The Australian Worker Magazine Issue 3 2010 by Henry Armstrong

THE AUSTRALIAN

www.awu.net.au $4.50 0 (INC GST)

ISSUE 3 2010

WORKER HARD AT WORK IN HOBART

CAPTAIN KINDNESS

WHAT LIES BENEATH

IAN CHAPPELL ON REFUGEE RIGHTS

A LOOK AT MINE SAFETY

PEDAL TO THE METAL ALL ABOUT ALUMINIUM

ISBN 978-186396379-4

INSIDE:

ALL YOUR UNION’S NEWS AND MUCH MORE...

CONTENTS

FEATURES 06 WHAT LIES BENEATH As we waited with baited breath for the rescue of the trapped Chilean miners, we were reminded of our own collapse at Beaconsﬁeld in Tasmania back in 2006. Here, we a look at the current state of mine safety around Austalia.

10 PEDAL TO THE METAL The mining, reﬁning and smelting of bauxite makes the aluminium industry one of Australia’s most lucrative export industries. But the Union’s role in representing the industry’s workers has been a tough battle.

14 COVER STORY: POSTCARD FROM HOBART If you thought that farms in Tasmania were all about apples, you’d be wrong! Salmon farms are big business, where AWU members are hard at work.

20 THE CAPTAIN AND THAT SHIP Australian cricketing legend Ian Chappell tells us why the Tampa crisis inspired him to do what he can for refugee rights.

24 TEMPERATURE’S RISING Warm days make for dream vacations. But a hot working environment is no holiday and poses some serious health risks.

43 A CHAT WITH JULIA Prime Minister Julia Gillard addresses the concerns of some AWU members.

46 A MAN OF THE PEOPLE Every so often in history, someone will step forward and say “enough”. William Cooper, an Indigenous Australian, was one such man.

REGULARS

04 National Opinion 28 Frontline News 40 Meet the Delegates/Oﬃcials 44 Private Lives 49 Bindi & Ringer 50 Grumpy Bastard

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AWU EDITOR Paul Howes, AWU National Secretary AWU NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS CO-ORDINATOR Andrew Casey AWU NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Henry Armstrong Address: Level 10, 377-383 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Email: members@nat.awu. net.au Website: www.awu.net.au Telephone: (02) 8005 3333 Facsimile: (02) 8005 3300 ACP MAGAZINES LTD PUBLISHING EDITOR Kyle Rankin ART DIRECTOR Wayne Allen DESIGNER Stephen Clark SUB-EDITOR Graham Lauren PRODUCTION SERVICES Rachel Walsh PREPRESS SUPERVISOR Klaus Müller MANAGING DIRECTOR ACP MAGAZINES Phil Scott DEPUTY GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Gerry Reynolds GENERAL MANAGER Sally Wright PUBLISHING MANAGER Nicola O’Hanlon PBL MEDIA CEO David Gyngell GROUP SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR Peter Wiltshire Published for The Australian Workers’ Union (ABN 28 853 022 982) by ACP Magazines Ltd (ACN 18 053 273 546), 54-58 Park St, Sydney NSW 2000. © 2010. All rights reserved. Printed by PMP, Clayton, Vic 3168 and cover printed by Webstar, Silverwater, NSW 2128. Distributed by Network Services, 54 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Articles published in The Australian Worker express the opinion of the authors and not necessarily ACP Magazines Ltd. While all eﬀorts have been made to ensure prices and details are correct at time of printing, these are subject to change.

www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

NATIONAL OPINION

Bill Ludwig National President Queensland Branch Secretary

NATIONAL OPINION

t has been a good year for the members of the Australian Workers’ Union, with many significant battles being fought and won. As 2010 draws to a close, the AWU finds itself in the enviable position of being the fastest growing union in Australia. While many other unions are struggling with membership decreases, our Union is getting bigger across the country. While the AWU National Office and each Branch has dedicated significant resources to the task

good job, you don’t hear from anyone, but when things go wrong you cop a bit of ﬂak. AWU Reps are not paid for their services, they do it out of a commitment to unionism, and a commitment to helping out their fellow workers. It is a fundamental right for each union member to be represented by their union, and often times it is their workplace Rep who is their representative. People become AWU Reps because their fellow members see them as leaders in the workplace. Many AWU members don’t feel they have the necessary skills to represent themselves, and that is why they choose the people that they do to be their Representative.

AWU Reps are the face of our Union in their workplaces, and they do a bloody great job.” of growing our Union, a lot of the credit for our increased membership should go to our workplace Reps. It is the Reps in the workplace who sign up most of our new members, and who look after our members day to day to make sure they remain AWU members. They are the face of our Union in their workplaces, and they do a bloody great job. Being an AWU Rep can sometimes be a diﬃcult and thankless task. Often times, when you are doing a

As the year draws to a close, I’d like to thank each and every AWU Representative across Australia for their hard work and dedication. Without their commitment and leadership qualities, our Union would be much worse oﬀ. I would also like to wish a very safe and merry festive season to all AWU members and their families, and I look forward to working with you all again in 2011 to keep our Union strong.

he misuse of global free trade rules and regulations – especially by China – has hurt Australian jobs and led to the collapse of our manufacturing sector. New jobs which could be created in Australia in the ﬂedgling ‘green technology sector’ – such as solar panels – have had their natural growth stunted because China has adopted an aggressive policy to distort trade in its favour. The Australian Workers’ Union was an early supporter of free trade as a way of creating good new jobs for our membership. But we won’t stand by and allow jobs to disappear overseas, because not everyone is playing by the same rule book. We believe there is plenty of evidence that China has decided to ignore the rules of the game set by the WTO and the ILO. They are winning new opportunities for Chinese companies by tearing up the rule book. Delegates to the next AWU national conference will discuss and vote on a plan to trigger a major public campaign in 2011 to ensure our Government does not stand by and allow Australian jobs to disappear overseas. Free trade can work for all economies, but only if all countries agree to play by the same rules, and respect the umpire’s decision. Unfortunately a series of

Australian governments have had a bad record when it comes to defending Australian manufacturing jobs from the subsidized dumped products. We are witnessing that especially in AWU manufacturing workplaces, in steel and aluminium extrusion. Increasingly in Australia, the USA,

The AWU has joned forces with the United Steelworkers of America.

We won’t stand by and allow jobs to disappear overseas.” Canada and Europe trade unions have begun pressuring their governments to take action against China. We’ve joined with the Steelworkers in the USA and Canada to campaign to defend our jobs against cheap subsidised Chinese

Russ Collison Greater NSW Branch Secretary THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

imports. The Steelworkers have already had some success in rolling back the Chinese juggernaut. We’re now campaigning for Australia to look at the models adopted by both the US and Canadian governments to ﬁght the unfair subsidised manufacturing practices behind these Chinese imports. The next step in our campaign will be unveiled at the AWU’s National Conference in February 2011.

POST YOUR LETTERS TO: The Editor, The Australian Worker, Level 10, 377-383 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000

AWU LEADERS

Paul Howes National Secretary

Richard Downie Newcastle Branch Secretary

Andy Gillespie Port Kembla Branch Secretary

Cesar Melhem Victorian Branch Secretary

Wayne Hanson South Australian Branch Secretary

Stephen Price West Australian Branch Secretary

Ian Wakeﬁeld Tasmanian Branch Secretary

Norman McBride Tobacco Branch Secretary

OR EMAIL THEM TO: members@nat.awu.net.au

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MINING INDUSTRY SAFETY

Five years after the Beaconsﬁeld mine disaster, new legislation has ﬁnally been passed. RIGHT: The rescue of Brant Webb and Todd Russell.

Photos: Getty

ut of the dust of the Beaconsfield rock fall in 2006 emerged new interest from the Australian public in mining safety. After breathing a collective sigh of relief when Brant Webb and Todd Russell made it out alive, and following a period of mourning for Larry Knight, who lost his life in the collapse, there was a resounding call to operators and the Tasmanian government to make sure it never happened again. Five years on, and new legislation has finally been passed which deals with the occupational hazards of an inherently risky business. In fact, the long process toward the new legislation had been under way since the publication of a coroner’s report following the deaths of Matthew Lister and Jarrod Jones in a rock fall at the Renison Bell tin mine in 2001, and that of Sidney Pierce at the same site two years later. The coroner’s investigation into those ho ose se incidents found there had been serious uss failure in Tasmania’s workplace safetyy legislation to deal with mining. In his 2008 report coroner Don Jones asserted, ted, “These inquests have highlighted what at I perceive to be fundamental deficiencies cies in the current legislation applicable to mining in Tasmania. Whilst the current legislation, the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, is applicable to mining, it is a more generalised approach, while mining requires more industry-specific legislation due to the nature of its operations.” In short, safety at the mines was governed by the same rules that applied to office, retail and all other workers, a situation which was deemed by all involved to be wholly inappropriate.

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Robert estimates that an appropriately qualiﬁed inspector could earn four times as much “and climbing” in the private sector than they would working for Workplace Standards Tasmania. However, aside from this concern about potential diﬃculties in recruitment, it is certain that mine workers in Tasmania and their loved ones will be able to breathe easier when the legislation and subsequent regulations are implemented. “The new rules should improve hazard management, with exposure to hazards substantially reduced,” Robert says.

As the world rejoiced the rescue of the trapped Chilean miners, we were reminded of our own mine collapse at Beaconsﬁeld in Tasmania. Aaron Bertram looks at current Australian mining industry safety...

What lies beneath AWU Tasmanian Branch Assistant Secretary Robert Flanagan said there was little disagreement in the tripartite talks between the AWU, the Tasmanian Minerals Council and Workplace Standards Tasmania to establish the new legislation, which Tasmanian Minister for Workplace Relations David O’Byrne hopes will be enacted early next year. The Workplace Health and Safety Amendment (Mine Safety) Bill 2010 legislation is broad in scope and built on three key platforms. It deals with the hazards that exist in the mining industry

through audits and inspections, it creates standards for ventilation in underground mines and, arguably most importantly, it opens the lines of communication between workers, operators and management. From these general themes, more deﬁnitive regulations will be established, particularly in regard to establishing hazard-management systems. Robert says the lack of communication between workers and bosses and the lack of an opportunity for workers to voice their concerns was a major contributor

to the Beaconsfield disaster. “There was a sense of powerlessness at Beaconsfield,” he says. “If workers had a forum to express their concerns, Beaconsfield may never have happened.” Under the new rules, workers at each site will elect one of their own as an employee safety representative. Workers elected to this role by their peers would be the first point of contact for workers to voice their concerns regarding any potential safety issues. The industry in Tasmania will also be subject to inspections by Workplace

Standards Tasmania to ensure each site adheres to agreed safety processes. The new positions call for a great deal of mining expertise, something which may be in short supply as our mining industry surges ahead, as the world bounces back from the global ﬁnancial crisis. “It’s important we have engineering and geotechnical expertise in order to inspect areas where people have raised concerns,” Robert says. “There are plenty of qualiﬁed people, the problem is being able to recruit them when there’s better money in a booming mining sector.”

Mine bending QUEEN QUEENSLAND Fatigue is the focus in Fatigu Queensland, where relations Qu between the miners, unions b Qld and the government are generally ll positive. However, 12-hour shifts and repetitive work is a potential killer, says AWU Queensland Branch Organiser Hag Harrison, who is involved in compiling a draft fatigue management plan for the industry. Fatigue is a diﬃcult problem to quantify – the fatalities are not necessarily happening at the mines but when workers are making their way home. Hag says there have been three recent incidents of workers driving home at the end of a long shift and, due to fatigue, not completing their journeys. The management plan calls for more rest for workers and more varied jobs. NEW SOUTH WALES AWU Greater NSW Branch NSW Vice-President and Northern Vi Regional Organiser, Glenn Regio Seton, says that while there were no www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

MINING INDUSTRY SAFETY TY

FREE CHILE! Rescued Chilean miner and staunch unionist “Super” Mario Sepulveda.

fatalities at any metalliferous mines in NSW last year, the Union still strives toward a “world’s best practice” hazardmanagement model. Glenn says a shakeup of workplace culture will provide the key to creating a “zero-death, zeroincident” mining sector in NSW. “Our numbers have been very good, and all trending down,” he says. However, there is room for improvement. Fatigue is an issue being watched by the Union, and especially the rules around managing fatigue arising for workers pushing beyond 48 hours of work in a seven-day period. The state’s Mine Safety Advisory Council will be following up on a summit in 2008 which addressed the need for cultural change in the industry.”

SOUTH AUSTRALIA BHP Billiton has so much money, it doesn’t need a bank, AWU South Australia

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THE W WIDELY COVERED August 5 collapse at the Copiapo copper mine in Chile cemented concerns for mining safety in cemen the public consciousness. More than a billion people round the world tuned in to watch its 33 survivors being winched the 700 metres back to the surface of the earth after 69 days underground. The irony of this story is that the miners had access to an emergency ladder in a ventilation shaft designed to deal with exactly this type of incident. However, the mine’s owners had neglected to ﬁnish it, so the workers attempt at self-rescue came to an end only one-third of the way up. Safety had long been an issue at the relatively small facility, with eight workers losing their lives there in 12 years. It was even forced to close down in 2007 after relatives of a miner who had been killed sued the company. The installation

Branch Secretary Wayne Hanson says. Its stranglehold on South Australia is such that when BHP says “jump”, that the state government says, “How high?” This is the problem facing the AWU in South Australia, Wayne believes. In that state, BHP allows unions no access to its facilities. Wayne is involved in the Mining and Quarrying Occupational Health and Safety Committee. About a year ago, a Canadian delegation came over to look at Olympic Dam and asked that MAQOHSC be there too. BHP told the delegation that it was very welcome to come along but that the plane was exactly two seats short – there would be no room for the two union representatives on the committee. Wayne believes, however, there are some “closet members” of the Union in the state’s mining industry, and while he’s unable at this stage to go into detail, he has reason to believe there may be a breakthrough soon.

of emergency ladders was one of the conditions of it reopening. Union man”Super” Mario Sepulveda was the group’s unoﬃcial leader and despite urging the media to treat him as just a miner, he was widely credited as the driving force supporting the morale that helped the miners survive those long dark days in a hole in the ground. After a visit with his family, Mario warned Chile’s mining authorities and corporations that this incident would be a turning point in industrial relations in Chile in the way that Beaconsﬁeld put mining safety on the map in Australia. “I think that this country has to understand once and for all, that we have to change the way we work, he said. “The working world needs lots of changes. We, the miners, we won’t let it rest.”

WESTERN AUSTRALIA WA is in the process of a major overhaul of mining safety WA regulations. And, like in South Australia, limited union access sites is the main obstacle in to si making mines safer for workers in WA, where there have been 11 fatalities on sites since June 2008. This is in a state where individual contracts had been used long before WorkChoices and one which was stridently anti-union even before Howard. AWU WA Branch Secretary Stephen Price describes the relationship between the largest miner, BHP Billiton, and the Union as “strained”. However, talks are occurring to bring WA legislation up to that which governs the much more stringent oﬀshore industry. This will see an increased focus on a risk-management approach where the onus would be on the companies to put in place their own processes which would be regularly inspected by an external auditor.

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ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY

PEDAL TO T THE METAL makes the aluminium industry one ite ux ba of ing elt sm d an g nin reﬁ The mining, g . But the Union’s role in representin es tri us ind rt po ex ive rat luc st mo of Australia’s battle. Paul Robinson reports... gh tou a en be s ha rs rke wo ’s try us the ind

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au u

With smelting and reﬁning, the key issues are a supply of cheap power, environmental concerns and working conditions. “Some of these companies simply don’t want to have a third party involved in their workplace negotiations,” Liam says. “Rio Tinto is pretty hard-line; Alcoa is not as bad – that said, we’ve been taking industrial action in WA for seven months!”

Global concerns Foreign ownership is obviously an issue when it comes to negotiations on awards and conditions. Albeit with some Australian investment, all the major players are giant foreign multinationals. Again, it’s a matter of picking your battles. Last year, the AWU opposed state-owned foreign

companies buying into the Australian resources sector when Chinalco (a Chinese state-owned aluminium company) attempted to increase its stake in Rio Tinto to 19 per cent. Australia’s seven smelters and six refineries are mostly located in regional towns where alternative employment is hard to find. When labour is under the gun, there is a potential for these places to become “ghost towns”. Research undertaken in 2008 by Per Capita for the Australian Workers’ Union entitled The Full-Cost Economics of Climate Change – Aluminium: A Case Study suggests average unemployment could rise above 30 per cent in refinery towns and 15 per cent in smelter towns – a savage king-hit. The big players need encouragement to consider the

THE ORGANISER

Craig Beveridge Capral Aluminium, Perth

I IT’S A BIT of a change of direction for me. I’ve o only been with the AWU for about 15 months. I worked for a stockfeed mill called Wesfeeds; I was a delegate there for 10 years. We worked under an EBA for that time and even when the Howard Government was in, we were on a good deal. Nothing could change or be taken from us and every two years we were up for a renegotiation on percentages for pay increases. Obviously I’ve taken that little bit of experience to some of the sites I’m dealing with now, with those EBAs coming up, and just give it my best shot.

Photos: David Hahn/Fairfax Photos

he aluminium industry generates exports worth more than $10 billion a year. The industry is an export heavyweight, especially in Western Australia and Victoria. And it’s a big workplace. Between them, Australia’s bauxite mines, refineries, smelters, extrusion mills and rolling plants employ more than 15,000 workers, including contractors. Unfortunately, the giant multinational companies that produce aluminium in Australia – Alcoa, BHP, Tomago, Hydro, Rio Tinto – have no particular loyalty to this country – they will operate wherever it is cheapest, and they are happy to flex this muscle regularly in negotiations with workers over wages and conditions. The AWU is the main union representing workers in aluminium refineries, smelters, mines and plants across Australia. “The main battle is keeping permanent employment and getting the companies to recognise the role of organised labour in the workplace,” AWU National Organiser Liam O’Brien says. “It depends what sector you’re talking about. In extrusion, for instance, there’s been a massive rise in non-union companies in the past five years because the market has expanded and a lot of Chinese companies have become involved.”

impacts of their decisions on these small towns. As Liam says, “In the case of Alcoa or Rio Tinto, you’re talking about highly proﬁtable companies. We’re about seeing the wealth created in these towns stays in the communities, rather than in some CEO’s pocket in New York.”

WorkChoices laws finally gave employers the ability to undermine collective action and shift the industrial relations culture to the individual contract. This, in turn, made it easier for companies to completely de-unionise sites. The AWU strategy has been to build strength at existing sites over the past three years. Now it is shifting to a broader approach, targeting more non-union sites around Industry perils the country and working A major grievance is safety with the Branches to and the lack thereof, organise workers. particularly on non“The AWU has seen union sites. There is also a massive increase concern about the lack of in membership over consultation on workplace the past two years,” changes and a desire Daniel says. “There for parity with sites that are certainly a number already have collective Liam O’Brien of operations in the agreements in place. aluminium industry, “Safety is a huge with fairly hostile employers and anticoncern in refining, smelting, mining – union strategies in place, that we’re they all use significant heavy machinery, starting to gain significant traction. In there are hazardous materials, and some cases they are actually sites that workers are often subject to extreme had been organised and were then detemperatures,” AWU National Campaign unionised. With renewed focus and push, Coordinator Daniel Walton says. we’re managing to turn things around.” When companies try to cut costs, it The AWU has only been involved always affects safety negatively. “Little in award bargaining with one smelter things, such as skimming over upgrades over the past two years. However, on walkways and materials, the basics all smelters are due to sit at the are often overlooked,” Daniel says. bargaining table in the next six months. “Particularly in non-union sites, safety “There have been quite a few committees are set up and represented issues,” Liam O’Brien says. “At Alcoa by managers or supervisors, with very in Victoria, they’re trying to reduce little input from workers.” manning and that sort of thing. That’s For organised labour, it’s been a been a bit of a fight. And it brings up long time between drinks. Since the a few safety concerns.” heyday of union power in the 1970s Negotiations are looking promising and ’80s, companies have worked for saving jobs – after 18 months’ hard steadily to reduce union influence in work – at Rio Tinto’s Gove refinery at the workplace. The Howard regime’s www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY

Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory. And right now, agreements are being negotiated at Alcoa refineries and mines south of Perth. The extrusion and rolling mill sector has been the AWU’s most successful battlefield. It recently unionised and has started bargaining with Olympic Aluminium, one of the non-union companies in Victoria that, as Liam says, “had crept up on us.” Another win was with G James Extrusions – a national dispute over three states earlier this year. “The company started off offering 2.5 per cent with no back pay, and wanted to take protection off the guys,” he says. “We went on strike and ended up with a wage offer between 4 per cent and 5 per cent, six months’ back pay, improvements in sick leave and redundancy arrangements.” This agreement was accepted by over 90 per cent of members. The Capral extrusion plant in Perth, WA, makes window frames among other things. With a workforce of 52, the site was pretty unorganised and management anti-union until a few months ago. Now,

We’ve doubled the membership, to about 80 members, and we’ve got good Delegates in there.” according to Daniel Walton, they are very close to voting on an agreement. “These companies expand into other areas and don’t highlight their operations,” says Daniel. “It’s a matter of doing research then having a chat about what’s been achieved at other sites.” Organiser Craig Beveridge has been on the job for the past 12 months. “When I ﬁrst stepped in, we had two members and it was a bit of a rough

THE DELEGATE

Tristan Gulvin Worsley Alumina, WA

I JOINED the Union to try to get I’VE equality around the place, and education on workers’ rights, especially regarding disciplinary matters. We’re still on common-law contracts, but we’re trying to get our numbers up so we can go back to EBAs. Our membership is increasing, which gives us a bit more leverage. BHP aren’t too keen on the Union being back on site in any way, shape or form, but our members now know they’re entitled to representation. BHP was getting away with stuﬀ like getting guys to sign bullshit warnings because the guys didn’t know any better. We’ve got a very young workforce and most of them didn’t

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know their rights; they were being walked over. I’m 34, one of the older heads out there. I’m lucky I grew up in Collie, a coalmining town, tough old bastards, and we’ve always been involved in the Union. My father was a shop steward at the power station. Worsley is between Collie and Bunbury and we always say that Collie guys know their rights, but the Bunbury boys don’t.

road and management didn’t want a bar of me,” he says. “But I kept chipping away, and now we’ve built up to being about 12 guys oﬀ 100 per cent.”

Steep learning curve With all on common law contracts, the major complaint was the lack of career path, and workers were doing the same job side-by-side for wildly differing pay packets. “There was no classification structure,” Craig says. “That was the most tedious part of this agreement. But I think management now realises if you don’t have some incentives to keep your workforce, the younger blokes will head up north chasing big money when the boom hits.” It’s been a steep learning curve for Craig, who had only been with the AWU for a couple of months when he started organising the Carpal site. “The previous management were anti-union and there’d been problems with how they were running the shop,” he says. “They weren’t paying proper overtime rates. I couldn’t believe they thought they could get away with it in 2010!” About to talk money with the company, Craig is cautiously optimistic. “At the end of the day, stalling on level structures is no good for either of us. We eventually need to even up the wage playing field, but obviously that’s not going to happen overnight.” BHP’s Worsley Alumina mine and refinery in WA is another site where workers had been on common law contracts, but were concerned about losing parity with other operations and issues such as unpaid overtime, and also becoming conscious of their limited bargaining power as individuals. With changes in the Fair Work Australia laws, the AWU has been building membership at Worsley since August last year. Organiser Craig Ramirez says the signs are encouraging. “It took a lot of groundwork, but we’ve about doubled the membership, to about 80 members, and we’ve got good Delegates in there, some strong guys.” The site had been fairly anti-

CUTTING METAL • REDUNDANCIES IN THE INDUSTRY

MARCH 2009 G James Extrusions, in Smithﬁeld, Sydney, sacks 30 workers – nearly half its workforce – and the AWU Delegate, without consultation, ignoring the terms of the workplace enterprise agreement. “These are long-standing workers who should have been treated with respect,” AWU Greater NSW Secretary Russ Collison says. “We’re going to make sure the company sticks by the agreement.”

APRIL 2009 Rio Tinto axes 600 jobs at its reﬁnery in the Queensland town of Gladstone, citing falling commodity prices. The

aluminium sector is a key part of its industrial development, each job contributing a total community value of $89,000 a year (Per Capita research, 2009). According to Gladstone mayor, George Creed, it is the worst blow to the town in 40 years.“This must be nearly a sadder day for Gladstone [than] it was in the early 1960s when the meatworks closed,” George says.

union, but the future looks brighter. “Sometimes BHP tends to do what they please,” says Craig. “But we’ve got a base now to give us leverage. Our members know if they get hauled up on a disciplinary issue or any other reason, we can represent them. It’s harder for the company to exert that external pressure.”

Tough tactics The Rio Tinto Alcan smelter at Bell Bay, in Tasmania, was Australia’s ﬁrst aluminium smelter, starting production in 1955. The operation employs some 500 workers and contributes $225 million a year to the local economy. Electricity costs and pollution concerns are being used as justiﬁcation for blocking wage claims. The site was de-unionised in 1996 after the Rio Tinto management team had studied work practices on sites

THE COMPANY also cuts bauxite production at Weipa, in North Queensland, at the cost of 100 jobs.

APRIL 2009, Alcoa cuts output at its Portland smelter, citing emissions trading and falling global prices as key reasons. With 640 workers, Portland is a major employer in western Victoria. The following 12 months

sees 24 redundancies and an overall loss of 100 operational roles (including contractor cut-backs). AWU Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar Melhem says the proposed cuts stem from the company’s US head oﬃce ordering a 5 per cent global cost reduction for its smelters. “It’s not just an attack on workers, it is a threat to the

viability of Portland,” Cesar says. Workers have voted to resist redundancies and the Union is pursuing talks with the company. But it’s a frustrating business. “The company refuses to discuss ﬁnancial matters,” Cesar says. “It is obvious this site is making a lot of money for its masters. It is up to Portland Aluminium to treat its workers fairly.”

DECEMBER 2009, Alcoa announces plans to cut 90 jobs at its rolling plant in Point Henry, Geelong, and a further 60 at its Yennora plant in western Sydney.

also used at local and across the Tasman in New state government level in Zealand. Workers were put its quest for a favourably on individual contracts cheap electricity deal to and it is only in the past sustain the smelter. two to three years that the “After the recent closure Union has started to build of the Reflex paper mill in up its membership, and in Burnie, this is one of the the past 12 months that it largest sites in northern has begun rolling out Tasmania,” Daniel says. “If a significant campaign. someone in Georgetown, Rio frequently plays who’s worked at the smelter the “oldest smelter in the for 20 years, loses his job, country” card. there’s not much around. “Members have told us Craig Ramirez And the knock-on effect in that the company likes to the area would be huge.” use that as a threat to put “This is a classic example,” Liam fear into the workplace,” Daniel Walton O’Brien says. “The company wants to says. “The inference is that if workers get keep a lid on wages to its own cost too organised, push too much, the place advantage and has a real resistance won’t be able to function.” to organised labour.” W It’s a scare tactic the company has www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

POSTCARD FROM HOBART LEFT: Shane Williams at the helm at Tassal’s salmon farm on the Tasman Peninsula.

If you thought Tasmanian farms would be all about apples, you’d be wrong. One of the most lucrative crops farmed down there is salmon. Yep, salmon. So the AWU’s intrepid reporter Michael Blayney and photographer David Hahn took oﬀ to Hobart to, well, go ﬁshing!

Something Michael Blayney, left, and David Hahn, right, pretending to work!

www.awu.net.au

PHOTOS DAVID HAHN

FISHY www.awu.net.au

t’s a mild spring afternoon on in south-eastern Tasmania. On a small, motorised plastic boat, AWU member Shane Williams is taking great pleasure in giving our “office legs” a good workout, carving up the icy-cold waters from pen to pen on a Nubeena salmon farm. We hold on tightly to a small railing up front, thankful that today the water’s calm, the wind’s gentle, and the weather’s warm(ish). Shane has worked this farm on the Tasman Peninsula for nine years, recently being promoted to regional manager of Tassal’s operations here. “I’ll spend less time on the water and more time on land, shuffling papers,” he says, with just a tinge of regret. Although he’s risen through the ranks at Tassal, Shane very much values the AWU’s contribution to workers’ conditions on this site. The farm has 33 pens, all close to the shoreline. Each one houses approximately 25,000 fish at different stages of growth in a space half the size of a cricket oval. It’s big business: Tassal is Australia’s largest Atlantic salmon producer, harvesting over 20,000 tonnes of fish a year.

Graeme Shipway with a star of the show.

Today, Shane parks beside a larger boat that will harvest roughly 20,000 Atlantic salmon by day’s end. The ﬁsh are pumped out of the pen into Peter Whalan’s safe hands on deck. “We follow strict harvest processes to ensure welfare standards are maintained and to get the best quality for eating,” he says.

Scales and tales Today’s ﬁsh are a healthy-looking bunch, a consistent weight of approximately six kilograms and sixty centimetres in length. The harvesting process is clinical. Peter releases live ﬁsh down a mechanical chute where they’re quickly stunned and bled out. When they land at the bottom of the chute, the catch of the day is then sorted into a holding bay nestled in the boat’s hull. From there, the booty is destined for bellies all over the world. We leave the harvestng behind us, ❯❯

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POSTCARD FROM HOBART

RIGHT: OHS Rep Richard Potter and, above right, some of the farm’s prime catch.

zipping over to a pen where salmon are being bathed in fresh water. This routine procedure guards against amoebic gill disease, a potentially-fatal affliction that reportedly costs the Tasmanian industry $20 million a year in treatment and lost productivity. The fish are pumped from their homes onto a tarpaulin filled with fresh water. After a cleansing period of two to three hours, the salmon are released back into salt water. The disease is not the only concern for the salmon population in these waters. Local seals and sharks are understandably tempted by the free feed in their own backyard. Every day or thereabouts, an enterprising seal rips a hole in one of the nets or leaps over the barriers to feast on the salmon. One memorable day, five seals and a shark were discovered in one of the pens. “Most of the seals are repeat offenders,” Shane explains. “You get to know them after a while, and we even have names for a few of them. They can also get a bit vicious when cornered, so you have to 16 theaustralianworker

I’m there for people when they start, offering them assistance and connecting them to the Union.” be careful. Workers have been bitten.” As we make our way back to land, Shane discusses his family’s diet. Fortunately, he and his three children, aged 3, 4 and 11, all love salmon. Shane even has a smoking set-up at home. With so much omega-3 on offer, his kids could end up being the brightest in all of Tasmania! “When they have a choice of eating fish or lollies, the kids choose fish every time. If it’s in the fridge, they won’t stop eating until it’s gone,” he laughs. On dry dock, we chat to the site’s

Occupational Health and Safety Representative, Richard “Potts” Potter. A Tassal employee for over 10 years, Potts works as a senior farm-hand, feeder, and dive supervisor. In years gone by, he worked as a diver retrieving “morts” (mortalities), repairing nets, checking on the well-being of the ﬁsh, and naturally keeping a watchful eye out for sharks. “Diving is a young man’s game,” he says, injury having put the brakes on his underwater career. “You have to be super-ﬁt to do it every day.”

was so successful that Government House outdoor workers adjoining the gardens have since joined the AWU to bargain collectively for their next work agreement.

Bloomin’ lovely

Right on track

Leaving Nubeena, we make tracks for Hobart, about an hour’s drive away. Here we drop in on the horticulturists tending the ﬂower beds at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. The 13 hectares of gardens are located on the northern outskirts of the city centre, majestically overlooking the Derwent River. With hoe in hand, AWU on-site Delegate John Daniels is working his patch when we arrive. A Delegate for ten years, John takes care of the twelve

The next morning, a new work agreement is also on the table in the break room at the picturesque Elwick Racecourse. Co-Delegate Tim Broadby and AWU Organiser Kevin Midson dispense the paperwork, ready for sign-oﬀ. “We’re pleased with what we’ve got and everyone’s happy,” Tim says. “This has been the biggest one for a long time. We put a lot of work into this agreement state-wide,” Kevin ❯❯ agrees. “We all stood together,

www.awu.net.au

LEFT : AWU Delegate John Daniels at work in the picturesque Royal Tasmanian Botancial Gardens.

members on site. “I’m there for people when they start, oﬀering them assistance, advice, and connecting them to the Union.” Recently, a new state public service www.awu.net.au

award was negotiated speciﬁc to the gardens. The pay scale was realigned, and John and his team’s trade status was ﬁnally recognised with a 10 per cent wage increase across the board. The outcome

theaustralianworker 17

POSTCARD FROM HOBART

LEFT: Workers at the Elwick Racecourse put a lot of effort into a new agreement. New brooms (above) will sweep clean.

prepared to follow through on work bans. Management initially offered us 3.5 per cent for three years, but we managed to negotiate a four-year agreement at 4 per cent the first year, 4.5 the next, and 5 per cent the final two years. It was a good outcome.” Kevin drives us back to the North Hobart AWU office to meet with Ian Wakefield, the AWU Tasmanian Branch

Many of our industries are high-risk, and we’ve recently been successful with an asbestos campaign.”

Tassal AWU Delegate Phil Garth.

Secretary. Ian is rightly proud of his tight-knit staff and the state’s union heritage. “We’ve had continual growth for the past 10 years, even under Howard. The AWU in Tasmania is a strong union, a united union, and we get better outcomes as a collective,” Ian says. With total membership of approximately 2400, Tasmania has the highest density of union membership in the country. “One of the most important things we do for our members is health and safety,” Ian says. “Many of our industries are high-risk, and we’ve recently been successful with an asbestos campaign. We pushed hard for a prioritised removal program, and we’ve seen significant improvements on site.” Our final stop is the Tassal salmon processing plant in Huonville. Here we reconnect with yesterday’s harvested fish, and meet with Phil Garth, AWU Delegate and Branch Executive member. A Tassal employee for nine years, Phil first worked on the production line before taking on a

AWU HOBART TEAM: Organiser Kevin Midson; Branch Secretary, Ian Wakeﬁeld, Ofﬁce Manager Lyn Padman and Branch Assistant Secretary Robert Flanagan.

18 theaustralianworker

www.awu.net.au

Lorraine Smith with the ﬁnished product – premium smoked salmon.

maintenance and groundkeeping role. “I’m happier in the job I do now,” he says, possibly because he’s not that keen on fish! Before entering the plant, we are kitted out in white smock, gumboots, and hairnet. Inside, five large industrial ovens smoke the salmon for nine hours before it’s chilled for a further two. The fish is then skinned, trimmed, sliced and packaged. The plant is up and worked about 18 hours a day. www.awu.net.au

“We have 130 staﬀ in processing, and four delegates take care of their needs. Last agreement, we improved d our overtime rates to get time-and-ahalf and double time,” Phil says. “The next EBA is set down for July, so we’re busy planning for that at the moment. It’s mostly about money this time. We have a reasonable relationship with management, so we’re hopeful our demands will be met. W theaustralianworker th t 19

GREAT MATE

THE CAPTAIN AND

THAT SHIP THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

THE TAMPA CRISIS

Photos: AFP/Newspix

“In cricketing parlance, it was like cheating. I felt that those people on the ship, the refugees, were being cheated out of a fair go.” – Ian Chappell

Flash back

He was one of Australian cricket’s formidable team captains. Now the legendary Ian Chappell talks to Laura Macfarlane about how the Tampa crisis inspired him to speak out for refugee rights... ormer Australian test-cricket captain Ian Chappell was watching the infamous Tampa crisis unfold before him on television when he was struck by the extreme unfairness of the situation.“In cricketing parlance, it was like cheating. I felt that those people on the ship, the refugees, were being cheated out of a fair go. “I’m railing at the television set, and my wife, Barbara-Ann, said, ‘You know, bad things happen when good people do nothing.’ And that sort of jolted me a little bit and I thought, ‘I’m not going to do a lot of good sitting railing at the television set’,” he says. A fateful answering-machine message Ian received a few days later galvanised him into taking action. “There was a message on the machine from Stuart McGill asking me to call him. I thought, ‘Why would Stuie be calling me? I can’t help him with his batting, or his bowling, for that matter.’ But it was another Stuart McGill asking me if I would put my name to a letter from Australia for UNHCR to help raise funds for refugees.” Ian agreed and later received a call from Naomi Steer, the National Director of Australia for UNHCR, to thank him. But he was not content to leave it there and told Naomi that he’d like to do more. Naomi, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary at Unions NSW, says she had been looking for someone who could speak to a broad range of Australians about the work of Australia for UNHCR and, in particular, the situation of refugees. A few months later Naomi invited Ian to accompany her to East Timor to open a sports stadium which had been rebuilt by Australia for UNHCR and to see ﬁrst hand UNHCR’s humanitarian and peace-building work in action. “That gave me an opportunity to see a situation that had caused a lot of refugees. It was disturbing to be driving along seeing houses that have been burnt or knocked to the ground and they’re just a pile of rubble,” Ian recalls.

BELOW: Ian Chappell in action at the Oval in 1975, and today.

In August 2001, the Howard Government refused permission for the Tampa – a Norwegian freighter carrying over 400 Afghan refugees rescued from a distressed fishing vessel – to enter Australian waters. The refugees included pregnant women, children and sick people rescued by the Tampa in the Indian Ocean, about 120 kilometers off remote Christmas Island. Australia then defied growing international pressure to allow the asylum seekers to land on its territory. When the Tampa did finally enter Australian waters, Howard ordered Australian Special Forces to intercept the ship. The debacle that followed included a string of government lies and distortions, including the allegation that adults were throwing children overboard – which was found to be untrue.

www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

GREAT MATE

Naomi says the East Timorese knew nothing about who Ian Chappell was and little about the game of cricket, but were keen to learn. “Ian launched the inaugural soccer game at the stadium but he also gave them cricket lessons,” she says. “People in these devastated communities really appreciate it when others reach out to them and sport has a way of breaking down barriers.” Ian also joined a group called A Just Australia, and one of the ﬁrst things he did was go to Canberra to lobby some of the politicians “for a better go, a fairer go for the asylum seekers”. “Having been in a position of privilege at times in my life through being captain of Australia, you learn that you do have a slightly louder voice at times than other people. And I think that there are times when you need to use that louder voice to speak out for people who in some cases have no voice.”

Your Union now owns a share of Chifley

Call to action “I got the opportunity to travel because I could play cricket reasonably well,” Ian says. “And when you went overseas, you were always treated extremely well. So I thought to myself, Australians have a reputation for being welcoming, except for this black mark we’ve got with refugees. To me, it’s not the normal [behaviour expected from] Australians. When he joined the group, he checked with Naomi to see if it was okay because he didn’t want it to cut across what he was doing with for Australia for UNHCR. “I rang Naomi and she said, ‘I haven’t got a problem with it and I’ll visit you in jail, when you’re arrested.’” Through A Just Australia, Ian visited the Baxter detention centre, where he says there were people visiting refugees sometimes two or three times a week. “I felt embarrassed because those people were really doing something, but they said, ‘Yes, but if people like you don’t get involved more people wouldn’t be aware of what’s going on.’ I didn’t feel quite so embarrassed then, but even

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

Refugee rights

This will mean even greater value for all members of the AWU.

SUPPORT AUSTRALIA FOR UNHCR “The Union is made up of many refugees, migrants and their descendants and has a proud record of looking after the oppressed, says AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes. To assist the work of Australia for UNHCR, donations can made at www.UNrefugees.org.au

More details soon.

so, there a lot of people who are doing things unsung.” After the floods in Pakistan, Naomi invited Ian to go there with her and UNHCR, but he didn’t feel comfortable about going because of the political storm that had ensued from the cricket match-fixing affair. “It blew up into a major thing and I was writing some strong opinions in the media about it and I didn’t really feel comfortable going to Pakistan,” Ian says. “At first, it was because I didn’t feel comfortable about saying, ‘I think the Pakistan cricket team should be suspended’ and then arriving there saying ‘I’m here to help’. But, later, I thought if

I did go I might be giving some people an opportunity to seek retribution for me being outspoken about the match-fixing.” Naomi says she understood Ian’s reluctance to go to Pakistan at that time. “Ian did, however, use his name to get wide coverage of UNHCR’s Pakistan appeal helping raise more than $1 million for flood victims. For the future, I’d like to go with Ian to the Indian subcontinent, where he is widely known and respected, to give the message that Australia really does care.” Ian also says he would like to do some more work like that for Australia for UNHCR. “Cricket season is underway, so I’m really busy. But I’ll be doing more things with the UNHCR in the off-season.” W

For more information on the services that Chifley provides, call us on 1800 800 002 or visit www.chifley.com

Chifley Financial Services Limited (ABN 75 053 704 706) is an Australian Financial Services Licensee (AFSL 231148). Chifley Financial Services Limited is an APRA Registrable Superannuation Entity Licensee (RSEL: L0001120). Chifley Financial Services Limited is co-owned by Energy Industries Superannuation Scheme Pty Limited (ABN 72 077 947 285), Unions NSW, Australian Workers Union (ABN 28 853 022 982 trading as the Australian Workers Union National Office) and the Australian Workers Union (ABN 70 662 384 762 trading 1198-CHFS-11/10-AWU as The Australian Workers Union Greater New South Wales Branch).

TAKING HEAT AT WORK

HEALTH & SAFETY

After 24 years as a ganger with Hinchinbrook Shire Council at Ingham in North Queensland, Bob Gosley is he used to working in the heat. But even so, he has been caught unawares. Several years ago, he was concreting a school driveway under a blazing sun. “It was bloody o hot and there was no breeze,” he says. “I was sweating like a pig. I kept pushing myself. Before I realised it, everything went lightheaded and I went down like a bloody barrel of shit.” After a spell in the shade, he cooled down and recovered without needing medical help. But Bob, 61, says he’s learnt his lesson. “It was a wake-up call,” he says. “You realise that your body is telling you, ‘listen here, fella’. I won’t push myself to that degree now.” Bob, an AWU Rep, says the council is good at

Temperature’s Warm days make for dream vacations. But a hot working environment is no holiday. Melissa Sweet reports...

Words: Melissa Sweet

n late January 2009, temperatures began to climb in what would become known as the worst heatwave on record in Victoria. For five days, maximum temperatures were 12 to 15 degrees Celsius higher than normal over much of the state. And, as the mercury climbed, health services began to melt down thanks to a dramatic increase in calls to ambulances and presentations to emergency departments. A subsequent Victorian government investigation of the health effects of the heatwave found there were 374 more deaths than normally would be expected between January 26 and February 1. This is significantly more than the 173 bushfire deaths of that summer that have attracted far more public attention. The report of the investigation, titled January 2009 Heatwave in Victoria: an Assessment of Health Impacts, also found there was an almost threefold increase in patients who were dead on arrival at hospitals during the heatwave. Public health experts predict that climate change will increase both the frequency and severity of heatwaves, particularly across south-eastern Australia, with potentially serious implications for community’s health. And they say all sectors of the community need to step up preparation efforts. Public health physician Dr John Carnie says it is critical that local communities

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

WHEN THE HEAT IS ON... ● Increase ﬂuid intake. ● Susceptible people should stay in a cool or air-conditioned environment. Wear loose clothes and take frequent showers or baths. ● Reduce normal activity during hot weather. Be aware of the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. ● Patients taking drugs that can potentially impede heat loss should monitor themselves by measuring their weight. ● Check on people who may be vulnerable, such as the elderly or sick.

become actively involved in preparing for heatwaves. He is the Chief Health Oﬃcer of Victoria, which has been at the forefront of developing heat plans. Dr Carnie points to a wealth of heatwave materials prepared by the Victorian Department of Health to help community organisations, the general public and health professionals (www.health.vic.gov.au/environment/ heatwave/index.htm). “In Victoria, we have provided funding for local councils to develop their own heatwave plan and

given them a heatwave planning guide, and a template on how they can go about doing it,” he says. “We can lead from the centre, but action really has to take place on the ground at the local level in terms of preventing heat-related illness.” The elderly and people with medical problems such as heart disease are at increased risk of becoming ill or even dying as a result of heatwaves. But workers employed in hot conditions are also at risk. Dr Peter Tait, a GP who is undertaking climate-change studies at

the Australian National University, says prevention eﬀorts should focus on risks for outdoor workers. This is especially important for farmers, contractors and other self-employed people, who are less likely to be covered by OHS regulations. “We’re going to have to change how we think about work practices,” Dr Tait says. Heatwaves are not a new phenomena. Monash University researchers estimate that they have caused more than 4000 deaths in Australia alone over the past 200 years – twice the number caused by

there are regular staff education sessions about working in the heat. “Our council let’s us have regular breaks for w water, and pull up in the shade in summer,” he says. “People here take the heat seriously.” But at Jemena, an energy infrastructure FROM TOP: company in Sydney, many Darryll Hill, Bob Gosley workers are suffering heat and Keith stress as a result of a Woods. requirement to wear long providing staff with training shirts and trousers – which about dealing with the was introduced to help heat, and recognising the prevent skin cancer. early warning signs of heat Keith Woods, 52, a gas stress, such as profuse supply technician who has sweating or dizziness. Staff been with the company for are also encouraged to 25 years, says that for the keep an eye on colleagues, past two years he and his particularly new arrivals to colleagues have had wear the area who may not be long sleeves and pants, as acclimatised. well as safety gear. “Guys At Townsville City complain about sweat Council, AWU Rep Daryll Hill rashes, heat stress and says there’s good workplace dehydration.” Keith says support to help workers the company also could be doing more to minimise cope with heat extremes. Daryll, 48, a herbicides and heat stress by providing workers with cool water. pesticides sprayer, says

cyclones or ﬂoods over the same period. But it is only in the past decade that their implications for human health have really begun to hit the radar. The summer in Europe in 2003, dubbed a “heatquake” was estimated to have killed up to 70,000 people. Subsequent investigations identiﬁed the need for better planning and coordination between social and health agencies. The lessons learnt meant that when another heatwave struck Europe in the summer of 2006, far fewer people died.

When the 2009 heatwave hit Victoria, authorities had already been planning for such an event. As part of this work, Monash University researchers were commissioned to investigate the impact of high temperatures on rural and regional centres. Their analysis of weather data from 1990 to 2006 noted that the adverse eﬀects of heatwaves that have been documented for large cities in Europe, America, and Australia are also relevant to rural communities. “This adds strength to the argument www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

HEALTH & SAFETY

8F ĂŚHIU IBSE GPS "86 NFNCFST

FEATHERED FRIENDS In the early â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s, young scientist Shane Maloney spent many long, hot hours observing emus in the outback. He learnt that emus are remarkable creatures that survive in wildly varying conditions, from the high snow country to the arid deserts. And they remain active under the most scorching of midday suns, while carrying a heavy cloak of dark feathers. The project investigated emusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to maintain a constant body temperature in conditions ranging from minus 5 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the middle of a summer day, nothing is active, except emus,â&#x20AC;?

says Shane, who is now a professor at the University of Western Australia. (He was an AWU member years ago, when working on the wheat silos during his summer study break). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Their thermal tolerance means theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not limited in how long they forage; they can aďŹ&#x20AC;ord to be selective. They spend time picking the best stuďŹ&#x20AC;, so they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just ďŹ ll up with anything.â&#x20AC;? Back then, Shane may not have guessed that his emu studies would prove useful in furthering understanding of human health in heatwaves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an issue recently described in an article in the medical journal, The Lancet, as

that human populations are vulnerable to heat events regardless of location, and that heat stress occurs in populations living outside large cities,â&#x20AC;? they said. Secrets of surviving the heat involve understanding who is at risk, and targeting those groups with strategies to create environments that minimise risk. Professor Shane Maloney from the University of Western Australia, a scientist and an expert in the eďŹ&#x20AC;ects of heat on the body, says that when the body is exposed to thermal stress, it responds by increasing sweat production, cardiac output and redirecting blood ďŹ&#x201A;ow to the skin. These responses can, however, be impaired in elderly people or other groups such as those with chronic illness or those taking

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

Because when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re up against it, results matter.

Professor Shane Maloney with a cool emu.

BIGGER PICTURE â&#x20AC;&#x153;a global public health challengeâ&#x20AC;?. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an emusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feathers that hold the key to their eďŹ&#x20AC;ective thermo-regulation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The radiation gets absorbed quickly on the outer layers of feathers. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit like walking around with an umbrella. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re shading themselves with their feathers,â&#x20AC;? Shane says.

certain medications, such as diuretics. While heatstroke and coma are the most dramatic manifestation of thermal stress, the eďŹ&#x20AC;ects are wide-ranging and often not obviously attributable to heat. A report earlier this year in the international medical journal, The Lancet, said that most heat-related deaths in wealthy countries are likely to result from cardiovascular or respiratory causes. Prof Maloney adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response is dependent on the cardiovascular system. People with heart failure, anyone with compromised cardiovascular health and diabetes are at greater risk of developing heat illness.â&#x20AC;? Mental illness, kidney disease and multiple sclerosis are also risk factors.

Attention needs to be pa id to tackling the underlying causes of climate change, says Fiona Arm strong, chair of the Climate and Health Alliance, which includes more than 20 he alth and medical organisations. Ms Armstrong, a former chair of the Australian Health Care Re form Alliance, says many agencies are planning to try to intervene to prevent deaths during heatwaves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adaptation is important, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too little em phasis on mitigation,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unless we take measu res to reduce emissions, our ability to adapt will be exceeded by the changes. â&#x20AC;?

A 2009 study released by MS Australia found that people with the condition are reliant on air conditioning, and are estimated to spend almost 10 times more on keeping cool than the average household. Its survey called for national policies, including electricity rebates, for heat-intolerant patients. This is in line with health expertsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; views that heatwave planning involve more than health services and include supportive environments, such as access to air-conditioned public spaces like shopping centres. Dr Carnie says heatwaves are an issue the community cannot aďŹ&#x20AC;ord to ignore. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The climate change experts say periods of extreme weather are going to become more frequent and severe,â&#x20AC;? he says. W

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FRONTLINE NEWS NATIONAL

NATIONAL NEWS IT’S ALL IN THE BOOK!

GOING GLOBAL WITH THE global power of multinational corporations ever increasing, it is now fundamental that unions across the world ﬁnd new and innovative ways of working together to protect and promote the rights of working people. AWU National Secretary Paul Howes believes that the future of unions lies in global unionism. “We live in a global market. Our employers last century may have been home-town bosses, then the more successful became state or national bosses,” Paul says. “But now, in the 21st Century, increasingly across all employment sectors, we face global employers, global bosses. Therefore unions have to match this new reality with global unionism.” Paul, a member of the International Metalworkers Federation Executive Committee, has been elected to a new taskforce representing Asia-Paciﬁc unions at a conference aiming to

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

FROM LEFT: Conference Delegates; Federation Secretary, Jyrki Raina; AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes.

create a new global union organisation representing 55 million workers in more than 130 countries. Union leaders from all ﬁve continents attended the conference to underline the role of the manufacturing industry – the locomotive of national economies. “Industry is the backbone for the

creation of good quality jobs with decent working conditions, proper training and skills development – and respect of trade union and workers’ rights,” Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of the Federation said. “Australia has a strong manufacturing and mining base, and Australian unions are an important part of our global union family. Their strong involvement in this strategic process to create a stronger counter-power to major multinational corporations is crucial.” The meeting in Germany resolved to bring together three global trade union federations, with plans for the new global union grouping to hold its founding congress in 2012.

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes launched his book Confessions of a Faceless Man. The book is Paul’s diarised account through the sensational lead-up to and the outcome of the 2010 federal election. The 2010 federal election campaign had more twists, conspiracies and betrayals than a ripping political thriller and Confessions of a Faceless Man is the day-by-day account of the campaign by Paul – one of the so-called “Faceless Men”. Paul was accused of being a plotter instigating former PM Kevin Rudd’s downfall and instilling current PM Julia Gillard into the top job. Paul’s book is candid and answers many of the questions Australian voters may still be asking. But don’t think that this is a boring political memoir. It’s a laugh-out-loud and low-down account of how Labor won the 2010 federal election. Confessions of a Faceless Man is published by Melbourne University Publishing, rrp $24.95 and is available at all good bookstores.

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE SCHEME – REMINDER! WITH THE federal government’s new Paid Parent Leave Scheme (PPL Scheme) set to begin on January 1, 2011, now is the time for workers who are expecting babies in the new year to make their applications. The AWU is spreading the word about the new PPL Scheme to ensure that all workers are aware of their new entitlement and how to apply for it. “All workers, women especially, need to be fully aware that they will be entitled to paid parental leave from January 1, 2011,” AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes said. “It’s important that members are aware because the onus will be on workers to make an application to receive paid leave. Most employers will do the right thing by informing their staﬀ, but some may not – or may simply be unaware of the change.” The government’s PPL Scheme will provide eligible working parents with 18 weeks’ payment at the Federal Minimum Wage (currently $570 per week, or $10,260 in total). This amount is a ﬂat rate available to all eligible parents including part-time or casual employees earning less than $150,000 per year. Further, the new PPL Scheme is in addition

to any payments your employer currently provides and must not replace your existing employer-paid parental leave entitlements. To be eligible for the scheme, an applicant must have completed at least 330 hours work in the 13 months prior to the birth of their child. This includes casuals, contractors and selfemployed workers. Primary care givers who don’t meet the minimum work requirements outlined above may still be eligible for the Baby Bonus. Please note, though, that PPL Scheme recipients are not entitled to the tax-free $5000 baby bonus for Family Tax Benefit B, although they can choose to receive the Baby Bonus instead of the PPL Scheme payment if preferred. The government’s PPL Scheme benefit must be taken within 12 months after the birth or adoption of a child. Paid parental leave can be shared between eligible parents (but cannot be taken at the same time). Workers are responsible for making the application to the Family Assistance Office. Applications for a preliminary determination from the Family Assistance Office for eligibility are advised. For more important details about the new Paid Parental Leave Scheme go to www.fahcsia.gov.au/ about/overview/infocus/ Pages/ppl.aspx www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

FRONTLINE NEWS QUEENSLAND

QUEENSLAND NEWS DAVE SWIPES OUT FOR THE LAST TIME DAVID WICKMANN worked at the Laminex Group’s site at Gympie for 22 years, at James Hardie for 14 years and at Bowen Council for two years, and was always an AWU member. Now, after negotiating the latest enterprise agreement at Laminex as the AWU Representative, Dave has decided to swipe his work card out for good. He has done a great job, as the AWU Rep, handling everyday problems, tackling every agreement negotiation to get the best wage increases and improved working conditions for his fellow workmates. His assistance will be missed in the workplace by his co-workers and also greatly by AWU Organiser Maree Duffy.

David Wickmann

Dave has been an AWU member for more than 40 years. We wish him and his wife, Hope, all the best in their retirement and send a big thank you to Hope for the support that she also gave the Union.

Photos: Getty Images/Supplied/Josh Cowling

QUEENSLAND DEPUTY PREMIER WALKS A DAY IN THE SHOES OF HOSPITAL WORKERS

QUEENSLAND Deputy Premier and maintained the local kitchen, ensuring Minister for Health Paul Lucas helped we had the right meals with us at all satisfy the tastebuds of almost 500 times and individual dietary needs patients as a food-service worker at were met. The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane “When the morning shift was done, in September. I helped Janet on the lunch line, where Paul, who took on the role as part of I was responsible for placing the the Bligh Government’s “Walk A Day In correct dessert on each tray as it came My Shoes” program, worked with the past on the conveyor belt. After lunch team responsible for serving meals to was served, we were on dishwasher duty hungry patients in two coronary wards. – working at a cracking pace and working “I began the up a sweat to stack morning shift at 6.30am, and unstack the buddying up with Trish massive industrial to do the breakfast and dishwashing morning tea run for two machine. of the coronary wards,” “Janet and Paul said. “Throughout I finished our Paul Lucas in the kitchen the shifts we also shift at 3pm and THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

QUEENSLAND HEALTH DELEGATES’ CONFERENCE

REP DAVE GOLIK HANDS OVER THE REIGNS AFTER WORKING for Redland Shire Council for 19 years and having been the AWU’s Representative for 10 years, Dave Golik has handed his role over to make sure the AWU stays strong at the council. Dave says he has enjoyed his time as a rep and took on the job because he didn’t like to see people being bullied. His father was a staunch unionist and had been involved with the bitter shearers’ strikes in 1955, so Dave has a long family history of activity within the AWU. He says now, “We need to do the best for our conditions. Our parents and grandparents fought hard to get them, and we need to make sure we hang on to them.

walked home to Janet’s house to end the day. It was certainly a big day – a lot of hard work. Our kitchen staﬀ do a fantastic job and they work extremely hard. The only time we sat down was when we were on smoko or a lunch break, so I was certainly leg-weary and sore in the back yesterday afternoon. “I really appreciated getting to know the staff and meeting the patients,” Paul said. Paul said the state Opposition had slammed the program. “The LNP have criticised walking in the shoes of our workers because they don’t think that service and support staﬀ count in our hospitals,” he said. “Spending the day working with Trish and Janet showed me not only the vital role they perform, but how they are much appreciated by patients, families and other hospital staff alike.”

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes (third from left) with Construction Conference delegates

CONSTRUCTION DELEGATES’ CONFERENCE AWU DELEGATES and Oﬃcials from the construction industry met in October for the AWU’s Queensland Branch Annual Construction Conference, which was bigger than last year’s inaugural meeting. Delegates working on the Airport Link project attended after having last year being refused to do so by their employer. Thanks to the AWU’s growing strength and membership, AWU members were in a

position to force permission to attend. The conference was opened by AWU Queensland Branch Assistant Secretary Ben Swan. AWU National Secretary Paul Howes also addressed the conference, as did Assistant National Secretary Scott McDine. AWU Delegates at the conference endorsed a number of resolutions which will set the agenda for the Queensland branch in construction in 2011.

DISABILITY SERVICES QUEENSLAND REPS’ CONFERENCE

The conference was addressed by the state’s Minister for Disability Services and Multicultural Affairs, Annastacia Palaszczuk, and the AWU Representatives took the opportunity to raise their concerns about the care of their clients with her directly. The Minister thanked the Reps for their hard work and for bringing important issues to her attention.

AWU Representatives who work as residential care officers for Disabilities Services Queensland met at their conference in late September to address the many issues facing them.

AWU Representatives from hospitals and health facilities all around the state attended attended this year’s Queensland Health AWU Delegates’ Conference, at which the main issue of discussion was the continuing problem with the organisation’s payroll system. Representatives from Queensland Health attended to explain to AWU Reps what the situation was and what processes had been put in place to resolve the issues. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh attended the conference and addressed the delegates, who provided a number of suggestions for improving the functioning of the payroll system. She thanked them for their input and congratulated AWU Reps on the great job they were doing in improving their workplaces, and for their work in dealing with the payroll issues.

www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

FRONTLINE NEWS GREATER NSW

FRONTLINE NEWS NEWCASTLE

GNSW NEWS UNION PROTECTION FOR INJURED WORKERS A GLASS ACT VIRIDIAN’S GLASS manufacturing plants at Ingleburn in NSW and Dandenong in Victoria have completed negotiations on a new agreement that will protect the jobs of injured workers who are off work for up to two years. Now, regardless of whether they are injured in the workplace or suffer from a non-work-related injury, workers will have their jobs protected, thereby allowing them the recovery time needed to be able to return to work in a healthy state. Income-protection insurance was brokered such that workers will have their wages covered for up to two years in the event of injury. Other outcomes in the agreement include an improved dispute-settlement procedure, up to an additional eight hours of personal leave for bereavement which will extend to include the deaths of nieces, nephews and grandchildren, and job-sharing for workers moving into the retirement phase of their working lives. Ingleburn Senior Site Delegate Greg Kelly believes this is a great outcome. Greg said, “The Union Delegates and Officials worked closely together across both sites and delivered great outcomes for all members. Job

protection gives peace of mind to injured workers, allowing them to recover without fear of losing their jobs. Wage increases of 12 per cent over three years also allow members to stay ahead of the inﬂation rate.” AWU Greater NSW Branch Assistant Secretary Stephen Bali thanked the delegates and members for their eﬀorts in securing a successful agreement. He said, “This agreement enhances workforce morale when manufacturing industry is under intensive competitive pressures. Viridian recognises the value of their employees and they are committed to work with injured workers to return them back to workforce at the right time.”

UNION WELCOMES NEW TRIO GREATER NSW Branch has welcomed three new Oﬃcials. Eddy O’Brien is working in the construction industry; Paul Noak will be a Sydney-based Organiser and will also coordinate national parks and forestry workers; and Alan Haynes, will be the CentralWest Organiser based in Orange.

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Greater NSW Branch Secretary Russ Collison said, “The AWU is one of the fastest-growing unions in Australia and our commitment to regional NSW remains strong. These new oﬃcials have experience and knowledge to help members and to continue the Union’s strong growth.”

GNSW BRANCH PULLS STRONGER TOGETHER THE 2010 Annual Greater New South Wales Branch Conference was declared a success with guest speakers coming together on important issues under the banner: “Labour movement – stronger together”. NSW Premier Kristina Keneally raised key diﬀerences between her government’s and the opposition’s proposals, saying the Labor government would protect workers’ and union safety rights in the workplace. She said it would maintain the Industrial Relations Commission and continue NSW’s economic record as the fastestgrowing state economy in Australia. Other conference speakers included AWU National Secretary Paul Howes, Federal Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development Mark Arbib, AWU National Occupational Health and Safety Director Yossi Berger and Socceroo legend Jim Fraser. Greater NSW Branch Secretary Russ Collison said, “The conference oﬀered valuable information for delegates to take back to their work sites. Often, the media gives us a bias or false representation of the facts. Once again, it shows the importance of the AWU in the community when senior elected parliamentarians come to our conference to discuss issues with our delegates.” Russ said, “NSW has one of the best workplace safety laws in Australia, if not the world? There is a clear choice at next March state election, vote for Labor and maintain strong workplace safety laws or vote for the others and possibly see your safety compromised.”

NEWCASTLE NEWS JOHN KEEN HANGS UP HIS GLOVES THE AWU NEWCASTLE Branch sees the end of an era with the retirement of Branch President John Keen after 15 years of loyal service. John came to the Branch after working for Tomago Aluminium, where he was the ﬁrst Senior Site Delegate. His even temperament earned him respect and friends on “both sides of the fence”.

He will be missed by all Newcastle Branch officials and staff and although it is said he still has his first pay cheque, he is well known for his love of a punt and the odd twisty top. We hope you have a long, healthy and active retirement, John, and we thank you for your contribution to this great movement and Union.

NSW SMELTER ENTERPRISE AGREEMENTS TOMAGO DEAL FORGED THE AWU NEWCASTLE Branch is pleased to confirm that the enterprise agreement for Tomago Aluminium was recently accepted by more than a 70 per cent majority. A major accomplishment of the agreement was that AWU members are now on a single aggregate pay structure. Prior to this, workers from different sections of the plant were paid differently. Around two-thirds of the workforce was on a wages system and the other third was on an annualised salary system which offered far better conditions, such as long-service leave being paid as worked, for example. The 2010 agreement does away with the double pay-structure system and the associated unfairness that had plagued the plant for around 10 years. The members are now all on the same pay system and are collectively stronger for it. The agreement also saw record wage increases of 5 per cent, 4.75 per cent, 4.5 per cent and 4 per cent over the four years of the agreement for the majority of workers. This is a significant improvement over the traditional 4 per cent that members were accustomed to.

HYDRO ALUMINIUM DECISION LOOMS At the time of publishing, the proposed agreement for Hydro Aluminium is going to the vote, with its outcome to be known within a few days. The company’s final offer was a two-year deal at 4 per cent per annum. Negotiations have been complicated by a drop in global aluminium prices and an increase in global stocks. As with any commodity, when stocks are plentiful prices tend to drop. The strengthening Australian dollar has also affected margins as global prices for aluminium are set in US currency. The negotiation process was made more interesting as all 22 AWU delegates and both ETU delegates formed the negotiating committee with management. Whilst the group was large, it was well run and posed no impediment to productive negotiations. The numbers greatly assisted the communication process as each delegate was able to report back to their crews after each EA meeting.

PROVING THE POWER OF PROTECTED ACTION After more than nine months of negotiations, the AWU has finalised an agreement with Transpacific Industrial Solutions for members working in the Hunter Valley. Throughout the negotiations, the company refused to agree with key items on its log of claims and refused to offer any increase to wages or allowances without increased flexibility. The members voted in favour of taking protected industrial action in support of their claims and within hours of the result of the ballot being declared by Fair Work Australia the company had scheduled a series of meetings to fast-track the negotiations. Without actually taking any protected action, the end result was a 6 per cent wage increase back-paid from July 1 with further 4 per cent increases annually. The Union also won the inclusion of better allowances, delegates’ training leave and an improved classification structure. The outcome is a real credit to the delegates and members at TIS who showed that they are prepared to unite and fight for fair and reasonable wage increases. The power of protected industrial action should not be underestimated, as this result clearly shows that when we are forced to fight for justice we can achieve great results.

www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

FRONTLINE NEWS NEWCASTLE/VICTORIA

VALLEY LONGWALL INTERNATIONAL SHOWDOWN VALLEY LONGWALL International’s Diesel Division specialises in the manufacture, sale and maintenance of diesel-powered vehicles used predominantly in underground coalmining. VLI has two sites in the Hunter, at Tomago and Rutherford. In December 2009, the AWU Newcastle Branch received a call from concerned employees of VLI who were being offered second-rate individual work contracts and pressured to sign them. Newcastle Branch Secretary Richard Downie and Assistant Secretary John Boyd visited VLI and began the process of unionising the two sites. There followed plenty of one-to-one conversations, objection handling, mass meetings and education of potential members. “Six months of solid campaigning resulted in a combined union density of over 80 per cent across both sites. Structures were put in place, we had two delegates voted in on the Tomago site and another from Rutherford. A log of claims was formulated and endorsed by members and by June we were ready to negotiate a collective agreement with the company,” he said. The negotiation process was expected to take time. This was the first union-negotiated collective agreement on site and was imperative to construct a solid base on which to build all future negotiations. After five months, thanks to the collective strength of the AWU members on site at VLI, 12 of the 14 original claims on the AWU’s log have been agreed to by the company. VLI employees now proudly have their collective agreement, one in which all members can take ownership, as they were involved throughout the whole process.

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FRONTLINE NEWS VICTORIA

VICTORIA NEWS

FIREFIGHTER NUMBERS LIFTED

GIVING DOESN’T HURT THESE BIG-HEARTED WORKERS way to do that than by helping kids.” The fund is also a supporter of the Challenge cancer charity for children, and the work of youth outreach worker Les Twentyman. As for the kids at Newport Lakes, they were overwhelmed that their plight had prompted the fund to give them a hand. “We got a lot of letters from kids, thanking us, and they were excited when we went to the school,” he said. “One little fellow said to me that they would repay us one day. I said to him if he wanted to repay us he should join the Union when he was older.” Paul, Peter and Phil are long-term AWU members. Paul is the AWU full-time Safety Co-ordinator working with HSRs. Phil is the Site Delegate and Peter is an HSR. There are many AWU members and staff involved in community causes. In Portland, full-time Delegate at Alcoa, Save Our Kids Fund and AWU members Phil Wilson Peter King is well-known as a Bombers’ tragic. But he (left), Paul Spear (centre) and Paul Hartley. couldn’t say no when the local rep of the Make A Wish Foundation They decided to help, and made a asked him if he would join her in the last donation to get things rolling. It’s a stages of a charity walk from Melbourne typical project for the Fund which has to Portland. The catch was he had to helped finance 270 young people wear a guernsey of this year’s premiers through the Open Family Foundation’s Collingwood. It was worth the Back to School program. Paul said the program paid for fees, humiliation, according to Peter, who raised $2000 for the charity and took books and other items to help level the the ribbing with good humour. playing field for students in need. And the Industrial Department’s “Over the years we’ve seen kids get newest addition, Rebecca Berecz took through primary school, and we have about seven in tertiary education now,” part in a fun run to help the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and raised he said. “It’s important to give back to a considerable amount in the process. the community and there is no better

IT WAS 14 years ago that AWU members at OneSteel in Laverton decided they’d like to help children going through tough times – and so the Save Our Kids Fund was born. Most of the 450 AWU members at the site chip in between $2 and $5 a week which is distributed across the western suburbs. Paul Spear, Peter Hartley and Phil Wilson recently decided it wasn’t right that the pupils at Newport Lakes Primary School should be disadvantaged because thieves had made oﬀ with their sporting equipment.

Union warriors: Former National Secretary, Bill Shorten, MP; National Secretary, Paul Howes; Victorian Branch Secretary, Cesar Melhem and National President, Bill Ludgwig.

ANOTHER ENCHANTED EVENING THE VICTORIAN Branch annual ball for Delegates and Health and Safety Representatives was again a spectacularly successful night this year, with a record 1150 guests coming together at Melbourne’s Crown Casino. The ball has become a high spot on the Union calendar in Victoria and attracts guests from all over the state and the country. AWU Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar Melhem said the event oﬀered an n acknowledgement of the important work done by Delegates and HSRs. “We could not service our members the way we do without the fantastic contribution of these workplace Reps. They are very much part of everything we do. This is just a great way of bringing everyone together to say thanks,” he said. This was the ball’s twelfth year and according to those close to the frazzled event organiser, the Victorian Branch’s Claire Raimondo, the number of guests has reached its upper limit.

Every year, AWU Victorian Branch Delegates and Reps and invited guests attend the Union’s annual ball – and it’s an event that’s not to be missed!

“This is a good chance to make a very public thank you to Claire, who organises the ball with all the professional eﬃciency and ﬂair we have come to expect of her,” Cesar said. Again, this year, there was a waiting list of people wanting to attend, so those who are invited next year should remember to respond early if they want to be part of one of the best nights of the year.

AFTER MANY months of lobbying, and three appearances before the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, AWU Victorian Branch efforts were rewarded with a total of 170 new firefighters for the public sector. The new workers will be distributed across the Department of Sustainability & Environment (DSE) and Parks Victoria (PV), where the Victorian Branch will represent their interests. The AWU Victorian Branch has increased its involvement in both areas since Black Saturday on 7 February 2009. Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar Melhem has been a constant voice in the quest for a better resourced force. “You can’t fight a war with a part-time army,” he memorably told the Royal Commission, thereby confirming the AWU’s commitment to increased numbers to perform backburning and firefighting. The decision by the Victorian Government to appoint the new full-time workers went part of the way to meeting the Union’s concerns over manning levels in the future, he said. Highly-experienced Organiser Sam Beechey is now co-ordinator for the public sector, and brings with him a wealth of experience in the bush. He welcomed the appointment of more firefighters. “We are seeing backburning increased to sensible levels, and now we have a significant increase in the numbers of people protecting the public estate,” Sam said. DSE Senior Delegate and member of the Victorian Branch Executive Rodney Lyn applauded the move but said further improvements would be necessary in the future. “It is a step in the right direction, and a show of faith from the Victorian Government which has made improvements across the board to fire prevention, management and administration,” he said. www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

FRONTLINE NEWS VICTORIA

FRONTLINE NEWS SOUTH AUSTRALIA/ WEST AUSTRALIA

FAIR WORK VICTORY THE AWU had a win in Fair Work Australia (FWA) on an important matter of principle which could see some of our members at Alcoa Australia Rolled Products repaid money deducted from their wages over industrial action in September 2009. The issue was that the company deducted money proportionately from pay packets over bans, but was found not to have properly notiﬁed many workers of those deductions. Patrick There were Reilly also complex issues around an

overtime ban which FWA said could not be considered a partial work ban. The case was highly technical and the ﬁnal outcome for the Alcoa employees in question is yet to be determined, but it has drawn a line in the sand over how workers are informed of deductions for partial work bans. Industrial Oﬃcer Patrick Reilly said the case had been wellfought and well worth the long hours in preparing it.

“I think everyone acknowledges the importance of pushing for interpretations of provisions of the Fair Work Act. It is still early days for legislation and pretty much every decision is signiﬁcant at the moment.” Patrick said. AWU Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar Melhem said the Branch would continue to test the new Fair Work laws when the opportunity arose. “We must continue to pursue decisions that help clarify the meaning of the Act if we are to get the best outcomes for our members.” “I am very proud of our Industrial Department which has been responsible for a number of important cases, including the ﬁrst majority support determination,” Cesar said.

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Project which was completed not all that long ago, is in excess of 30 per cent. This is tough, demanding and isolated work for which our members deserve the rewards they will be getting,” Terry said. Increasingly, international standards of accommodation for offshore workers are for one person to a room with private facilities. There will be four to a room on KTT, with communal bathrooms, for which the agreement allows a $90 a day ‘hard lying’ allowance. “This allowance is a first, but it is appropriate. It is not a great environment for sleep and relaxation to start off with. Having so many people in a room and having to share everything does make life more difficult,” he said. AWU Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar Melhem said the agreement was only the latest in a long line of achievements by Terry for AWU members. “Over the past 20 years he has consistently delivered outstanding outcomes in Bass Strait through a combination of his deep understanding

AGREEMENT CEMENTED AT AUSTRAL BRICKS AFTER THEIR last enterprise agreement expired in 2006 and the company refused to negotiate another, workers at Austral Bricks took up the ﬁght to recover their basic rights and entitlements to agree an EBA that covered the whole of its workforce. Austral argued that employees were happy on Australian Workplace Agreements and did not want an EBA. Up to this point only employees who would sign an AWA or individual contract would get a pay rise and those who chose to remain on the EBA

Justin Hanson, left, with Darryl Breen.

RECORD DEAL FOR BASS STRAIT The AWU Victorian Branch has negotiated a record-breaking greenfields agreement for workers on the construction of the $3 billion Kipper Tuna Turrum (KTT) gas project in Bass Strait. Organiser Terry Lee, who negotiated the agreement, has spent the past 20 years looking after the interests of AWU members in Bass Strait. He said this is the biggest investment he has seen during that time. “We’ll have about 400 AWU members on the project over the next two years; and they’ll be on an agreement that has some significant initiatives for offshore workers,” Terry said. The agreement sees a 6 per cent increase on wages and allowances, including shift loading, from the last development in Bass Strait which was the Henry Field commenced In November 2009. The introduction of a construction disability, or site allowance of $7.90 per hour worked, is a first. “The overall uplift from the Henry

SOUTH AUSTRALIA NEWS

of the industry and the issues, and his commitment to the role the AWU plays in the life of its members,” Cesar said. KTT is a joint BHP, Esso and Santos project, and one of the largest domestic gas developments on the eastern seaboard. AWU construction members will

Terry Lee.

perform a range of tasks from laying 80km of pipe, to installing platforms, doing hook-ups and building bridges between platforms and topsides. The AWU Victorian Branch has been involved in Bass Strait since work began there in 1967.

during the period from 2006 and 2010 did not receive one. The workforce filed its intention under the Fair Work Act in September2009, but Austral stalled that process until September 2010, when the AWU obtained an order from Fair Work Australia Commissioner Peter Hampton stating that the company had to bargain with the AWU as reps of the workforce. This proved a victory for the Union and its officials Delegate Darryl Breen, Organiser Frank Mateos and Industrial Officer Justin Hanson.

WEST AUSTRALIA NEWS WORKERS UNITE TO TAKE ON BAE THE AWU’s WA Branch has been working closely with the Newcastle Branch and National Aviation Organiser Liam O’Brien to win a better deal for BAE Systems workers around Australia. After being subject to the wrath of the Howard regime’s workplace relations laws, BAE Systems workers have now come oﬀ their AWAs and are ready to bargain for a collective agreement with the Union’s support. The Newcastle Branch has been working on organising BAE Systems workers for several years and has developed a national campaign to organise

them so they can start bargaining to formulate their own collective agreement. WA Branch Growth and Campaign Organiser Matt Dixon and Aviation Organiser Mahmut Melkic, have been talking with workers about formulating their own collective agreement. The WA Branch is now in a position where its membership has grown to 65 per cent. It has two elected Delegates and the workforce is now reading up on other BAE Systems agreements from around the world to try and formulate the one they are entitled to when bargaining commences early next year.

GUNNS JOBS ARE STILL IN DOUBT THE AWU Western Australian Branch is concerned that if the Gunns Timbers operation closes its Deanmill and Manjimup operations, it will represent the death of another southwest timber town. Earlier this month, Gunns Timber announced it would be closing its Deanmill operation in November, if a potential buyer could not be found. “If these operations close, more than 100 AWU members will lose their jobs,” South-West Organiser Craig Ramirez said. “While some workers can be absorbed by other local industries, such as fruit and vegetable growing around Manjimup, many will be forced to leave the region to ﬁnd work”, he added. “I’ve spoken to a couple of guys on Friday and they’re saying that a lot of the younger people are just going to have to leave, they’re not going to have any other choice.” The AWU is still hoping a buyer will come through at the last moment and save Gunns’ operations, but the Union is still preparing to do everything it can’t to protect the entitlements of its members and seek opportunities for re-employment. www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

FRONTLINE NEWS WEST AUSTRALIA

FRONTLINE NEWS TASMANIA

TESTING THE METAL – ON THE MARCH IN PINJARRA More than 600 workers at one of Alcoa’s largest worksites in Australia, Western Australia’s Pinjarra Refinery, have been locked into tough pay negotiations for over 12 months. And another 1300 Alcoa workers at the Wagerup refinery, Kwinana refinery, Willowdale mine and Huntly mine – known as the Combined Sites – are also in negotiations for well over 12 months. The big issue for all the Alcoa workforce is job security as the aluminium industry faces new global competitive pressures. The workers are concerned about protecting their work-family balance as many of them are involved in shift work which impacts on their family life. The AWU membership has fought to protect and maintain their wages throughout the devastating WorkChoices years. Now the membership are concerned that Alcoa wants to contract out some of their work, to create a second tier workforce of relatively low paid workers. An active workplace structure of Union delegates have represented the voice of the AWU workforce at Alcoa throughout the current dispute. Union members have been involved in a series of industrial stoppages as part of the on-going campaign. As The Australian Worker goes to press negotiations continue – but the Union is hoping to achieve a great result just in time for Christmas. Turn to page 10 for a report on the aluminium industry in Australia.

TASMANIA NEWS AWU RECOGNISED FOR OHS CAMPAIGNING

AWU members at Alcoa’s Pinjarra reﬁnery take their message to the streets during their tough negotiations.

FIRE-LINE ALLOWANCE FOR DEC FIRE-FIGHTERS The AWU WA Branch is proud to represent WA Department of Environment and Conservation frontline fire-fighters who work under the inadequate job title of “conservation employees”. AWU fire-fighters battle some 500 wildfires every year across the state. In addition to wildfire suppression, there is an annual prescribed burning target of 200,000 hectares to minimise the risk and intensity of wildfires. AWU fire-fighters often work extended shifts at times in excess of 24 hours in extreme conditions. After extensive negotiations between the Union and DEC, agreement has been reached for a new fire services agreement. It extends the fire-line allowance to prescribed burning and will be back-dated to July 1. The allowance

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of $6.50 per hour applies to all fires wildfire and prescribed burning and will also be increased automatically every year in line with the WA IR Commission decision. “This has been a hard-fought result from our AWU members,” WA Branch Organiser Mike Zoetbrood said. “This is a significant win for AWU fire-fighters and a step in the right direction. The services agreement expires in September 2011, at which time the Union will continue the struggle for terms that properly reflect the work undertaken by AWU members,” he said. “It is only through the resolve and strength of the AWU membership that further improvements to the pay and conditions of this group of brave firefighters will be achieved.”

TASMANIAN MINISTER for Workplace Relations David O’Byrne praised the important contribution AWU Tasmanian Branch Secretary Ian Wakeﬁeld has made to workplace safety in that state. Ian was named the winner of the Best Individual Contribution to Workplace Health and Safety in an annual event. The Minister said, “I’ve known Ian for many years and I was particularly pleased that the award recognised Ian’s work in representing working families by ensuring they get the pay, conditions, safety and respect that they deserve.” The award acknowledged Ian’s outstanding contribution to the continuing improvement of occupational health and safety standards for workers across Tasmania. Ian has also been instrumental in leading eﬀorts in the state to create legislation that recognises the issues of hours of work, shiftwork and fatigue, mining safety and the risks associated with asbestos. The awards recognise businesses, organisations or individuals who lead the way in workplace health and safety.

Left: AWU Delegate John Wright. Above: Delegate Steve Parramore, left, with AWU member Reg McPherson.

HOBART CITY COUNCIL SIGNS OFF THE TASMANIAN Branch ﬁnalised its 2010 enterprise agreement negotiations with the Hobart City Council in July. Members voted to agree to an average pay increase of 4 per cent from July 2010, and a further

increase of 3.75 per cent in July 2011. Other improvements included a rise in the pay-out of sick leave up to 17.5 per cent, an increase on all allowances and a review of the classiﬁcation structure during the life of the EBA to reﬂect better duties.

AGREEMENTS FLOW AT SOUTHERN WATER THE AWU Tasmanian Branch and a number of other unions have concluded negotiations in October for an enterprise agreement with Southern Water, the water authority set up by the island’s state government to take control of water infrastructure in the south of Tasmania in 2009. AWU members from various southern councils were moved across to the new authority under their previous conditions in July 2009, and a new agreement was needed to cover all employees.

The AWU and other unions negotiated for over 18 months to achieve an agreement that provides pay parity for all employees over the life of the agreement and for no overall disadvantage to workers from their previous council conditions. Speciﬁc changes included an improvement to on-call rates, increased HSM allowance and redundancy provisions for some AWU members, improved dirt money and a contractor’s clause to protect against the contracting out of their jobs.

The AWU and other unions applied for a protected industrial action ballot in mid-2010, and also participated in a rally on Parliament House lawns in pursuit of members’ claims. Industrial action was averted because negotiations became more positive for AWU members after their rally in Hobart. Thanks goes to AWU Delegates Garth Hennessy, Allan Wright, Aaron Whitehill, David Tatnell and Marcus O’Rielly for their commitment throughout the long negotiation period. www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

MEET THE OFFICIAL

NAME: JOB: AND…

MEET THE DELEGATE

Beryl Lawson National Training and Education Coordinator A Kiwi who worked in the New Zealand trade union movement

started working with the Union in October as the National Training and Education Coordinator, based in Sydney. It’s been an exciting period, as my learning is being fashioned to ﬁt with the skills and knowledge that I carry with me coming from New Zealand. That has been rewarding, and my enthusiasm has grown steadily since I have been here. This is my ﬁrst job outside New Zealand. I came from the Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota (SFWU), where I spent three years as an Organiser in community support services, and particularly in aged care, and public and commercial services. I looked after hospital workers both with the District Health Board, and contractors.

THE OTHER ROLE I HELD WITH SFWU was the Northern Region educator’s position. Each of the three regions of SFWU was responsible for its own education delivery, but run through a national program. I could see the potential in training and education, and fortunately the people I worked for could see the potential in me. I embraced both roles and absolutely loved it. The SFWU proved a change from my previous job. I came from a government department which housed the occupational health and safety services, the immigration service, the Labour Inspectorate, and mediation services. I worked for mediation services as workplace coordinator. The vast range of cases that came through concerned unjustiﬁed dismissals or disadvantage in the workplace, by way of bullying, hours being cut back, pay discrepancies, and sometimes collective bargaining being stalled by employers.

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basic needs of reading and writing. Sometimes, it was about comprehending things in people’s everyday lives, such as reading bank statements, or signs, or things around their workplace that some may have taken for granted. When I felt it was time for another change, I researched where I wanted to go. I knew I wanted to stay in the union movement, and be somewhere I was proud to be associated with. The AWU ticked all the boxes. I would ﬁnd it impossible to work anywhere that did not have principles aimed at working towards a fairer, more just society. It would be a hollow existence to put all your eﬀort into something that was at odds with your own ethics.

The AWU is supportive. It is exciting to be in a job where people are open to ideas.” Beryl Lawson NATIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION COORDINATOR It was an eye-opener when I left the mediation service to go to a union. Suddenly, I had gone from a bureaucratic to a democratic organisation, and that was quite a change. Throughout my working career, I’d also volunteered with an adult literacy organisation that delivers programs to students one-to-one, in groups and out in the workplace. Here, I trained as a tutor to help students delivering learning programs that met their immediate needs. The word “literacy” encompasses a lot, really, and more than just the

I THINK A LOT OF WHO YOU ARE IS TO do with where you come from, and how you were brought up. I’m the youngest of ﬁve children and was born in Whakatane, a coastal town in the Bay Of Plenty. Our parents were hard workers and while we were not a political family, I would say we were a very moral one. Fairness and decency were the bedrocks of our values. My father worked in a sawmill, then moved into hospitality. Mum was a cook, working sometimes up to three jobs, and still held the family together. The AWU is incredibly supportive and responsive to ideas. It is exciting to be in a job where people are so honest and open, and willing to talk about ideas. I’m looking forward to the projects already on the drawing board, particularly those relating to Delegate development. In 10 years’ time, I imagine I will still be in the union movement. I can’t imagine being anywhere else. My immediate future is full of challenge, which I love.

NAME: JOB: AND…

Andrew Pavleski A ﬁtter and Delegate at Valley Longwall International in Newcastle Dad to toddler Alexander

ince January this year (2010), I’ve been an AWU Delegate at Valley Longwall International at Tomago, a suburb of Newcastle, in NSW. We didn’t have a union on site before then. In January of 2009, I was working as a fitter on the floor when we were handed individual contracts. It was made very clear they were nonnegotiable. All we got was, “Here are your contracts, this is what you are getting, sign these, or bad luck.” No one was doing any talking, and eventually we just signed it. No one was prepared to stand up and say this was wrong. We got a pay rise, but we lost conditions. There was a lot of whingeing and a lot of whining, but it didn’t seem there was anything we could do. One of the provisions of that contract was that it would be reviewed every January. Last December, I went around to fellows on site and said, “I think they are going to do what they did last time to us, and we should see if we can get the Union.” I spoke to the Delegate at another company site over the road where the AWU was already in place. I got information and then Richard from the Newcastle Branch came out and talked. We got about 80-per-cent membership before we started negotiations. We had great support from the AWU during it all. Our Organiser, Paul Delaney, was with us for every meeting for the new enterprise agreement. In fact, he is on site a lot; whenever we have a problem he is there. This time we got a pay rise of three per cent in the first year and four per

cent in the second, and a whole lot of allowances that we should have been receiving before, but weren’t. We got ﬁrst-aid allowance, meal, toolbox allowance. And some people were getting their super paid on all hours worked, but some people weren’t. Now, everyone is getting that. I’d never been in a union before. I am ﬁnding the AWU really good. I hate bosses who think they can do whatever they want. There are laws to protect workers and they need to be followed.

overall, I’d say to anyone that they should become a Delegate, I’d recommend it. My father and mother came to Australia from Macedonia. They settled in Newcastle from the beginning. I was born here. My father has worked at BHP for 38 years. He has worked very, very hard for his family, to provide his kids with a good future. He worked too much. I have a two-and-a-half-year-old son, Alexander. My wife Anna is at home with him. I want to make sure I spend time

I think you do learn new skills as a Delegate, and you feel better that you are standing up and doing something.” Andrew Pavleski FITTER AND DELEGATE AT VALLEY LONGWALL INTERNATIONAL, NEWCASTLE

When it came to our new contracts, I thought we really needed some help to lay the law down. We got the right help, that’s for sure. IT’S GOOD BEING A DELEGATE, BUT IT can be hard work. I do my normal job but then I’m in the oﬃce if there is any sort of issue. The negotiations for the new agreement were good, too. It is diﬃcult to please everyone; you can’t, and sometimes people complain. But

with them, as I saw my father work too much. The site I work at makes mining machinery, front-end loaders and personnel carriers. I came from the motor vehicle industry about two years ago, and where I was there was no active union. Things have deﬁnitely improved since the AWU got involved here. And I think you do learn new skills as a Delegate, and you feel better that you are standing up and doing something. www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

Q&A

Run only to beneﬁt members Super is about saving. So it makes sense to be with a fund like AustralianSuper that is run only to beneﬁt members, doesn’t pay dividends to shareholders or commissions to agents, and has low fees. As one of the largest industry super funds AustralianSuper looks after the retirement savings for over 1.5 million everyday Australians.

Workers’ rights I’m concerned about the entitlements of workers being lost when companies shut down or fall into bankruptcy. Will your government look into raising the stakes when it comes to workers’ ﬁnancial entitlements in these situations? Brett Noonan, Vic

A CHAT WITH

The PM: The Government believes workers should be protected when they are made redundant. That’s why the National Employment Standards contain a minimum standard of between 4-12 weeks redundancy pay depending on an employee’s years of service. This is based on what the Australian Industrial Relations Commission decided was a fair safety net in 2004. The Government also committed at the election to replace the existing General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme (GEERS) with an improved Fair Entitlements Guarantee. GEERS is a payment scheme which provides basic payments when workers lose their employment after their employer goes into liquidation or bankruptcy. Under the Guarantee, the existing cap on 16 weeks’ redundancy pay will be removed and workers will be eligible for 4 weeks’ redundancy pay per year of service.

‘I like AustralianSuper because they’re an industry fund run only to proﬁt members.’ Mark Sinclair, AustralianSuper member

Closing the gap

This information is of a general nature and does not take into account your personal objectives, situation or needs. Before making a decision about AustralianSuper, consider your ﬁnancial requirements and read our Product Disclosure Statement, which is available on our website or by calling us. Statements made by members have been reproduced with their consent and this consent has not been withdrawn at the date of publication. ‘Industry SuperFund’ logo used with permission of Industry Fund Services (IFS) and this consent has not been withdrawn at the date of publication. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd ABN 94 006 457 987 AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.

AUSS 30996

Low fees AWU represented on the board Run only to beneﬁt members 16 investment choices

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Put us to work for you. Call 1300 300 273 or go to www.australiansuper.com

Will your government commit to improving health and health outcomes for Indigenous Australians? Moreover, will your Government provide support by enhancing the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Health Worker workforce and give the same recognition that is given to other professional groups? The Torres Strait Northern Peninsula Area region has the greatest prevalence of diabetes in the world. Will your Government provide additional resources to assist in addressing and ensuring positive health outcomes?

early education, health, jobs, housing and services, and infrastructure. We are committing over $805m over four years from 2009-10 to target chronic disease, including diabetes and risk factors. A new workforce of 617 positions is being funded nationally. We also launched a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association earlier this year. From 1 July 2012, national registration will be required of qualiﬁed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners, including Aboriginal Health Workers. The Government is working with the PNG Government to strengthen its national health system over the long term. The Torres Strait Cross Border Health Issues Committee (HIC) is providing funding worth $1m for the cost of health professionals moving between Torres Strait and the South Fly coast of PNG. The Torres Strait Health Protection Strategy provides $13.8m to address current health concerns in the Torres Strait.

The bigger picture

AWU A WU U members b had h d some questions for our PM – and she was pleased to respond… Also, the lack of a border between Australia and Papua New Guinea impacts on Torres Strait Northern Peninsual Health Services. Workers have been obliged to provide healthcare to Papua New Guineans based on humanitarian grounds (this is illegal). This impacts other government agencies – Immigration, Customs, Education and AQIS (Australian Quarantine Inspection Service). Are there plans to resolve this issue? Stephen Christian, Qld

The PM: My Government is pursuing an agenda to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage. This includes undertaking major reform and delivering investment in

I’d like to know why MPs and Senators in Opposition parties feel obliged to oppose everything, even if it’s in the national interest not to do so? Will your Government encourage bi-partisan support for issues that are essential to the national interest? Lauren Catachin, Vic

The PM: People often raise this concern. And yes, on many policy issues, and for many of our nation-building programs, we don’t share the views or the approach that the Opposition would prefer us to take. However, there are occasions when political parties do agree. The Apology to Australia’s Indigenous people in 2008 is an example. But it happens in policy areas as well. In the last Parliament, the Opposition supported our legislation ensuring that all young people complete Year 10 and remain in school, training or work until they are 17. Before we came to Government there were times when the ALP also supported legislation. However cooperation, delivering results in the national interest, rarely makes headlines. www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

PRIVATE LIVES

LIFE

It’s a massive task looking after the rights and entitlements of AWU members in Australia’s largest state. But as Western Australian Branch Secretary Stephen Price tells Michael Blayney, he also makes sure he spends some quality time with his family.

PHOTS DAVID HAHN

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

the other guys. I don’t think many of them have a young family like I do.” As proud Dad of four girls, d seven-year-old Abbey and five-year-old triplets Erin, Rani and Tia, 40-year-old Stephen tries to devote all of his non-working hours to the well-being of the quartet. When he’s not listening to the girls read and supervising homework of an evening, he’s busy shuffling the girls to and from g gymnastics and swimming engagements. The three youngest have also recently taken up AFL Auskick with Stephen the designated driver and coach. Fortunately he has a passion for football. “I love AFL,” Stephen says. “I was a keen player when I was younger and fitter, and I follow both Perth teams in the comp.” When pressed further as to his true AFL

Western Australian Branch Secretary Stephen Price and his wife Melanie with their four very special little girls.

Busselton Jetty LEFT: Fremantle Dockers

allegiances, Stephen says he has “a soft spot for the Fremantle Dockers.” With the woeful performances of the West Coast Eagles in 2010, it looks like he’s with the right team! Holidays are spent in the south-west of the state at Busselton with all four girls

Photos: Supplied

hen West Australian Branch Secretary Stephen Price’s wife Melanie delivered triplet girls five years ago, the couple’s life was turned upside down. Consider the evidence: in previous issues of The Australian Worker, we’ve shared the private passions of AWU Branch Secretaries far and wide. New South Wales honcho Russ Collison shared his cook’s secret with an awardwinning batch of scones, Victoria’s Cesar Melhem knocked up a bowl of tabouli salad that we all wanted to dive into, South Australia’s Wayne Hanson popped a cork in his enviable wine cellar, and Tasmania’s Ian Wakefield took to the water to find the catch of the day. So what passion does Stephen like to explore come the weekend? Naturally, he spends quality time with his family. “I sound pretty boring when you put it that way,” Stephen says, laughing. “But it might be because I’m a bit younger than

keen on swimming and boogie boarding. “When we’re at home in Perth, we live near the Beach, so we like to go there when the weather’s good.” All four of Stephen and Melanie’s daughters were assisted by the IVF program, and the arrival of the triplets

wasn’t entirely unexpected. “We deﬁnitely knew that a multiple birth was a possibility with IVF, so it didn’t come as a shock when it happened. When we had Abbey, we were told there was a possibility of four, but we got just the one. When we had triplets, we were told three, and we got the three.” Nevertheless, adjusting to three in one hit took plenty of preparation. Even though the couple were informed of the triple treat seven weeks into the pregnancy, the usual logistical problems weighed heavily on their minds before the birth. “With Abbey it was relatively easy, but with the triplets we needed three of everything; three cots, three seats for the car, and we had to look at getting a new car to ﬁt everyone in. It wasn’t cheap, and feeding time was a frenzy.” For those in similar situations,

Stephen believes that sticking to a routine is the key to successful parenting. Even with that routine in place, it took at least a month before the household returned to “normal” after the births. “If I could oﬀer any advice it would be to control your kids and don’t let them control you,” he says. Now, with family in tow, Stephen looks back at life before kids and can’t quite believe where he is now. “We used to be double income before the kids arrived so that was a big change. We also did things when we wanted to in those days. We used to do a lot more travelling around the state, mostly down south around Margaret River.” Even so, he wouldn’t change a thing about his life. So, any chance of shooting one more time for that elusive boy? “No, no more mate. I’m done.” W www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER

THEN AND NOW

OF THE

MAN

ISRAEL HONOURS WILLIAM COOPER

Sometimes someone will say “enough”. William Cooper, an Indigenous Australian and one-time AWU member, cared about others suﬀering in a hostile world...

PHOTS DAVID HAHN

n the 1870s, missionary Daniel Matthews would often paddle along the Murray River in a canoe. Along the way, the Englishman would meet Aboriginals who’d lost their land. With his own mission in Echuca, he’d oﬀer to take in these displaced persons. William Cooper became one of them. His mother took up Matthews’ oﬀer, so William learnt to read and write at the mission. Education was an important part of this environment and the youngster – armed with literacy skills – also studied the justice system and how to campaign on political issues. This was to prove pivotal in shaping William Cooper’s life until he passed away in 1941, aged 80. William lived and worked in the Cummeragunja community for most of his life. He and his sons were also members of the AWU, which helped to develop his organising skills, and these were put to good use during the Yorta Yorta’s battle for land justice with the NSW government. William moved to Melbourne late in his life, where he helped organise the “Day of

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

Mourning” – a response to the 150th anniversary celebration of British settlement in 1938. He also led the first Aboriginal delegation to a Prime Minister, and the first mass strike of Aboriginal people in 1939. The week-long cultural celebration we now know as NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee) is the result of William in 1940 declaring the Sunday before the Australia Day holiday the first “Day of Mourning” Aboriginal Sunday. Recounting the life of his greatgrandfather, Kevin Russell says William Cooper had an egalitarian vision for the world. “What he campaigned on was that everyone deserves to be treated the same. He was a humanitarian devoted to his community,” Kevin says. William’s persuasive, intellectual approach won him many friends. He wrote 77 letters to those in power – including King George V – asking for Aboriginal representation in parliament. “His letters had a charm to them,” Kevin adds. “Even when he was speaking at

meetings on river banks preaching on Aboriginal issues, he wasn’t a radical. He was a gentle man who appealed to people on basic humanitarian grounds.” William Cooper’s contribution has been recognised in Australia. In 1988, as part of the bicentenary celebrations, he was named as one of the 100 greatest Australians. This year, the Victorian government backed the naming of a William Cooper Footbridge in Footscray and the William Cooper Justice Centre in Melbourne. Additionally, books such as Blood From a Stone: William Cooper and the Australian Aborigines’ League, edited by Andrew Markus (Monash University, 1986) and Thinking Black: William Cooper and the Australian Aborigines’ League by Andrew Markus and Bain Attwood (Aboriginal Studies Press, 2004) have helped highlight his achievements. It was a line William Cooper often used. “He’d often say, ‘if only you’d think Black you’d understand us more’,” Russell recalls. Plans are afoot to buy the Footscray house that William resided in. The vision is to create a museum that educates about racism. Kevin Russell, one of the people behind the plan, says it’s a place where it’s hoped William’s name will be remembered forever.” W

Photos: Newspix Words: Aidan Ormond

PEOPLE

FAMILY LEGACY: Holocaust survivor Henri Korn (left) with Alf Turner (right), one of William Cooper’s grandsons.

www.awu.net.au

Like the union movement, William’ss humanitarianism had ad a global perspective. e. In 1938, an elderly Cooper lead an unprecedented yet peaceful delegation to Melbourne’s German consulate to protest Kristallnacht – a night ht of statestattesponsored violence towards Jewish people in Germany which resulted in over 90 dead and tens of thousands sent to ghastly concentration camps. The delegation’s petition slammed Kristallnacht’s “cruel persecution”, but it was rejected by the consulate. However, a journalist – astutely brought along by William Cooper – wrote about the protest in The Argus newspaper. Years later, Israeli historians uncovered this news – believed to be the only private protest against Germany in the wake of Kristallnacht – which led to tributes from that country. This year, in honour of William Cooper, a “chair” dedicated to studying resistance during the Holocaust will be formalised at Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. And at the Australia-Israel Friendship Forest and the Martyrs Forest near Jerusalem, trees have been planted in his honour. Kevin Russell recalls that emotional day in 2009. “The Australian ambassador spoke [at the Martyrs Forest] about how ashamed he felt that it fell to one of Australia’s dispossessed non-citizens to make a stance against Nazism. When he said those words, it really sunk in.”

www.awu.net.au THE AUSTRALIAN ALIAN WORKER

47 4

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indi and d Ringer i have h sset oﬀ on a trip around cities. They’ve arrived in their Australia’s capital citi ﬁrst city and, below, is i a list of suburbs they’ll be visiting. When you’ve you found each suburb in the list and crossed it out in th the grid, the left over letters will spell a message that reveals which city Bindi and Ringer are in! The names of the suburbs can appear vertically, horizontally and diago diagonally and run in either direction, and some letters are used more than once.

■ BELFIELD

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■ DURAL

■ GYMEA

■ MASCOT

■ MIRANDA

■ OATLEY

■ RABY

■ TEMPE

■ BALMAIN ■ BLACKTOWN ■ BURWOOD ■ COMO ■ EARLWOOD ■ MANLY ■ MINTO ■ MULGOA ■ PADSTOW ■ RYDE ■ UNDERCLIFF

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GRUMPY BASTARD

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKER www.awu.net.au

charge people to tour asylums to laugh at the mentally ill. Now we just open a Twitter account instead. Keyboard warriors pick ﬁghts with people they’d run away from in real life, celebrities write down stuﬀ they should only say in private and journos lap up the easy stories...while everyone else simply tries to king hit each other with crude putdowns instead of intelligent debate. It’s not quite the information superhighway we were promised, is it? Then again though, where IS my “Holden Hovercar by the year 2000”, dammit? But that’s the intra-web-by-box-of-

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bcm:sun 0567

HEN did I start needing subtitles for life? Oh yes, that’s right... it would have been about the same time I signed up for Twitter. For those lucky few who do not know what that is, it’s a brief messaging system on the internet that allows you to broadcast your opinion to the world in 140 characters or less. But never has a medium been so appropriately named. Twitter is full of twits. They’re all there, writing vacuous captions on life for the hard-of-thinking. In the Victorian era, they used to

TWITS

Ready to take the plunge and follow your dreams?

Photo: Getty Images

Kevin Airs doesn’t like twits. And Twittering twits are even worse!

lights-that-plugs-into-the-wall-anddelivers-the-world for you. Once upon a time, it was nice and simple – you went on the Net for porn and... actually, no, that’s about all you went on there for. Now it’s impossible to live without it. And it’s everywhere. (The Internet, that is. Not porn. That’s all been downloaded onto the PC of a 14-year-old boy in Warrnambool. I know it’s laughable now, but I remember a time when you used to make phone calls on your mobile. And that was considered cutting edge... Now they seem to do everything but make calls. I asked Mrs Grumpy what the weather was like the other day and instead of looking out the window, she looked for her phone, tapped the screen, checked a radar, looked at the synoptic chart, mapped out the rising barometric pressures vs decreasing humidity, measured the rainfall since 9am, changed the range on her radar, switched to the doppler reading, looked at the ﬁve-day forecast then proudly told me: “It’s sunny.” Thanks. For. That. Throw in Facebook, YouTube, Gmail etc etc etc... and the world these days is only about weather apps and cats playing pianos. While someone criticises the cats for doing it poorly. While someone else sends around fake naked pics of the cat in its pre-piano days. While someone else gets the wrong end of the stick entirely, thinks it’s paw-nography, brands everyone else a pianophile beast and raises a lynch mob, backed by radio shock-jocks, conservative commentators and the rabid newsrooms of Australia’s right-wing press. This is our modern multimedia life. You know what? I was already multimedia before the internet was invented. In those days though, it was called real life. You could see, hear, touch, taste, feel the world around you. I kinda miss it...oh HANG ON, is that two cats DRESSED UP like PRINCE WILLIAM and KATE MIDDLETON on their WEDDING DAY?! HOWWWW SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!! RETWEET RETWEET FWD: EEEEEK!