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 About Us  About Unions NSWAbout UnionsWho's WhoInformation Centre What's Going On? Annual Reports   
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Alison Peters, Deputy Assistant Secretary - Community Affairs
Alison Peters, Deputy Assistant Secretary - Community
Affairs
Alison is responsible for building and maintaining alliances with a wide variety of community organisations and groups. Such links are important to ensure that the union movement's message is conveyed broadly throughout our communities and to build a positive environment upon which unions can organise and grow. This work involves addressing meetings, participating in forums, attendance at events as well as having discussions with a wide variety of community groups and organisations. Alison has also convened meetings of the NSW Alliance which is made up of a number of peak organisations representing community based organisations, disability services, environment groups and lobby groups. The NSW Alliance is a forum for the exchange of information and ideas and to develop campaigns around issues of common concern. Alison has also provided advice and assistance to affiliates about working with community groups in their campaigns. InternationalAlison has co-ordinated Labor Council's efforts in support of the international campaign opposing the use of forced labour by the Burmese military regime. In an unprecedented resolution the International Labor Organisation (ILO) has called on business and governments to cease providing support in the form of trade or aid to Burma while the practice of forced labour continues. Unions world-wide have taken action to ensure companies cease trade in or with Burma. Labor Council worked with Fairwear on the "Support Breasts Not Dictators" campaign, which resulted in Triumph International (Australia) a major producer of women's underwear ceasing placing orders from their factory in Burma for the Australian market. The campaign against the use of forced labour in Burma will continue in 2002. Other international campaigns that Alison has been involved with on behalf of Labor Council include Papua New Guinea, Malaysia and Columbia. These have involved making representations on behalf of activists who have had their rights infringed in those countries as well as raising awareness of the issues with NSW unions. These campaigns illustrate the increasing importance of unionists working globally and not just locally in organising workers. Alison has also spoken with delegations from Papua New Guinea, China, Japan and the USA about Labor Council and its activities. DiscriminationDuring the year Alison worked with the Anti Discrimination Board (ADB) to develop a set of guidelines for union workplace delegates about discrimination matters. This document will be a valuable tool in helping workplace activists understand their obligations under various anti discrimination laws as well how they can work towards fairer, discrimination free workplaces. The guidelines will be complimented by a training program. Working on this project has enhanced the level of understanding and co-operation between the union movement and ADB. Women's CommitteeLabor Council Women's Committee is convened by Alison and meets every two months. The major issues discussed by the Committee during the year were paid maternity leave and work and family issues. Unions have made significant breakthroughs recently in extending the provision of paid maternity leave to women in local government and higher education. However, Australia remains one of only two developed nations (the other is the USA) who do not have a universal scheme of paid maternity leave. Alison has been working with affiliates, academics, women's groups and the ACTU Women's Committee to develop and implement a campaign to extend paid maternity leave to all women workers. This issue was also raised with Pru Goward who addressed the Women's Committee on her priorities as the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, particularly as they affect working women. Other responsibilitiesAlison has also co-ordinated a range of rallies and events including several rallies in support of the sacked Ansett workers and the union movement's participation in the Mardi Gras Parade and Fair Day. Alison is also a member of the organising committee for the Workers Out! Second World Conference of Lesbian and Gay Trade Unionists, which will be held in Sydney in late 2002. Alison is on the following Boards and Committees: -
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