Meeting held : 20 August 2009
Chair of Meeting: The Acting President, Comrade Barry Johnson
Location of the meeting : Trades Hall Auditorium, 4 Goulburn St Sydney
UNIONS NSW MEETING MINUTES
MEETING HELD THURSDAY 20 AUGUST 2009
IN THE TRADES HALL AUDITORIUM AT
4 GOULBURN STREET, SYDNEY AT 6:00PM
The Acting President, Com. B. Johnson occupied the Chair.
PRESENT: - M. Lennon [Secretary], A. Kerslake [Deputy Assistant Secretary].
OPENING OF THE MEETING
The Acting President Barry Johnson opened the meeting and in doing so recognised the traditional owners of the land on which the meeting was held, The Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.
MINUTES: -
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved:
"That the minutes as circulated be received".
Seconded: Com. N. Lewocki
CARRIED
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved:
"That the minutes as circulated be adopted".
Seconded: Com. P. Kessey
CARRIED
CREDENTIALS
From The Textile Clothing & Footwear Union of Australia, replacing Peter Lane with Hanisha McNabb.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved: -
"That the credentials be received and the delegates welcomed".
Com. P. Bradley seconded.
CARRIED
APOLOGIES
Apologies were received and accepted for: - M. Issanchon, C. Christodoulou, G. Dwyer, B. Holmes, B. Fitzpatrick.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved: -
"That the apologies be received and accepted".
Com. P. Bradley seconded.
CARRIED
GUEST SPEAKER
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon welcomed Chris Brown, Managing Director, Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF). Chris Brown spoke about how a ferry service could be "as good as the harbour that it operates within". Chris spoke of the current tendering process and said his organisation hoped for a resolution that worked for all users and the community.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon thanked Chris for his address and said that we should continue to talk the TTF as issues arise.
EXECUTIVE BUSINESS
CORRESPONDENCE
1. From the Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union:- NSW ALP is in the process of reviewing and redrafting the NSW ALP Platform. The Employment and Industrial Committee has been provided with a copy of the draft platform in relation to industrial relations. It is important that Unions NSW affiliates have input into this document and for affiliates to discuss union priorities for the NSW ALP Conference.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved the Executive Recommendation:
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW convene a meeting of affiliates to discuss priorities of the upcoming NSW ALP Conference."
Com P. McClelland seconded the resolution
CARRIED
2. From the Goulburn & District Unions: - requesting that Unions NSW call on the State Government to have the RTA assess vehicle and pedestrian safety and the EPA conduct adequate and itemised noise and impact assessment in and around the Hill Top school with all findings to be addressed and implemented prior to any commencement of the Southern Highlands Regional Shotting complex.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved the Executive Recommendation:
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW write to the Roads Minister and request that the EPA conduct and impact assessment prior to the building of the Southern Highlands Shooting Complex."
Com P. Kessey seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
3. From the Maritime Union of Australia: - advising of changes to the leadership of the Sydney Branch of the MUA. Due to a casual vacancy within the National Office current Sydney Branch Secretary and Unions NSW Executive member, Warren Smith will assume the new role of Assistant National Secretary of the MUA and work out of our National Office.
Paul McAleer will assume the position of Sydney Branch Secretary and will take over as our representative on the Unions NSW Executive. The position of Assistant Secretary in the Sydney Branch will be filled by Joe Deakin.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved the Executive Recommendation:
"That the correspondence be received by Unions NSW and noted and that Warren Smith be thanked for his work on the executive".
Com P. Kessey seconded the resolution
CARRIED
4. From the Hon. Chris Bowen MP:- regarding the entitlements under the General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme (GEERS). The Government is concerned about protection of the entitlements of employees whose employment is terminated as a result of the insolvency of their employer. The Government recognises that losing a job is always difficult, and wants to ensure strong protections are in place for employee entitlements in the event that the employer enters insolvency.
While government cannot prevent businesses from failing, or guarantee that all employee entitlements will be paid, it will continue to ensure there are measures in place to protect employee entitlements to the fullest extent possible.
Currently, unpaid employee entitlements, including superannuation, rank highly in the order of payment on employer insolvency. Employees are preferred creditors. Employee entitlements are paid after the fees, costs and charges of the administration but before all other unsecured creditor claims, such as the claims of suppliers, subcontractors, customers and creditors whose debts are secured by a floating charge. Employee entitlements also take priority over the debts of Commonwealth and State taxation authorities.
In many cases, this priority will satisfy a significant portion of employees' claims though, given the nature of insolvency, it will not guarantee that all claims are paid in all cases.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved the Executive Recommendation:
"That the correspondence be received by Unions NSW and noted."
Com N. Lewocki seconded the resolution
CARRIED
5. From the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia (APESMA):- regarding the Governments JumpStart NSW program. APESMA have been advised by government that this program is not targeting current or potential undergraduates in professional streams, but is restricted to school leavers with the HSC who are looking for entry positions in the workforce. We understand that the Government wishes to do all it can to boost jobs and stimulate the NSW economy, and we would submit that the on-going training of adequate numbers of graduates in the technology professions is a vital element in achieving this objective.
In order to meet the needs of the State, we would submit that our public sector needs not only a management and administrative structure, but a technical and advisory structure, with the support of appropriate training schemes. It is important to be flexible and focused on outcomes, it is even more important to recognise that these outcomes are frequently dependent on proper engineering and scientific standards. The announced cadetships for school leavers will be of limited value, if not supported by the reintroduction of similar significant training measures for professionals, and we would request that the Government should seriously increase its engagement with the training of professional ("undergraduate") students in line with the commitment to other streams entering the workforce.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved the Executive Recommendation:
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW arrange a meeting with the relevant NSW Government officials.
Further, that Unions NSW call upon the Government to give favourable consideration to allowing current and potential undergraduates access to the JumpSTART program."
Com D. Long seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
6. From the Maritime Union of Australia:- announcing the community launch event of "Gotta Love Sydney Ferries" on Friday 21 August at 8am at Circular Quay. Former BLF Official and leader of many of the Greens Bans in Sydney, Jack Mundey, will be the keynote speaker at the event.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved the Executive Recommendation:
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW endorse and support the campaign by the Sydney Ferry Union."
Com P. Kessey seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
7. From the NSW Teachers Federation:- regarding NSW Government proposal to cut teaching numbers in TAFE and increase teacher hours.
In February the Federation negotiated an Award settlement for its members in TAFE. Both the Federation and the Department of Education (DET) agreed to participate in a working party to consider a range of initiatives to fund salary increases beyond 2.5% each year that were not offset by the employee-related reform measures contained in the award.
It is clear that DET is not negotiating in good faith, and wants to grab cost savings worth far more than is needed to fund the small gap of 1.5% per annum. No other NSW public sector employee has been asked to increase their working hours to fund salary increases. The Department is only interested in increasing direct teaching hours, the destruction of professional development time, and ignores other proposals which could resolve the matter.
DET has put five different positions to the Industrial Relations Commission in applications, including increases of up to 154 additional teaching hours for head teachers and up to 118 additional teaching hours for teachers. DET's recently amended application now seeks and additional 71 hours teaching per year through arbitration.
Government proposal to increase teaching hours of TAFE teachers would mean the loss of up to 500 equivalent full time teachers. Such an increase would allow DET to reduce permanent teacher numbers by more than 10%. This would save the Government up to $50 million dollars a year, for a salary increase that cost an average only $15 million dollars per year to fund.
The Government is asking the Industrial Relations Commission to devalue work and endorse the Government's flawed wages policy.
The Secretary, Com. M. Lennon moved the Executive Recommendation:
"That the correspondence be received and Unions NSW condemns the actions by DET to increase the number of teaching hours for NSW TAFE teachers.
Further, that Unions NSW write to the Premier and the Minister for Education and seek a meeting to resolve this matter."
Com P. Bradley seconded the resolution.
CARRIED
REPORTS
James Hardy Decision
Com. M. Lennon reported on the Federal Court decision of the trial results of the conduct of James Hardies executives.
Secretary Com. M. Lennon moved:
"That the report be noted."
Com H. Woodward seconded.
CARRIED
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Seminar - Options for Arbitration under the Fair Work Act
Speaker: Ian Latham, Barrister from Denman Chambers on
Date: Thursday 27 August 2-4pm Unions NSW Auditorium
The seminar will be followed by drinks in the Atrium
2. Sydney Ferries Campaign Launch
"Love Sydney Ferries / Some Things Are Too Important to Sell off"
When: Tomorrow 8:30am Friday 21st August 2009
Where: Circular Quay
Speakers: Jack Mundy
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 6.25 PM
Acting President:____________________________________
About Unions NSW
