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 About Us  About Unions NSWAbout UnionsWho's WhoInformation Centre What's Going On? Annual Reports   
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Michael Gadiel - Industrial Officer
IntroductionIndustrial Officer, Michael Gadiel, has extended his duties in the industrial sphere, adding the rail and health industries to his range of responsibilities. Michael has continued his activities in State Transit, Training, Internet/Information Technology but has recently passed the carriage of International Affairs and Youth Affairs to Peter Zangari. RailFollowing the conclusion of the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement last year there have been a range of follow up issues that have required the attention of the Labor Council. These included the negotiation of arrangements for the clearance of accrued public holidays, variation of the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement to allow for salary packaging of superannuation and negotiation of a separate agreement to cover State Award employees. The Award Simplification process has impacted on the rail industry resulting negotiations for a modernised and stripped-back Enterprise Award for each of the rail entities. Michael has been involved in the co-ordination of these discussions for the State Rail Authority (SRA) unions. The Labor Council has been actively involved in a number of disputes in rail as required by the dispute settlement procedure that operates in the rail industry. Michael has assisted in mediating disputes on a range of issues including: the Train Crew Assignment Office, Broadmeadows Train Control, Sydney Train Control, Countrylink, dual and multi-control of stations, introduction of closed circuit television (CCTV) and signalers. In many cases these issues were able to be satisfactorily resolved at the Labor Council level. The Customer Service Manager (CSM) dispute was of particular interest. The dispute arose as a result of the rejection by Rail Unions of SRA proposals to cut large numbers of jobs from station platforms. The industrial action resulted in considerable media attention because of the disruption arising from the complete full day stoppage to all metropolitan services. The Labor Council has assisted, where possible, in a resolution to this dispute and in particular, was involved in the Industrial Relations Commission hearings to separate this issue from other areas. In addition to the above, Michael has co-ordinated consultations with unions regarding the SRA's Standards of Workplace Behaviour Policy and the establishment of a mirror State Enterprise Agreement to cover SRA's State award employees. State TransitState Transit has also been an active portfolio this year. In particular the dispute involving the Log of Claims served on the Rail, Tram and Bus Union and the union campaign to achieve an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) outcome. Fortunately, the unions and State Transit have been able to reach an equitable outcome with a short campaign that resulted in only minor disruption. The Rail, Tram and Bus Union conducted its campaign via four-hour stop work meetings in the middle of the day so as not to disrupt commuter traffic. The campaign resulted in the STA withdrawing its log of claims and offering a two-year Agreement at 3 per cent each year. In addition, the Labor Council has co-ordinated discussions with State Transit on the modernisation of the Dispute Settlement Procedure (DSP) between the unions and the Authority. This has resulted in modifications to the agreed DSP and an increase in the level of the Industry Allowance. TrainingMichael has continued to represent the Labor Council on a number of committees and working parties in the Department of Education and Training. In particular, Michael has recently been appointed to the Migrant Skills and Qualifications Committee. This year the Department has appointed Rhonda Kassis to assist unions and employers in establishing industrial arrangements for school-based trainees. The Government faces a difficult issue in this area because of the lack of State industrial instruments available to underpin the employment arrangements for school-based/part-time trainees. This has resulted in employers leaving the state industrial system and shifting to the Federal jurisdiction or opting to use Australian Workplace Agreements. The Office of the Employment Advocate has recognised an opportunity in this area and has produced a pro-forma Australian Workplace Agreement and guide for Traineeships - the Office is distributing this throughout the training industry. The solution proposed by the Labor Council is to establish a School-based State Training Wage Award. This award would be restricted to cover only school students, but would cover a range of industries and callings. The purpose of this award would be to provide a simple, user friendly, arrangement for trainees and to wind back the penetration of Australian Workplace Agreements and Part-time Work Agreements in training. Michael has presented a draft copy of this Award to unions and will work with unions, the department and employers in the following year to establish this Award to cover as broad a range of industries as possible. Michael has assisted unions in a range of other areas of training. He has worked in the Construction Industry Task Force, established by the Premier's Department, at the behest of the Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU), to look at solutions to the declining levels of apprentice numbers in the construction industry. The work of this task-force has resulted in the Government offering a partial payroll tax exemption for NSW apprentices. Furthermore, Department of Public Works and Services (DPWS) is looking at ways to better enforce and monitor the four to one tradesman to Apprentice ratio required on significant Government projects by requiring contractors to produce, and submit, a comprehensive training plan. The Labor Council, through Michael, has been involved in the "Customer Service 2000 Traineeship", an initiative of the Retail Traders Association. Labor Council assisted the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association and the Australian Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union in the negotiation of an Agreement to cover trainees working in both the hospitality and retail industries. Michael represents the Labor Council on the Steering Committee overseeing the operation of this initiative. The NSW Government has set itself the target for the creation of 2000 new trainees in the New South Wales Public Sector by the end of the year 2000 - this was taken to the March election as part of the NSW Government's commitment to training. Michael has represented unions on the Steering Committee that monitors this project. Internet/TechnologyWith the successful launch of Workers Online and the production of forty-one issues in 1999 - LaborNET now has a rich and growing area of content - with over 2000 subscribers Workers Online has become the largest source of traffic on LaborNET. LaborNET continues to remain the largest clustering of Australian union information available on the Web. In 1999 the primary focus was to complete the planned migration of LaborNET to a dedicated server, this will allow an expansion in the range of online services unions will be able to offer to their members and potential members through their LaborNET websites. Currently, LaborNET hosts sites for a range of unions, including the Electrical Trades Union , the Australian Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, the Australian Services Union (Services Division), the New South Wales Fire Brigade Employees Union, the Public Service Association and the Municipal Employees Union. In 2000 the NSW Teachers Federation will be joining LaborNET to become the eighth union to co-locate its site with the other unions and the Labor Council. In the following year Labor Council is embarking on a major revamp of the LaborNET portal and of the Labor Council site. This will involve upgrading both infrastructure and the content. With the addition of new infrastructure, including a Virtual Trades Hall, Banner Advertising Engine, news feed, Online Media Centre and eCommerce facilities, LaborNET will offer a high standard of support and service to the LaborNET, unions and visitors to the site. The focus of these additions will be to extend Labor Council's organising focus into the online world. Youth and International AffairsFor the last year Michael has continued to maintain responsibility for reception of International Delegations and has received delegations from a range of countries including Japan, China, South Africa, Canada and Hong Kong. In the area of Youth affairs Labor Council has continued to support the campaign for the abolition of Junior Wages. Furthermore, Michael has sought to develop a profile amongst young people operating information stalls at youth festivals such as the Big Day Out and staging events like the Big Lunch Break. Having maintained responsibility for the areas of Youth and International affairs, and having taken up a range of new responsibilities as an Industrial Officer, Michael has now passed responsibility for these areas to Research Assistant, Peter Zangari.
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