The Australian Services Union is asking its members to make their views known on same-sex marriage so the union can endorse a formal position on the issue.
ASU NSW and ACT branch secretary Sally McManus emailed all ASU members across Australia on March 29, seeking their opinions.
“The ASU Executive which is made up of elected delegates from all the industries which make up the ASU, recently confirmed its support for equal rights for all and its opposition to discrimination,” McManus wrote.
“At the same time the Executive determined that it was time for ASU members to endorse a formal policy position for our union on marriage equality for gays and lesbians.
“The ASU … Executive has decided that the best way to allow the broadest possible number of members to be involved in this debate is by asking members to vote on this issue.”
The vote is being conducted through www.SurveyMonkey.com and closes on April 8.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Victoria anti-bullying laws
New penalties for workplace bullying to be introduced by the Victorian Government are welcome but employers must be accountable for providing safe workplaces in which bullying does not occur in the first place.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said employers, governments and workers had a shared responsibility to make workplaces safe, secure and free of harassment and an important signal would be sent by this week’s introduction to the Victorian Parliament of tougher stalking laws, which would mean bullies could face up to 10 years’ jail.
“These laws will hopefully help deter people from undesired behavior but it shouldn't suggest to employers that it's no longer their job to provide a safe workplace for all employees,” Ms Kearney said.
“Every workplace should have policies and procedures to deal with bullying and harassment, as it's essential for employers to provide a safe and harassment-free environment for all their workers.”
Ms Kearney said she hoped the increased penalties would deter people from bullying, but she wanted the Government to also send a strong message to employers that holding individual bullies to account would not absolve workplaces of their obligations.
“Bullying is a scourge in the workplace which unions are determined to wipe it out,” she said.
“We must all work together to stop it occurring, but employers cannot shirk their responsibility and turn a blind eye.
“Serious bullying should be treated as a crime, but it is also an occupational health and safety issue - everyone is entitled to a safe and secure workplace free of harassment and discrimination.
“Ultimate responsibility for providing a safe workplace is with the employer and in no way should new laws absolve them of that responsibility, or of their liability.
“Criminal sanctions alone will not necessarily change a poisonous workplace culture.”
Ms Kearney said she hoped other states would watch the impact of Victoria’s new law, named ‘Brodie's Law’, and consider strengthening their own legislation.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said employers, governments and workers had a shared responsibility to make workplaces safe, secure and free of harassment and an important signal would be sent by this week’s introduction to the Victorian Parliament of tougher stalking laws, which would mean bullies could face up to 10 years’ jail.
“These laws will hopefully help deter people from undesired behavior but it shouldn't suggest to employers that it's no longer their job to provide a safe workplace for all employees,” Ms Kearney said.
“Every workplace should have policies and procedures to deal with bullying and harassment, as it's essential for employers to provide a safe and harassment-free environment for all their workers.”
Ms Kearney said she hoped the increased penalties would deter people from bullying, but she wanted the Government to also send a strong message to employers that holding individual bullies to account would not absolve workplaces of their obligations.
“Bullying is a scourge in the workplace which unions are determined to wipe it out,” she said.
“We must all work together to stop it occurring, but employers cannot shirk their responsibility and turn a blind eye.
“Serious bullying should be treated as a crime, but it is also an occupational health and safety issue - everyone is entitled to a safe and secure workplace free of harassment and discrimination.
“Ultimate responsibility for providing a safe workplace is with the employer and in no way should new laws absolve them of that responsibility, or of their liability.
“Criminal sanctions alone will not necessarily change a poisonous workplace culture.”
Ms Kearney said she hoped other states would watch the impact of Victoria’s new law, named ‘Brodie's Law’, and consider strengthening their own legislation.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Equal Pay: Waiting for Fair Work Australia
ACTU Media: April 2011
A new working group to manage the outcome of a landmark equal pay test case is an important step towards closing the gender gap, but in the end it still depends on a positive decision from Fair Work Australia, say unions.
Unions welcome the opportunity to be part of the new Community Sector Wages Group announced today by the Federal Government to manage the implications of the Social and Community Sector test case.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said this was a solid demonstration from the Gillard Government of its commitment to gender pay equity.
But Ms Kearney said any real moves towards equal pay still hinged on the results of the test case, which is currently being heard by the full bench of Fair Work Australia.
Unions are seeking to use the equal remuneration principles in the Fair Work Act to lift the pay of about 150,000 workers in the female-dominated SACS sector.
Workers in the sector have historically been underpaid because the worker has been undervalued compared to traditional male-dominated jobs.
Final submissions were lodged this week.
“The announcement of a national consultative group to manage the funding implications resulting from a successful case is a welcome sign of the Gillard Government’s commitment to closing the 17% gender pay gap,” Ms Kearney said.
“Unions recognise that any pay increase will have budgetary implications, as the sector relies heavily on funding from governments, and we are prepared to work through these issues in a consultative way.
“But ultimately, this case is about overcoming an injustice that treats the work performed by women as less valuable than that performed by men."
“Equal pay is a workplace right and a human right, and Fair Work Australia must remember this when considering its decision.
“A pay gap of 17% should not be tolerated in a prosperous and developed nation like Australia.”
A new working group to manage the outcome of a landmark equal pay test case is an important step towards closing the gender gap, but in the end it still depends on a positive decision from Fair Work Australia, say unions.
Unions welcome the opportunity to be part of the new Community Sector Wages Group announced today by the Federal Government to manage the implications of the Social and Community Sector test case.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said this was a solid demonstration from the Gillard Government of its commitment to gender pay equity.
But Ms Kearney said any real moves towards equal pay still hinged on the results of the test case, which is currently being heard by the full bench of Fair Work Australia.
Unions are seeking to use the equal remuneration principles in the Fair Work Act to lift the pay of about 150,000 workers in the female-dominated SACS sector.
Workers in the sector have historically been underpaid because the worker has been undervalued compared to traditional male-dominated jobs.
Final submissions were lodged this week.
“The announcement of a national consultative group to manage the funding implications resulting from a successful case is a welcome sign of the Gillard Government’s commitment to closing the 17% gender pay gap,” Ms Kearney said.
“Unions recognise that any pay increase will have budgetary implications, as the sector relies heavily on funding from governments, and we are prepared to work through these issues in a consultative way.
“But ultimately, this case is about overcoming an injustice that treats the work performed by women as less valuable than that performed by men."
“Equal pay is a workplace right and a human right, and Fair Work Australia must remember this when considering its decision.
“A pay gap of 17% should not be tolerated in a prosperous and developed nation like Australia.”
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Indonesia: Unions call for release arrested nurses
29 March, 2011 | ACTU Media Release
Australian unions have called on the Indonesian Government to respect international labour Conventions and human and trade union rights following the arrest of five nurses in West Papua.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said it was outrageous that the nurses had been detained for nine days and were reportedly subjected to long periods of police interrogation, simply because they had supported an industrial campaign to ensure they received their contracted entitlements.
“It is disturbing that at the same time as workers in North Africa are beginning to benefit from newfound democratic freedoms, repression of basic human rights including the freedom of association is taking place in our region,” Ms Kearney said.
“These West Papuan nurses were pursuing their legitimate rights and it is obscene to think they are languishing in jail.
“I am advised that more than 1500 nurses took spontaneous and unprecedented industrial action in response to an announcement that the Government of the province of West Papua had withdrawn industrial payments.
“We are told that in an attempt to intimidate the nurses and to force them back to work, five nurses were arrested.
“The intimidation has failed and the nurses and their community are more resolute than ever in their determination to secure the release of the five nurses and to win the industrial campaign.
“However it is simply outrageous that this type of intimidation and violation of human and workers’ rights is occurring.”
Australian unions have called on the Indonesian Government to respect international labour Conventions and human and trade union rights following the arrest of five nurses in West Papua.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said it was outrageous that the nurses had been detained for nine days and were reportedly subjected to long periods of police interrogation, simply because they had supported an industrial campaign to ensure they received their contracted entitlements.
“It is disturbing that at the same time as workers in North Africa are beginning to benefit from newfound democratic freedoms, repression of basic human rights including the freedom of association is taking place in our region,” Ms Kearney said.
“These West Papuan nurses were pursuing their legitimate rights and it is obscene to think they are languishing in jail.
“I am advised that more than 1500 nurses took spontaneous and unprecedented industrial action in response to an announcement that the Government of the province of West Papua had withdrawn industrial payments.
“We are told that in an attempt to intimidate the nurses and to force them back to work, five nurses were arrested.
“The intimidation has failed and the nurses and their community are more resolute than ever in their determination to secure the release of the five nurses and to win the industrial campaign.
“However it is simply outrageous that this type of intimidation and violation of human and workers’ rights is occurring.”
Tokyo: No More Nuclear Power!
1200 Protest against TEPCO and the Government in Tokyo: No More Nuclear Power Plants!
March 27th, Tokyo Japan
March 27th, Tokyo Japan
Shot and edited by MASANORI YUMOTO
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