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Autumn 2005

General

Allied Health Conference Report by Helen Burnet
TIM JACOBSON and I attended the 6th National Allied Health Conference in Melbourne in February. The conference was entitled “Innovation or Extinction? Adapting roles and practice.” It was an excellent opportunity for HACSU as a major sponsor to be involved, with many of the sessions centred on workplace issues.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

Cliona Changes her Menu
Twelve months ago, Cliona Kennedy, a chef who has worked with the Hobart Private Hospital for eight years, decided to take a more active role in union affairs. She joined the Worksite Committee at Hobart Private in 2004. Cliona's journey since then has been a revelation. After several months working in the HACSU's Hobart Office as an industrial organiser, Cliona now has a taste for working in a paid union position and wants to become more involved. Here's Cliona's story.
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

Courage and determination at Corumbene
A great, positive spirit has developed between the workers out at Corumbene Nursing Home.
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

Disability Worker calls for Minimum Training Standards
A HACSU member who is an experienced disability services worker, having worked in the Children With Challenging Behaviours Program has sent out an SOS to the State Government to fund mandatory training programs following a series of incidents at her work.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

Disability strike brings Immediate results
A boil over in disability services and a watershed strike by HACSU and CPSU members in Disability Services, DHHS, statewide, has led to some major concessions from the Tasmanian Labor Government, including backfilling of all vacant positions and establishing proper staffing benchmarks and caseloads for all Tasmanian public sector disability services and facilities.
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

Don't put Your Job at Risk
HACSU officials are dealing with a significant number of issues where employees have failed to follow procedures.
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

Federal Government weighs up anti-union strategies
Federal parliament is awash with rumours about the various options being contemplated by the Howard Government when it brings in its new workplace laws in July after it gains control of both houses of parliament.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

Is Management hunting the Huntington's Service?
The staff of the Huntington’s disease service in the Department of Psychiatry at the Launceston General Hospital have to cope in a world that can get very, very bleak. These HACSU members assist people and their families affected by a terribly tragic disease.
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

Minimum Wages Case 2005
The ACTU will seek a $26.60 a week increase in minimum award pay rates in its 2005 Minimum Wage Case in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

Minister in the Hot Seat
Inform interviews the Minister for Health in Tasmania.
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

NW Private members say "Quit Stalling"
HACSU members at the North West Private Hospital, a facility also owned by Healthscope, have a simple message for management in relation to negotiations over the non-nursing EBA. The message is “Quit stalling”.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

New National Forum for Health Professionals
HACSU, in conjunction with a number of other Branches of the Health Services Union, have recently agreed to establish a national forum to pursue the industrial interests of, and share information for, health professions across Australia.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

North West Worksite Committees Spread
Three more HACSU worksite committees have been formed in the North West of Tasmania following their success in other areas of the State.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

Role Plays for the Real Thing
It’s not what you’d expect. A senior official of UnionsTas, Darren Matheson, thinking up strategies to trick the workers. He tells the workers his time is precious and he has got a plane to catch. When he hears the complaints, he changes the subject. When he’s cornered, he thumps the desk and tries good old intimidation. And all the time the workers are cracking up.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

Sharing the Crown Jewels - Hobart Private stalls on EBA Talks
Enterprise bargaining negotiations at the Hobart Private have stalled, with management delaying responding to HACSU members’ claim.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

Some Help, but still feeling the Strain:
Last year the State Government, as a result of major issues associated with health services on the North West coast, announced a major staffing restructure across Ambulance in that region.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

St V's Staff Support Merger
Staff at St Vincents Hospital are strongly supporting a merger of their hospital with Calvary Health Care.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

Stop Press
FOLLOWING THE STRIKE at DHHS, Disability Services statewide negotiations have taken place between HACSU officials and DHHS representatives in an attempt to avoid further industrial action.
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

Super Bonus
It’s a real super bonus – up to $1500* could be paid into your super by the Commonwealth Government. This is known as the Super Co-contribution payment. If you contribute to your super* you may be eligible to receive the payment. Increasing your super contributions may increase your Super Co-contribution payment.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

THAT'S IT! WE'VE HAD IT!
After being the victim to some scandalously superficial, and often quite wrong, media coverage, disability services workers finally said "Enough is Enough".
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

The Super Woman Workout - HESTA
If you’re confused about the new superannuation choice laws which come into effect this year, you’re not alone.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

The Time is NOW
With the Island economy powering, the strongest it has been in decades, and the prospect of zero public debt in Tasmania, HACSU has called on the State Government to look at making some major investments in a number of areas within health and community services.
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

Training to become an Enrolled Nurse?
HACSU HAS RECENTLY HAD CALLS from a number of Extended Care Staff members enquiring as to their HACSU membership status whilst undergoing training as an Enrolled Nurse.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

US Senate rejects minimum wage rise: No pay rise for 8 years
The ACTU has called on the Federal Government to rule out any shift to a US-style minimum wage system in light of reports that the United States Senate has this week voted to reject an increase in the US minimum wage which is only $5.15 an hour.
28 April 2005 [Full Story]

Umina Park Worksite Committee Training
Aileen Hatton and Maree Streets are carers and Worksite Committee members at Umina Park. They got right into their HACSU training session.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]

“Workplace strength key to workers' prosperity” – Chris Brown
With John Howard about to enact new workplace laws designed to weaken the bargaining power of workers and reduce and frustrate the influence of workers, the best defence is strongly unionised workplaces and well-trained representatives, HACSU State Secretary, Chris Brown, says.
09 May 2005 [Full Story]