is only the second time in history that an workplaces and an obligation for employers to conference which rejected privatisation was ALP Premier has openly defied the wish of the negotiate in good faith. supported. conference. The first time was over the issue of • The right to join and be collectively represented by a The final vote was 702 against electricity conscription in World War 1. union, to access advice and information from unions privatisation and 107 for it. The vote came after a "People know that this sale is not a good idea. The in their workplace and to have a say about decisions lengthy debate where speakers, including union evidence from places where it’s already happened that affect their work. officials and Government ministers, outlined their like Victoria is that it has destroyed communities, positions on the proposed power sector reforms. • A strong safety net of awards and minimum cost jobs, raised prices and compromised service standards that maintain safe workplaces and a Treasurer Michael Costa, argued the Government's to the community. decent standard of living for all workers. case: "There’s nothing in it for the workers, for the • A genuinely independent umpire that has the power "This policy is sensible, we shouldn't allow a community and in the long run, for the to resolve disputes and grievances. bunch of egos and a bunch of people that are government." Blue Mountains Union News • May 2008 • http://bmuc.blogspot.com/ • http://bmucinc.com/ 1 Blue Mountains Union News Future of Your Rights at Work Campaign stripped away by the previous government and "This is a major threat to the Rudd Government’s create a stronger, more humane safety net in all election commitment to introduce a fair and Your Rights at Work is a community campaign workplaces," says Ms Burrow. balanced industrial relations system. spearheaded by unions and the ACTU. The ACTU president says extended parental leave "It would resurrect a key aspect of Work Choices The campaign began in earnest in 2005 when the and the right for parents to request more flexible and hand power back to employers despite the Howard Government revealed, for the first time, work arrangements recognise the needs of Australian public overwhelmingly voting for fairer the full extent of its proposed workplace changes. working families in the 21st century. IR laws at the last election," said ACTU President The decent system of workplace laws fought for by Ms Sharan Burrow. unions for over a hundred years - fair take home "These new standards reflect the modern pressures pay, job security, and conditions like leave and of life and the real need of people to be able to Unions, Government and climate change penalty rates - are all under unprecedented attack. balance work, life and family commitments." Dr Carla Lipsig-Mummi On Saturday November 24 2007, Australians The 10 standards also call for consistent long The Age 25 February 2008 rejected a political coalition that viciously attacked service leave entitlements across all states and our rights at work - and we elected a party that territories as well as basic termination and Governments and unions must work promises to protect them. redundancy payments for employees. together to meet the global warming challenge. The union and community campaign against "This means the most vulnerable in our workforce WorkChoices made all the difference. can expect a basic level of security and certainty, In the European Union, 11 countries are particularly in an uncertain economic climate." studying the impact of climate change on ALP campaign director Tim Gartrell said: "There future employment and training needs. Their are a number of reasons for this result. The first big The ACTU welcomes the consultative approach. strategies for new climate policy focus on reason was the Government's betrayal of voters This should ensure the new regulations can be "employment transitions", government over WorkChoices. They didn't say they were readily implemented by employers and provide an investment and social partnership — with going to bring WorkChoices in. They got control of effective and enforceable set of standards for all the unions as essential partners. the senate and they got arrogant." workers. They believe that jobs growth will take place Liberal campaign director Brian Loughnane said: The 10 standards include: principally in the clean energy industries, but "There is no doubt at all that there was significant will only occur if there is significant concern in parts of the Australian community... 1. Hours of work government investment in training and with WorkChoices, and that is something that we employment transition programs for 2. Parental leave do have to accept and we do have to face up to." displaced workers. 3. Flexible work for parents Election 2007 showed that politicians mess with Unions in Argentina, Belgium, Britain and our rights at work at their peril. 4. Annual leave Spain are incorporating environmental responsibility into collective bargaining and There were thousands of supporters handing out 5. Personal, carers and compassionate leave legislation to train workers as environment Rights at Work How to Votes in marginal seats representatives, revising employment around the country. Email campaigns, petitions, 6. Community service leave protection laws to recognise these fundraising to get our message out there and keep responsibilities. the pressure up on all politicians.