Worksite Representatives championing your rights in the workplace.

A message from the Assistant General Secretary: Christian Hagivassilis

Fair working conditions come from being strong as a union and having a strong union culture within our workplaces.

They come from PSA members like you and me standing united, sharing our message, growing our strength and holding firm on our rights. At the forefront of much of this are our PSA Worksite Representatives – dedicated members who make a choice to step up within their workplaces and to help others around them do the same.

The role of the Worksite Representative is crucial. It includes representing the PSA within workplaces, supporting and advocating for members, and building collective power so we can look out for each other. Worksite Representatives encourage people within workplaces to join our union and bring members together so their voices can be heard.

Right now, around the public and community sectors, PSA Worksite Representatives are bringing members together to improve conditions and address workplace issues. They are speaking with colleagues about the importance of joining the PSA so we can work together for better outcomes, to safeguard jobs and benefit all members. When it comes to the efforts of PSA Worksite Representatives, there is too much to list – so here are a few examples of what is happening right now.

At the South Australian Museum, PSA Worksite Representatives are working with their members, their PSA Organiser and our Industrial Team to fight against a planned hatchet job, which would see research and collections division jobs cut. This would be a death blow to the institution’s natural science and cultural heritage capabilities and its international reputation.

Workplace issues do not get better on their own. It takes union members – PSA members like you – working together to address them. Worksite Representatives are a central part of this.

PSA Worksite Representatives in the Department for Child Protection are bringing members together and building PSA strength to address issues such as insecure work, crisis-level workloads, chronic under resourcing and, in at least one notable case, office overcrowding, which is affecting members’ work, safety and dignity.

In our state’s prisons, our well-organised and networked Worksite Representatives bring members working in an environment fraught with danger together to push for a commitment to safety, because everyone should be able to go to work knowing that they will go home uninjured at the end of their shift.

Across Health, PSA Worksite Representatives in specialised administration and allied health roles are leading local efforts and encouraging colleagues to join and stand with them, to address issues including under-classification and severe staffing and workload issues impacting not only members, but all those who rely on our public health system.

This is only a small snapshot of the incredible work being done across the public sector by trained and supported PSA Worksite Representatives. With the countdown to the commencement of negotiations for a new Salaried Enterprise Agreement well underway, PSA Worksite Representatives are encouraging members to engage with their union and bringing colleagues into the membership – so as a union of thousands we are strong and united in support of a fair outcome.

We have many trained and dedicated PSA Worksite Representatives across the state, yet there are many worksites without one. Workplace issues do not get better on their own. It takes union members – PSA members like you – working together to address them. Worksite Representatives are a central part of this. If your workplace does not yet have a Worksite Representative, and you believe in working with the PSA to build union strength in your workplace, in helping your colleagues find the confidence to stand up, and in working to build a better workplace together – then you might like to talk with your PSA Organiser about becoming a PSA Worksite Representative. We will be proud to support you.