In Unity is Strength

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Once upon a time

• The story of industrial rights for social and
  community services workers
• A presentation by National Industrial Officer
  Lisa Heap

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Disclaimer

• The events and circumstances identified in this
  presentation are based on fact and no names or
  details have been changed to protect either the
  innocent or the guilty.

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Once upon a time.

• There were workers who wanted to be recognised as
  workers
• and
• Who wanted to have their terms and conditions of
  employment set out in an industrial award.

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These workers

• Were social workers (employed as project
  officers)
• who were employed to
• Provide services assistance and support to young
  unemployed people

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And the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration
Commission

• In 1976.
• Found that there was an industrial dispute
  existing between the employer of these project
  workers and their union the ASWU.

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And then the Full Bench of the Commission

• Found that the industrial dispute should be set
  aside because the activities of the organisations
  (Committees) the workers were not incidental to
  industry.

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And then history was made

• In 1983 the High Court found that
• The phrase industrial disputes in s.51(xxxv) of
  the Constitution includes all disputes between
  employees and employers about terms of employment
  and conditions of work, and is not confined to
  disputes in productive industry and organised
  business carried on for the purpose of profit.
  Rv Coldham Ex parte The Australian Social Welfare
  Union

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And then

• All Australian workers (particularly School
  Teachers, public servants, firefighters, nurses
  and those providing services to the community)
• Celebrated

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Because.

• Their work was finally recognised as such
• And the definition of industrial dispute was
  finally settled in its broadest sense
• And they would be able to have an award

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The union

• Achieved an award the forerunner of the CETSS
  Award for employment services
• And
• Set about achieving a single federal award for
  all SACS workers across the country

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But

• Employers and governments opposed this
• Until
• In 1995 the union (ASU) facing the possibility of
  a conservative federal government negotiated
  separate federal awards for NT, QLD, WA, ACT
  workers

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• Yippee!!!!

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And Now

• There are new challenges

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National Approach?

• Shift to state based solutions impacts on
  national profile and establishment of national
  priorities.
• Development of stakeholder status without this
  our voice particularly in national programs is
  limited
• Different rights and entitlements in different
  states.

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Status

• Non government
• - confused identity
• - has its benefits
• - means lower wages conditions
• Value of the work
• - use of untrained staff volunteers
• Service provision vs- industrial entitlements

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Change in the nature of sector/employer

• For profit providers e.g. employment services
  how do we, should we be organising here?
• Concentration of funding large favoured
  employers
• Introduction of corporate philosophy approach
  to clients and workers

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Wages

• Work-value changes how to achieve recognition
• Parity with public sector is this a reality
• Bargaining how, why where?
• - on whose terms AWAs?
• The cost funding spiral

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Conditions

• Employment security portability of entitlements
• OHS violence, stress, workloads
• Lack of provision of tools of trade
• Training professional development and
  debriefing

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And so.

• The workers and their union set about achieving
  new solutions..

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National Approach

• Re-establishment of national priorities/national
  claims
• Building the ASUs stakeholder status research,
  planning, network, advocacy
• Campaign re status of industry and its workers
  public and with workers
• Activism education work with workers to
  overcome welfare mentality

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A policy view about

• Volunteers
• The for profit providers organising requires
  new and different approaches

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Wages Bargaining

• Substantive improvements in the award system
  difficult Tackle the we cant afford to bargain
  mentality
• Consider multi employer agreement strategy
  sector based campaigns
• Consider conditions agreements
• Large agency targets
• Portability of entitlements agreements.
• Comprehensive anti AWA strategy

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