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Summer 2006

General

2007 STATUTORY HOLIDAYS - TASMANIA

08 December 2006 [Full Story]

ACTU Launches New Vision for Workplaces Based on Collective Bargaining
ACTU Secretary Greg Combet recently released a detailed vision for a new system of workplace relations for Australia based on the right of employees to bargain collectively and to have a democratic vote in workplaces.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Ambulance - Members Survey
HACSU recently undertook a survey of ambulance members. 57 members took part from around the state. The survey confirmed that ambulance members have grave concerns about their working conditions.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Anna Stewart Memorial Project
The Anna Stewart Memorial Project aims to increase women’s participation in the union movement through the provision of training opportunities. The project is coordinated by the various peak union bodies around Australia and participants undertake two-weeks of activities, such as union placements and visits to worksites and involvement in current union campaigns, to give them an understanding of the full breadth of work undertaken by trade unions.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

ENROL TO VOTE NOW OR YOU MAY MISS OUT!
As a result of amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Act members are urged to enrol to vote if you are not currently on the roll or if you have changed your name or address since the last election.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

HACSU 2006 Delegates Conference
HACSU delegates from around Tasmania gathered at Grindlewald for the annual delegates conference on Thursday 16 November and Friday 17 November 2006.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

HACSU Christmas Greetings
Christmas Greetings from HACSU Management and staff
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

HOLIDAY HOMES RATES FOR 2007
The new rental rates for the HACSU Holiday Homes are:
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Howard in Tasmania
About 100 protesters gathered at the High Tide Restaurant in Devonport to greet Prime Minister John Howard and let him know how they felt about the Coalition Government’s new workplace laws.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

KATE TAKES ON ANNA STEWART PROJECT
Kate Ransley, from Rosary Gardens, is the 2006 HACSU participant in the Anna Stewart Memorial Project. Participants have been asked to prepare and present a small project over the two-week training program. Kate has chosen to focus on learning how to set up a worksite committee, knowledge she hopes to take back to her own worksite.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

New Data Shows IR Laws are Pushing Down Take-home Pay
A new ACTU analysis of ABS data shows the IR changes are starting to bite into workers’ take home pay with the latest data showing that in the last twelve months average earnings failed to keep pace with inflation for the first time in five years.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Paid Paternity Leave Doubles in Four Years
Paid Paternity Leave Doubles in Four Years But Still Only Available for a Few A survey recently completed for the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workforce Agency (EOWA) on paid paternity leave reveals few men have access to paid paternity leave.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Past HACSU State Secretary Awarded Life Membership
On 21st September, past HACSU State Secretary, “Diamond” David Rees has been honoured by the union movement in Tasmania and awarded a life membership of Unions Tasmania in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the union movement in Tasmania.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Public Sector Interim agreement gains support of Government
Public Sector members would be well aware that over recent months HACSU, along with other public sector unions, has lobbied the Government to allow for an interim twelve month agreement whilst negotiations can proceed to address issues relating to pay parity and overhauling the current Award classification structures.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

The Kiwi Experience of Industrial Deregulation
During the 1990s the conservative National Government made radical changes to the industrial relations system in New Zealand. The ‘Employment Contracts Act’ deregulated the work market and decentralized the bargaining process, resulting in lower wages and reduced job security. The Act was fiercely anti-union and in many respects mirrors the Australian Coalition Government’s new industrial relations legislation.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Union Shopper Saves Members Cash
Lynette McLeod, who works for Housing Tasmania as a Customer Service Officer in Launceston, decided recently to renovate her kitchen and thought she would give Union Shopper a call to see if they could help her get a better deal on appliances.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Women's pay and conditions likely to worsen
Women’s pay and conditions likely to worsen in new industrial landscape
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Nursing

Bernice Buresh on Public Communication and Health
HACSU members and staff were recently invited to attend a workshop on public communication for nurses. The workshop, part of the Emergency Nursing Australasia Conference, was run by Bernice Buresh.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Private

Aged Care Campaign Kicks Off
The HACSU campaigning team has been visiting aged care sites around the State over the last few months as part of a new aged care campaign, under the banner: ‘Aged Care Workers Deserve Respect’. The ‘Respect’ campaign centres on the new aged care common law contract, which seeks to protect aged care workers from the Federal Government’s new industrial relations legislation.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Calvary to Offer Redundancies at St Johns and Lenah Valley
Following a reduction in occupancy levels, Calvary management have undertaken a review of staffing and practices.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Eliza Purton
Eliza Purton takes over Levenbank and Tyler Village
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

HOBART PRIVATE WORKSITE COMMITTEE
The Hobart Private worksite committee has been expanded after an election was called and unprecedented interest in the committee was shown. The committee now consists of 15 members with members from housekeeping, nursing, orderlies, catering, hospital care assistants, theatre and the central sterilizing department.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Protecting HACSU Members in Tasmania’s Aged Care Industry
A Campaign Update from the HACSU Aged Care Campaign Team
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Public

Ambulance EBA – meetings commence
As we go to press HACSU is discussing our claim in the upcoming enterprise bargaining round for employees employed in the Tasmanian Ambulance Service. The claim was developed following calls for submissions, surveys and two days of discussions between HACSU Ambulance Executive members.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Medical Orderlies Code Black Ban
In July this year, medical orderlies at the Royal Hobart Hospital held a membership meeting to discuss serious safety concerns in relation to code blacks.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Oakrise Sick Building Syndrome
Workers at Oakrise in Launceston have temporarily moved out of their building while work is completed to rectify problems that were causing persistent illnesses amongst those who worked in the building.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Ouse Hospital Bed Closures
Staff at Ouse Hospital, in the Derwent Valley, were notified recently that the four acute beds at the hospital would be closed. This leaves the hospital with only six aged care beds continuing to operate, with no new admissions being accepted. These cuts mean the hospital has effectively been downgraded to a health centre.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Your Rights at Work

Key Elements of the ACTU proposal
Democratic Principles and Decent Rights for Workers
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Member Profile: Graeme Jones
Graeme is an attendant at the North-West Regional Hospital, Burnie Campus. He has been a HACSU member for 20 years and has recently become involved in the Penguin ‘your rights at work’ campaign committee.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Member Profile: Hilda Cole
Hilda Cole has been an ECA at Eliza Purton for the past nine years.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

NSW Young Workers Quarantined from Howard’s Laws
Young workers in New South Wales will now have some protection from unfair dismissal.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

New HACSU and ‘your rights at work’ merchandise
HACSU hoodies are now available from your local HACSU office. The fleecy hooded tops, with zip fronts, are manufactured and printed by Qualitops.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

New Union Advertisements
New Union Advertisements Show Human Cost Of Work Changes. The ACTU and Australian unions today launched the next phase of their Rights at Work advertising campaign portraying the actual costs to families as a result of the Howard Government’s industrial relations changes.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Small businesses fail to come to grips with Work Choices
The most recent small business survey conducted by the business software company MYOB reports that 40% of respondents have a low level of understanding of the new Work Choices legislation introduced by the Coalition Government.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Union Activist Profile: George Robertson
George Robertson is a retired member of the AMWU and former boilermaker. Over the past 18 months or so George has been the ‘your rights at work’ campaign committee coordinator for North-West Tasmania. George is a great example of how retired union members can assist in building the ‘your rights at work’ campaign.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]

Workers Pay Docked Because They Refused to Work Overtime
A Melbourne electrical parts manufacturer, Heinemann Electric, is refusing to pay employees for a full week of work that they have already completed because the workers have banned extra overtime in an effort to secure their employee entitlements under a new enterprise agreement.
08 December 2006 [Full Story]