Meeting held : 16 August 2007
Chair of Meeting: The Acting President, Comrade Barry Johnson
Location of the meeting : Trades Hall Auditorium, 4 Goulburn St Sydney
UNIONS NSW MEETING MINUTES
MEETING HELD THURSDAY 16TH AUGUST 2007
IN THE TRADES HALL AUDITORIUM
AT 4 GOULBURN STREET, SYDNEY, AT 6:08 PM
The Acting President Com. B. Johnson occupied the Chair.
PRESENT: - J. Robertson [Secretary] M. Lennon [Assistant Secretary],
C. Christodoulou, M. Thistlethwaite, A. Peters (Deputy Assistant Secretaries).
OPENING
OF THE
MEETING: The Acting President, Com. B. Johnson opened the meeting by recognising the traditional owners of the land on which the meeting was being held the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.
MINUTES: -
The Secretary, Com. J. Robertson moved: -
"That the minutes as circulated be received".
Com. J. Hannaford seconded.
CARRIED
The Secretary, Com. J. Robertson moved: -
"That the minutes as circulated be adopted".
Com. M. Want seconded.
CARRIED
CREDENTIALS:
From The New South Wales Teachers Federation appointing: - M. Bell in place of J. Irving.
From The New South Wales Local Government, Clerical, Administrative, Energy, Airlines & Utilities Union appointing:- J. Goodwin in place of V. Higgins.
From The Australian Workers' Union, Greater New South Wales Branch appointing:- G. Hillier in place of R. Collison.
From The Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union, Construction *& General Division, New South Wales Branch appointing:- R. Mallia in place of A. Ferguson.
The Secretary, Com. J. Robertson moved: -
"That the credentials be received and the delegates welcomed".
Com. B. Riordan seconded.
CARRIED
APOLOGIES:
Apologies were received and accepted for: - S. Moait, B. Tubner, B. Kruse, R. Collison, C. Gambian, B. Smith, C. Haigh, W. Hickey, N. Lewocki, F. Barnes, C. O'Sheades, L. Hankinson and J. Diamond.
The Secretary, Com. J. Robertson moved: -
"That the apologies be received and accepted".
Com. M. Want seconded.
CARRIED
EXECUTIVE BUSINESS
CORRESPONDENCE
1. From the Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union, Construction & General Division, NSW Branch:- advising Unions NSW that on Thursday, 6th September CFMEU delegate Barry Hemsworth would be celebrating on year picketing the yard of Botany Cranes from where he was unfairly sacked last year. The Union said that to celebrate the milestone of struggle they had organised a Golf Day-Teeing Off for Workers Rights.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW support the Golf Day for Barry Hemsworth on September 6 and advise affiliates for their information and support."
Com. R. Mallia seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
2. From the New South Wales Department of Commerce:- advising Unions NSW that due to the extraordinary nature and special security implications of the upcoming APEC forum which is being hosted in Sydney, the Minister for Industrial Relations, the Hon. John Della Bosca MLC, had declared a local public holiday on Friday, 7th September 2007. The department said that the APEC public holiday would apply to businesses, schools, workplaces and other services within 38 designated metropolitan and local government areas: Ashfield, Auburn, Bankstown, Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, , Botany Bay, Burwood, Camden, Campbelltown, Canada Bay, Canterbury, City of Sydney, jFairfield, Holroyd, Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Hurstville, Kogarah, Kur-ing-gai, Lane Cove, Leichhardt, Liverpool, Manly, Marrickville, Mosman, North Sydney, Parramatta, Penrith, Pittwater, Randwick, Rockdale, Ryde, Strathfield, Sutherland, Warringah, Waverley, Willoughby and Woollahra. The department said it should be noted that the public holiday would operate on an individual's work location, not a person's place of residence.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and details of the arrangements proposed for the APEC public holiday be circulated to affiliates for their information."
Com. G. Derrick seconded the resolution and said that Unions NSW should go back to the Government seeking the expansion of the 38 localities.
CARRIED
3. From the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, New South Wales Branch: - advising Unions NSW that recently the Federal Government had made a great deal of noise and had given awards to 'family friendly' employers in a range of categories. They proposed that Unions NSW should do something along similar lines but instead call for nominations for family unfriendly employers. For instance the AWMU would nominate Cochlear for their rotating shift and the removal of the NSW Family friendly test case provisions, and Racing NSW who were seeking to remove the paltry 6 weeks paid maternity leave from their members employed at the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory because they don't extend any paid maternity leave to other employees. The Union said they believed that such an award would generate useful publicity against bad employers and would also bring some fun to a serious campaign for the Trade Union movement. The AMWU proposes that Unions NSW create The Family Unfriendly Employer Awards and seek nominations from affiliates.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW support the idea of a Family Unfriendly Employer award and seek nominations from affiliates."
Com. C. Drane seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
4. From the Textile, Clothing Union of Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania & South Australia Branch:- expressing the concerns of the Vietnamese language workforce in Australia of the treatment of their fellow workers in Vietnam. The TCFUA said that in conjunction with the TWU they had been engaged in an important community unionism campaign within the Vietnamese language workforce in our country. They said they had confirmed the concerns of Vietnamese speaking workers in Australia about their fellow workers in Vietnam formed the basis for building union organisation in the ranks of Australian workers from Vietnamese backgrounds. They said that they next time we bought a Happy Meal at McDonald's we should spare a thought for Vietnam's workers who produced the plastic toys in them who often worked 12 hours a day without overtime pay. The TCFUA said that from 2005 to early 2006 these workers had joined hundreds of thousands of others in strikes against such exploitation and "being treated like animals" by bosses. They said that after an initial period of allowing the striking workers to let off steam, the Vietnamese authorities had moved in, gaoling strike organisers and dispersing strikers. In October 2006 a number of people openly declared their founding of unions independent from the regime's control. Nguyen Tan Hoanh, Nguyen Khac Toan and several others were quickly imprisoned for put under house arrest. The Union said that in late October 2006, as part of their international labour efforts with worker movements outside Australia, the TWU and TCFUA had sent the TCFUA's Senior Community Liaison Officer, Hung Nguyen to Warsaw where he held discussions with about 60 other Vietnam-born advocates now living all around the globe. The aim of the conference in Warsaw was to protect the rights of workers in Vietnam. At the Conference a Committee to Protect Vietnamese Workers (CPVW) was established with its headquarters in Warsaw but with advocates in Australia, the USA and several other countries. The Union advised that Dr Tien Nguyen, Federal President of the Vietnamese Community in Australia had stated "I call on all Vietnamese workers in Australia who can join a union but have not, to consider doing so. Joining a union, you can protect yourself, and you can support your union's efforts to help oppressed Vietnamese workers in Vietnam". Dr Tien said that while most workers in Australia had common sense knowledge of what their rights were, they can benefit from visiting www.protectVietworkers.com He said that the CPVW had a simple, easy-to-understand and remember summary of the internal law of workers' rights and that the CPVW had done this after studying dozens of relevant ILO Conventions. The TCFUA said that whilst in Warsaw as a guest of the Solidarity Party, their Union officer met Miroslaw Chojecki, a founder of NOWA, the leading independent Polish publishing house and head of publications for Solidarity. Mr Chojecki had been advising the Committee to Protect Vietnamese Workers. The Union advised that Miroslaw Chojecki would be visiting Australia from 13th to 31st August and as he would be in Sydney on Thursday 23rd August requested that he be invited to address delegates at the Unions NSW meeting on that date.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW congratulate both the TCFUA and the TWU for their support of Vietnamese workers both here and in their native country.
Further, Miroslaw Chojecki and Trung Doan be invited to speak to the Unions NSW meeting on August 23rd."
Com. S. Davies seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
5. From the National Union of Workers, New South Wales Branch: - advising Unions NSW of the continuing strike by their members at Esselte which has now been going for nine weeks. The Union said that the company was still to refusing to negotiate a union collective agreement which would protect their members' conditions. The NUW requested that one of their members be allowed to address tonight's meeting so that affiliates could hear about the difficulties of this dispute. They also requested that Unions NSW reiterate the importance of this dispute and that affiliates continue their financial support for their striking members.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW reaffirm its support for Esselte workers in their battle to negotiate a union collective agreement.
Further, that they be invited to address tonight's meeting."
Com. M. Bernardi seconded the resolution.
Delegate Com. Eddy Ali spoke.
CARRIED
6. From the North west Your Rights At Work Community Action Group: - presenting Unions NSW with 260 Petitions collected to ensure that should Mr Rudd be elected he would keep his promise to protect their rights @ work by introducing laws reflecting a fair go for all. These petitions were signed at the Lions club Market Day at Richmond Park on Saturday, 11th August 2007.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and the North West YR@W Community Action Group be congratulated on their efforts to have 200 petitions signed."
Com. M. Want seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
REPORTS
1. Campaign Report
The Secretary, Com. J. Robertson reported on the USU Your Rights @Work BBQ held on Friday, 10th August at Blue Tongue Stadium, Gosford before the NRL clash between the Manly Sea Eagles and Newcastle Knights. Com. Robertson congratulated the USU and said that the BBQ had been a great success. He said that the response from the local community was excellent with over 150 signatures collected on Your Rights At Work Petitions.
Com. J. Robertson moved:-
"That the report be received and noted"
Com. G. Derrick seconded.
CARRIED
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. Macarthur YR@W Group Federal Election Campaign
The Macarthur Federal Election Campaign launch is being held on Tuesday, 21st August at 7:00pm at Campbelltown Catholic Club, 20 Camden Road, Campbelltown. For further information contact david.lipman@hsu.asn.au
2. Penrith Working Families and Working NSW Forum
All activists, family and friends are invited to a morning tea to discuss 'What Lindsay Women Need" - a forum about WorkChoices and the impact on women and families. The forum is on Wednesday, 22 August, 2007 from 10.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon at the Orchestral Room, Dame Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, 597 High Street, Penrith. The forum will feature new research on the effect of WorkChoices on women, and Catholic Bishop Manning will give a perspective on the effects of WorkChoices on the family. RSVP Ros Aldridge on 9881 5999 or by email r.aldridge@unionsnsw.org.au
3. Industrial Relations Society of NSW
Twilight Function, Wednesday 22nd August 5.30pm
York Conference & Function Centre
Bowlers Club, 96 York Street Sydney
Guest Speaker, Barbara Bennet, Director, Workplace Authority
4. Bennelong Women and WorkChoices Forum
Friday, 24th August 2007, 6.45p.m for 7p.m.
Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club, 117 Ryedale Road, West Ryde.
Speakers will include Dr. Marian Baird, Maxine McKew, Kerry Nettle and Sharan Burrow (ACTU). ( A copy of the program is attached.) For further information contact Robyn Griffith on 02 9881 5918 or email r.griffith@lunionsnsw.org.au
COUNCIL ADJOURNED AT 6: 32PM
Acting President:____________________________________
About Unions NSW
