Meeting held : 01 May 2008
Chair of Meeting: The President, Comrade. Sandra Moait
Location of the meeting : Trades Hall Auditorium, 4 Goulburn St Sydney
UNIONS NSW MEETING MINUTES
MEETING HELD THURSDAY 1st MAY, 2008
IN THE TRADES HALL AUDITORIUM
AT 4 GOULBURN STREET, SYDNEY, AT 6:05 PM
The President, Com. S. Moait occupied the Chair.
PRESENT: - J. Robertson [Secretary] M. Lennon [Assistant Secretary],
C. Christodoulou, M. Thistlethwaite, (Deputy Assistant Secretaries).
OPENING
OF THE
MEETING:- The President, Com. S. Moait 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. B. Johnson seconded.
CARRIED
The Secretary, Com. J. Robertson moved: -
"That the minutes as circulated be adopted".
Com. B. Holmes seconded.
CARRIED
CREDENTIALS
From The Australian Workers' Union, Greater NSW Branch appointing:- G. Hillier in place of S. Rumph and L. Heaney in place of R. Collison.
From The Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union, Construction & General Division, NSW Branch appointing:- C. Romer in place of R. Mallia and W. McClelland in place of A. Ferguson.
From The NSW Teachers Federation appointing:- K. Ambrose in place of M. O'Halloran, T. Bougatsas in place of B. Seymour, C. Freestone in place of L. Simon, K. Morton in place of P. Bradley, M. Palmer in place of S. Edsall, J. Pratt in place of M. Sharkey, D. Wynne in place
of J. Lemaire, H. McGregor in place of J. Diamond, G. Burrows in place of P. De Graaff, C. Shanahan in place of R. Hewett and B. Ballard in place of B. Lipscombe.
The Secretary, Com. J. Robertson moved: -
"That the credentials be received and the delegates welcomed".
Com. B. Johnson seconded.
CARRIED
APOLOGIES
Apologies were received and accepted for: -A. Tattersall, A. Kerslake, B. Kruse, G. Dwyer, S. McManus, A. Ferguson, G. Dwyer and B. Smith.
The Secretary, Com. J. Robertson moved: -
"That the apologies be received and accepted".
Com. M. Want seconded.
CARRIED
GUEST SPEAKER:
The President, Com. S. Moait, introduced Mrs Cheryl Romer, Convenor, Workplace Tragedy Family Support Group. Mrs Romer spoke of her late husband Bob who was tragically killed at work on 24th October 1988 and how his death had forever changed her life and also the lives of her children. Mrs Romer said that Bob was honoured on the CFMEU Wall of Remembrance. She said that at the wall's opening ceremony she was shocked to hear that the young widow of Glen Viegas, who was killed at work 16 years to the day after her own husband, was battling the same stifling bureaucracy whilst still suffering great pain and loss that she had. She said she couldn't believe that things hadn't changed in all that time. Mrs Romer said that from that experience the idea was conceived to develop a support group for families who have experienced the terrible loss when a loved one is killed at work. She said the support group would not only support families but also lobby for greater workplace safety; better legislation dealing with employers who had reneged on their obligation to provide a safe workplace; more transparency from WorkCover and the judicial system to ensure that all families were fully informed of every detail of the death and the subsequent judicial or civil activity resulting from the death. Leaflets outlining the aims of the support group were available at tonight's meeting. Mrs Romer requested that Unions NSW and affiliates support and promote the support group amongst their members and on union websites. She also asked that if affiliates knew of families of any member who had been killed at work over the past ten years, they should be encouraged to contact the support group. Mrs Romer thanked the CFMEU for their assistance with the development of the support group. She also thanked the National Union of Workers who had attended the launch of the support group on Workers' Memorial Day on 28th April.
The Secretary, Com. J. Robertson thanked Cheryl for her address and said that he knew her husband Bob and well remembered the shock he felt the day he was killed. Com. Robertson said that the support group was a great initiative, it was clear he said from last Monday's ceremony and the number of people present affected by deaths in the workplace that there is a need for this type of group. In closing, he said Unions NSW will do its utmost to promote it.
EXECUTIVE BUSINESS
CORRESPONDENCE
1. From the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Public Sector Workforce Office:- regarding the draft strategy on women's employment and development Making the Public Sector Better For Women. The Public Sector Workforce Office sought feedback from Unions NSW on the draft strategy which the Department of Premier and Cabinet had developed to improve the sector's recruitment, development and retention of women. They said that the strategy had been developed following consultation with women across the sector in 2007. These consultations sharpened the strategy's focus to include particular initiatives for women establishing their careers, women in non-traditional roles and women in senior management and leadership positions. It sets four sector-level benchmarks to be achieved over the next five years. Making the public sector work better for women aims to:
• improve the experiences of women working across the public sector;
• improve the learning and development opportunities and career paths of women who are in lower graded positions and those who are building their careers;
• increase the representation of women in Grade 12 and above to 35% from 28%; and
• increase women's representation in non-traditional occupations from 16% to 20%.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW liaise with Public Sector Unions regarding an appropriate response to the women's employment and development strategy."
Com. C. Game seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
2. From the Finance Sector Union, New South Wales Branch:-.advising Unions NSW that consumer debt in Australia was now 156% of GDP compared to 50% in 1981. They said that it was projected to increase to 200% by 2015. The Union said that the Reserve Bank had now increased official interest rates nine times in succession and that lenders' had also increased rates independently following the sub-prime crisis in the USA. They said that behind these economic statistics lies real pain for many working families struggling with higher debt and cost of living expenses. The Union said that in parts of Sydney FSU members report that six families per week are walking into the local bank and just handing over the house keys because they can't meet the loan repayments. They said that whilst the new Federal Government and the Reserve Bank were actively trying to slow the economy to fight inflation, banks and other lenders continued to push high consumer debt targets that were set over 12 months ago. They also said that the finance industry was still stoking the fires of consumption and spending, despite the warning signs of inflation and debt stress. A recent FSU survey of finance workers showed that:
• 59% feel pressured to make inappropriate sales to meet sales targets;
• 52% feel obliged to sell debt products even when they don't believe the customer needs them; and
• 63% believe that sales targets have had a negative impact on customer service.
The Union said that in order to support working families and maintain confidence in Australia's banking system regulatory reform was urgently needed. They advised that the FSU had produced a Debt Stress booklet about their agenda for change in the finance industry as this was a matter of public importance. The FSU sought the assistance of Unions NSW in endorsing the agenda for change to reform business practices in consumer debt markets and requested that the booklet be circulated to affiliates in order to promote public debate about the need for reform.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and the FSU be congratulated on its initiative in launching its campaign on debt stress and responsible lending.
Further, Unions NSW offer its support to the campaign proposals for reform of consumer debt business practices and circulate to all affiliates the information booklet."
Com. G. Derrick seconded and spoke to the resolution.
CARRIED
3. From the Australian Workers' Union, Greater NSW Branch:- regarding reports of steep rises in staple food prices across the globe which is of concern to all. They said that according to reports, the price of basic foods such as rice, maize and wheat had almost doubled over the last three years. The United Nations has stated that 100 million people face the prospect of hunger unless help is provided. The Union said that medium and long term solutions are needed to address the problem and for their part, the AWU members in the agricultural industry would be doing all they could to boost food production across the nation. However, the issue in the short term was the UN's need for an extra $750 million of emergency relief
money. The AWU requested Unions NSW contact the Federal Government seeking they do all they can to assist in the relief process and further, that we contact APHEDA seeking how unions may directly assist in the relief efforts.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW contact both the Federal Government and APHEDA regarding assistance with relief efforts for the world food crisis as requested."
Com. G. Hillier seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
4. From the Finance Sector Union, NSW Branch:- expressing their concern at a report in the Sydney Morning Herald that the Westpac bank was planning to send another 3,000 Australian jobs offshore. They said that when contacted, Westpac confirmed that they were undertaking a review of back office processes and that the review involved offshore options. The Union said that the Australian banking system was one of the best and most resilient systems in the world and that part of that resilience came from the confidence that Australians have in the industry, if not the individual banks. They said that back office jobs were a critical part of an integrated and comprehensive Australian finance sector. They often handled sensitive and confidential information including corporate payrolls, child support payments, and individual debt and transaction records. They also complete work associated with government contracts and provide support for front line staff in resolving customers' problems. The FSU said that cutting out more than 3,000 of these jobs would take Westpac down a path where only the facade of an Australian bank would be left behind. They said in essence, Westpac's off shore plans, was a carve-up of its operations and its Australian employees were being treated as off cuts. This was nothing more than a greedy cost cutting exercise that would not benefit their customers, their staff or the Australian economy. They said off shoring of this kind was engaging in a global race to the bottom of pay and conditions. The Union said that Westpac had cynically focused on those parts of the bank that customers don't normally have direct contact with in the hope that they would get away with these cuts without public scrutiny.
Com. J. Robertson moved the Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW express its dismay and opposition to the short sighted proposal by Westpac to send 3,000 jobs offshore."
Com. C. Gambian seconded and spoke to the resolution.
CARRIED
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. Community Rally To Protest Against Privatisation of Electricity Industry in NSW
Saturday, 3rd May 2008 - 9.30a.m
Outside the NSW ALP Conference
Darling Harbour Convention Centre
Further information is available at www.stoptheselloff.org.au
2. Sydney University Politics Society
"Western Sahara: The Last Colony in Africa"
The role of the UN in Decolonisation and Conflict Resolution
Monday, 5th May 2008
Venue: History RoomS223, Quadrangle Building
6.15pm for 6.30pm.
Light Refreshments will be served
For further information visit the website www.politicssociety.org or Kamal Fadel on 9265 8258
COUNCIL ADJOURNED AT 6: 28PM
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