CPSU launches TV ads

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has launched a groundbreaking TV advertising campaign aimed at promoting the many benefits of union membership to public sector workers.

Watch the CPSU ad on YouTube here.

CPSU National Secretary Stephen Jones said: "The CPSU has decided to launch these TV advertisements to portray a more realistic face of modern unionism. "At a time when the Howard Government and militant employers are attempting to narrowly stereotype all unionists as overweight men in braces, the ad reinforces that the typical union member these days is a semi-professional, white collar worker looking for practical advice and support at work.
"This unusual step also reflects the fact that in the current industrial climate, union representatives find it extremely difficult to get into workplaces to talk with employees about their issues and the benefits of union membership. "This is an historic initiative. It's the first time unions have marketed the benefits of membership in the mass media via a TV campaign. "It's a positive campaign that links the individual 'value' in joining a union with the collective 'values' of working together.
"The ads are based on extensive research that shows that most workers are not opposed to the idea of union, but unions really need to do a better job of communicating to potential members the benefits of membership.
"These benefits include support at the workplace level if things go wrong, assistance in bargaining wages and conditions as well discounts on travel and home loans.

A very public servant

Unless you've been living under a rock in the Pilbara for the last few weeks, you would have seen, heard or read one of the Howard Government's new 'Know Where You Stand' advertisements, fronted by Barbara Bennett from the Workplace Authority.
Are you concerned at the use of a public servant in such a political marketing campaign?
Does this sort of advertising damage the independence and integrity of the public service?
Tell us what you think about the Government's ads.

Your say on new ACTU ads

As the election draws closer, the ACTU has launched a new series of hard-hitting Your Rights At Work television commercials.
In the first ad, Annette Harris talks about her experience at Spotlight where she was offered an AWA individual contract that removed penalty rates, overtime and meal breaks - all for an extra 2 cents an hour.
In the second ad, a grandfather talks about how - under WorkChoices - his children and grandchildren have lost the workplace rights his generation had fought so hard for.

Spolight on fairness: Annette Harris ad.

Grand dad ad.

UNION TALKS TO MEMBERS... SHOCK!

If you want proof that the Your Rights at Work campaign is working, look no further than Howard Government hysteria this week around a leaked ACTU's phone polling document, writes CPSU National Secretary, Stephen Jones.

Over the last two years union members and supporters have been campaigning hard against WorkChoices.

We've conducted surveys and polls, put out emails, press releases and bulletins, held workplace and community meetings, worn tempory tattoos, baked orange cakes, organised massive rallies and even funded prime-time TV ads.

Despite this highly visible approach, the Howard Government claims the Your Rights at Work campaign is a secret, sinister and undemocratic plot by "union bosses" to "steal control of the country" and "ruin the economy."

Incredibly, the Government is arguing that union representatives shouldn't even be talking with their members about the most profound change to their workplace rights in 100 years.

So as the pre-election rhetoric heats up, it's important to remember what this campaign about... unfair workplace laws.

WorkChoices is an attack on the working conditions of millions of working Australian families. Despite the Government's theatrics, the fact remains that under WorkChoices:

• overtime and penalty rates are being cut;
• workers are being dismissed unfairly;
• collective bargaining is being undermined;
• the independent umpire is being sidelined;
• new starters are being forced onto AWAs.

Because we talk with them, we know most CPSU members oppose WorkChoices and want fairer, more balanced laws. We also know that if we want to change these unfair laws, we'll have to change the government.

This is why we'll be talking with CPSU members who live in key marginal seats. What happens in those seats will determine the outcome of the election.

The overwhelming majority of members we've contacted so far have been more than happy to have their say.

If people don't want to talk about WorkChoices - for whatever reason - we fully respect their decision not to participate.

Fair workplace rights will be a key election issue. Which means the CPSU has an obligation to find out what our members think, and argue for it passionately.

It's called democracy. It's a union thing.

What's so fair about that?

With a tough election looming, the Howard Government is trying to neutralise community concerns about its WorkChoices laws by introducing a new so-called 'fairness' test.

The changes have been rightly dismissed as cynical pre-election window-dressing.

We reckon if the Government is really serious about fairness in the workplace, there are plenty of issues to tackle... and we've put together a short list.

Compensation: Recent Government changes mean over 100,000 staff have lost workers compensation coverage for journeys to and from the office. The change does nothing to make workplaces safer and simply shifts the costs and risks from employer to employee.

Unfair dismissals: The Howard Government’s laws exclude over four million Australians from unfair dismissal protection, simply because their employer has fewer than 100 employees. Under WorkChoices employers with more than 100 staff can use the 'operational grounds' loophole to sack workers and avoid an unfair dismissal claim.

Working Hours: According to ABS figures, almost a third of Australian employees work unsocial hours - between 7pm and 7am - and most have no say about when they start or finish. About half of the 37 per cent of employees who work overtime do so for no extra pay. None of which will be a surprise to the tens of thousand of CPSU members already struggling to balance their work and home lives.

Collective bargaining: Under WorkChoices, employers hold all the cards. Even where a majority of employees vote in favour of making a collective agreement, employers can ignore your wishes and offer individual contracts, or simply refuse to negotiate. Ironically the Government are now spending big money promoting collective bargaining to small businesses as way to ensure they are not disadvantaged by larger and more powerful businesses. So collective bargaining - sticking together to get a fair deal - is a good idea for small business, but somehow not for employees.

AWAs: In a growing number of public service agencies, new employees are denied the opportunity to choose between collective agreements or AWA individual agreements. And in some workplaces AWAs continue to be used to undermine collective agreements, not to improve pay and conditions.

Have your say:Is the Government doing enough to address the issues that matter to you? Are there other issues they need to address? Post a comment

ALP's IR policy revealed

Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard fleshed out the ALP's proposed industrial relations policies at Labor's National Conference over the last few days.

Click here for Kevin Rudd's "Forward with Fairness" speech to ALP National Conference on 28th April 2007

Click here for Julia Gillard's "Forward with Fairness" speech to ALP National Conference on 28th April 2007

Click here for Kevin Rudd's and Julia Gillard's "Federal Labor's Fair And Balanced Industrial Relations Policy" joint statement released on 28th April 2007

Tell us what you think
What do you think about the ALP's proposed changes to industrial relations laws? Post your comments below.

WorkChoices: one year on

This week marks the one-year anniversary of 'WorkChoices' - the Howard Government's radical rewrite of Australia's industrial relations (IR) laws.  After twelve months, we want to know what you think about the new laws.  Please take a minute to vote in our snap poll here and post a comment about the new laws.

More information

ACTU fact-sheet: IR laws 1 year on 
download

ACTU full report: IR laws 1 year on
download

CPSU launches Join2Win

Join2Win is a new Your Rights at Work campaign activity designed help you talk to people in your workplace about building your union and voting for fair industrial relations laws.

With the 2007 Federal Election on the horizon, it is more important than ever that CPSU members stand up for their rights at work to protect pay, conditions and to provide job security for themselves, their families and their communities.

Join2Win aims to have 500 members signed up in March and April this year to have conversations about the importance of joining their union and voting for their rights at work. Each of these members will pledge to recruit at least two new members each.

Regardless of whether you are a CPSU activist or a recently joined member, everyone who participates in Join2Win will be supported. Members who sign up will have access to training and resources such as t-shirts, badges, stickers and flyers. They will also have the full support of CPSU organisers throughout the Join2Win campaign.

Join2Win week, starting 30 April 2007, will be the first big Join2Win activity involving all members. Your workplace might hold a Join2Win day, or have a morning tea to welcome new members.

To find out more about Join2Win click here or to sign up to participate, click here.

Have you signed up to Join2Win? Tell us your experiences below.

Survey says... hands off our compo rights

A CPSU survey of more than 500 public sector workers from all major government agencies has revealed alarm and confusion about a Howard Government plan to slash public service compensation arrangements and remove cover for journey to and from work.

Over 90% of respondents to the survey were 'very concerned' at the proposed legislative changes.

The legislation currently before the Senate includes:
* removal of compensation protection for injuries sustained during travel to and from work;
* removal of coverage for accidents during lunch and other breaks, or during lunch-time sporting activities.
* harsher claim assessments for workers suffering from psychological and stress related conditions
* an expanded list of management actions that can be potentially excluded from future claims

Close to one-third indicated that the removal of compensation for travel and lunch-time activities would make them less likely to continue walking or riding to and from work, exercising or keeping active during rest breaks.

Nearly 65% of public servants surveyed also felt their employer was not doing enough to reduce the causes of work related stress.

"At times I like to take a walk during breaks or ride my bike, promoting a healthy lifestyle. What am I to do if I have a serious fall or hit by another person?" asked one Medicare employee.

"Many of my staff travel interstate for meetings. Will they be covered on their way to the meeting locations, no matter how they travel, and on their return?" asked Veronica, a public servant.

CPSU National Secretary Stephen Jones condemned the changes as "unfair and unworkable".
"The Government is using these changes simply to cut costs rather than taking positive steps to ensure public sector workers work in an safe and healthy environment," he said.

"The removal of travel and break coverage is just dead wrong. These changes are in stark contrast to existing arrangements for Federal politicians who retain full coverage for injury or illness - whether on the job, traveling or on a break." he said.

"We all know that a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise can reduce the chance of getting stress related injuries. So why is the Government making it harder and more risky for its own staff to stay healthy? asked Mr Jones.

CPSU members are stepping their campaign against the changes with hundreds of online protests sent to Government ministers and Senators last week and further actions planned.

"We'll continue to take this issue up to the Government. All politicians need to be aware of the negative implications of these changes on the public service," he said.

Despite an overwhelming majority of critical submissions, a recent Government controlled senate enquiry rubber-stamped the legislation. The bill is now due for final consideration by the senate later this month.

How you can help:

Post your comments below
Send a protest letter
Complete our brief online survey
Read other members comments
Read the ALP's position.
Download and distribute a bulletin
Keep up to date with all the latest compo news

Have your say on the new ACTU WorkChoices ads

New ACTU television ads launched at the weekend use the Howard Government's own official figures to demostrate how the new IR laws are hurting many Australians.

The new ads reveal how AWA's are being used to reduce many employment conditions including: overtime, penalty rates, annual leave loading, public holiday pay, shift allowances and rest breaks.

What do you think about the ads? Check out the ad on YouTube below and post your comments below.

Media report: ACTU probes details of AWAs (from ABC online)

Only one option for fair IR laws

While the recent High Court decision was not unexpected, it clarifies that the only remaining way to change the Federal Government's unfair workplace laws is at the ballot box.

On November 14 the High Court ruled by a 5-2 majority that the Federal Government's WorkChoices legislation is constitutional.

It is important to note, however, that the ruling does not mean the High Court considers WorkChoices fair or unfair, merely that it is not unconstitutional.

Being part of the Federal IR system already the ruling will make no direct difference to most CPSU members, but it does confirm that millions more Australian workers have lost rights and that 100 years of protection for working families is gone.

These protections saw workers share in the economic good times through safeguards such as the award system and regular wage increases.

Under WorkChoices these protections are gone.

While the High Court decision was not unexpected, it clarifies that the only remaining way to change these laws is at the ballot box.

This ruling not only allows the Government free reign with the worst excesses of WorkChoices - it also potentially allows for Federal takeover of health, education and pretty much anything else currently legislated for by the States.

The Prime Minister subsequently said he will not use the ruling "for some massive expansion of Commonwealth power". We'll have to wait and see whether this is a "core" or "non-core promise".

So far those worst affected by WorkChoices have been those least able to protect themselves - young workers, the low-skilled and those without union support. But employers now have carte blanche to cut the pay, conditions and rights at work of all Australians.

Following the High Court decision the only way left to create a fairer, inclusive system of industrial relations - and to protect our health and education systems for all - is through the ballot box at the next federal election.

The CPSU, other unions, and the ACTU will now intensify the campaign for a fair set of industrial relations laws and seek community support for a change of Government in the 2007 election.

The next opportunity for people to show the Federal Government what they think of these unfair IR laws comes on Thursday, 30 November with the National Union and Community Day of Action. Hundreds of events will be held throughout the country - all linked through a Sky Channel broadcast from the MCG.

Find out more: www.cpsu.org.au/campaigns/IRCampaign