Review PUBLIC
SECTOR
www.cpsu.asn.au www.cpsu.asn.au
August 2015 2011 OCTOBER
SA Water employees vote ‘no’ to protect conditions Employees have taken a stand in the recent ballot for a new SA Water Enterprise Agreement, not only to protect their employment conditions but also to seek a good faith bargaining process that is both transparent and genuine.
Despite PSA/CPSU concerns that the proposed Agreement slashed more than 100 clauses from the current Agreement, diminished other conditions, and moved to “policy” some matters which would enable them to be changed at any time, SA Water still proceeded to ballot hoping that it could rush through an inferior agreement. SA Water’s failure to address concerns of PSA/ CPSU members resulted in a successful ‘Vote No’ campaign that led to two thirds of the eligible workforce rejecting the proposal. SA Water clearly underestimated the resolve of its employees who shared the PSA/CPSU’s concerns about the loss of conditions and lack of transparency in the bargaining process. This resounding ‘no’ result sent a clear message to SA Water: employees have voted for respect, dignity and protection of their employment conditions. What set the alarm bells off for the PSA/ CPSU, was not only what was in the proposed
Agreement, but what was taken out – security of hours of work, flexible working arrangements, rights to consultation, leave and related matters were to be cut or diminished significantly. The pay increase fell well short of what was achieved by the Public Sector and the agreement failed to adequately provide suitable redundancy and job security provisions. The result has ensured all current enterprise agreement conditions are maintained, as the existing agreement prevails until a new one is certified. Although indicating it would “revisit” the content of the proposal in the event of a ‘No’ vote, SA Water now needs to return to the bargaining table to negotiate an agreement that shows greater respect to its loyal employees. The clear lesson is that good faith bargaining must be genuine and transparent. Ramming through a process that cuts conditions for employees in the hope nobody will notice shows a lack of respect for the employees who provide services to the community.
The PSA/CPSU congratulates SA Water employees for standing up for their employment conditions, for demanding a respectful working relationship, and for resisting the wholesale slashing of hard-won conditions. It’s another example of the strength that comes with numbers. Perhaps now is the time to make the PSA voice even louder by encouraging union membership.
SA’s jobs crisis South Australia’s unemployment peaked at a 15-year high of 8.2% in June and is currently 7.9% - the highest in the nation. University of Adelaide Associate Professor John Spoehr warns this rate could worsen in the next few months, as more South Australians stand to lose their jobs across the mining, energy and manufacturing industries. “When you add together the BHP jobs, the Alinta jobs and Santos jobs - the minerals and energy sector is doing it very hard at the moment, so this will be reflected in future unemployment numbers,” Associate Professor Spoehr says. Recent job losses in South Australia include: • 3 80 jobs cut by BHP Billiton, on top of 90 redundancies and 140 staff cuts
• N early 1,600 jobs lost as Holden closes in 4 years • Alinta and Santos job cuts • 220 jobs lost at the Australian Submarine Corp • 400 job cuts across community services programs (Federal Government $70m budget cuts) • 600 jobs cut at mining company Arrium in far north SA
“I expect that will we see the unemployment number creep up to 9 per cent over the next six months.” Professor Spoehr
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures reveal almost 2,000 people lost their jobs in regional South Australia in June, while unemployment in Adelaide’s north is even higher than the state-wide figure. “I expect that will we see the unemployment number creep up to 9 per cent over the next six months,” Professor Spoehr says.
Australian Government – Department for Employment, August 2015
At a time of such high unemployment, demand for public sector services inevitably goes up. That should be remembered by critics who constantly bleat, regardless of reality, for a downsizing of the public sector. The State Government is the largest employer in SA, providing work for 12.8% of the State’s population (more than 100,000 people). Forecast public sector job losses will only add to existing pressures on the State’s unemployment
PSA General Secretary Jan McMahon and Assistant General Secretary Nev Kitchin assess the latest unemployment figures.
rate and impact on the ability of the public sector to deliver vital services. Recently announced public sector job cuts include: • 332 at SA Pathology • 200 plus at Department of Education and Child Development • 32.8 full time equivalents at SA Health with a further 38.2 FTE potentially to go in eHealth • Over 200 plus targeted separations at Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. These cuts are on top of packages that have
been used as a staff reduction strategy in light of budget pressures. “Cutting jobs from the public sector will have the same impact on families, the community and the economy as the loss of manufacturing and the downturn in mining industries in this State.” says PSA General Secretary Jan McMahon. So, the question we should be asking ourselves is, can we as a State sustain not just the loss of public sector services, but also the impact on the economy and on South Australian families of these job cuts?
Annual PSA Conference’s
PSA AGM
Life Membership - Pat Bell
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