Liberals
Confirm
Workers'
Fears
SA
Unions
says the
Liberal
Party's
decision
not to
publicly
reveal
details
of its
Industrial
Relations
policy
will
send a
shiver
down the
spine of
every
worker
who
values
their
job and
their
pay.
Iain
Evans,
Liberal
Industrial
Relations
spokesman
does not
seem to
understand
the
difference
between
the
state
and
federal
IR
system
and
indicated
that the
SA
Liberals
IR
position
would be
dictated
by their
federal
masters
....>>
read on
What's
the Big
Secret?
Libs
Hiding
IR
Policy
With
little
over
a week
before
the
state
election,
voters
still
have no
idea
whether
the
Liberals
intend
to strip
them of
unfair
dismissal
protections
and
introduce
individual
contracts.
Voters
deserve
to know
whether
Ms
Redmond
would be
a puppet
for Tony
Abbott
and Nick
Minchin's
thinly
veiled
desires
to rob
workers
of their
rights....>>
read on
Election
Commitments
on Key
Issues
An
increased
take of
mining
royalties,
an end
to cuts
to the
public
service,
a new
system
of wages
setting,
and
investment
in green
industries
are
amongst
the
commitments
SA
Unions
wants
from
political
parties
going
into the
state
election....>>
read on
SA
Unions
has
selected
ten
priorities
that it
believes
should
be must
do's for
Election
2010 ....>>
read on
WorkCover
a Hot
Topic
The
Liberals'
swift
release
of its
WorkCover
policy
has been
welcomed
by SA
Unions
and
indicates
the
depth of
public
concern
surrounding
this
issue.
Injured
workers
are
paying
the
price of
unfair
laws
that
were put
forward
by Labor
and
supported
by the
Liberals,
so both
major
parties
are
culpable,
but both
have the
chance
to right
the
wrongs.....>>
read on
AEU -
Arbitration
Decision
The AEU
welcomed
the
Industrial
Relations
Commission's
resolution
of the
wages
and
award
component
of the
Public
Education
Agreement
and says
educators
remain
extremely
keen to
see real
improvements
in
teaching
conditions
in a
future
determination.
The AEU
congratulates
its
members
who have
remained
united
through
a long
and
difficult
period.
....>>
read on
Employment
Figures for
SA
ABS
Trend
Labour Force
Survey data
(released
today) show
that South
Australian
employment
increased
0.3 per cent
(+2,600
persons) in
January
2010,
raising
total
employment
to 802,400
persons.
This marked
the first
time that SA
employment
has exceeded
800,000
persons.
Employment
has risen
for five
consecutive
months, and
was 1.5 per
cent higher
than the
same time a
year ago.
Both full
and
part-time
employment
increased in
SA last
month.
There
were 41,200
unemployed
persons in
SA in
January
2010, 1,500
(3.5%) fewer
than the
month
before.
Compared to
a year ago,
unemployment
has fallen
by 13.3 per
cent (-6,300
persons).
South
Australian
unemployment
is at its
lowest level
since July
2008.
The SA
unemployment
rate
declined 0.2
percentage
points last
month, to
4.9 per cent
– the lowest
unemployment
rate since
June 2008
(4.8 per
cent) and
the third
lowest
unemployment
rate of all
Australian
states and
territories.
Compared to
the national
average, the
SA
unemployment
rate was
half a
percentage
point lower.
WorkCover
Unfairly
Punishes
the
Injured
An
analysis
commissioned
by SA
Unions
and
conducted
by Uni
SA has
found
that
changes
to the
state
workers
compensation
scheme
WorkCover
have
resulted
in
unfair
suffering
and
hardship
for
injured
workers
with no
real
improvement
in the
scheme's
performance...>>
read on
Asbestos
Awareness
Day 27
November
2009
SA
Unions
is using
national
Asbestos
Awareness
Day to
warn
against
complacency
in the
fight
against
asbestos
related
diseases.
While
South
Australia
has made
progress
in the
fight
for
justice
for
asbestos
victims,
concern
remains
for
potential
future
victims.
Asbestos
Awareness
Day was
marked
by a
memorial
breakfast
at Jack
Watkins
Park, on
the site
of the
old
Islington
Rail
Yards in
recognition
of those
who
campaigned
to raise
awareness
about
the last
legacy
of
asbestos...>>
read on
Ark Tribe Rally
to Defend
Workers' Right
to Safety
Friday 30
October 2009,
11.00 am
Adelaide
Magistrates
Court, Victoria
Square
Construction
worker Ark Tribe
faces 6 months
jail for
allegedly
failing to
attend an
Australian
Building and
Construction
Commission
inquisition.
The ABCC alleges
that Mr Tribe
refused to
appear before
them and report
on his
workmates.
The ABCC is
seeking to
penalise workers
who have
committed no
crimes while
companies
continue to get
away with
appalling rates
of workplace
death and injury
due to shortcuts
on safety and
shoddy
standards...>>
read on
Ark
Tribe’s
story can be
viewed on
youtube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofB0TKkNPmM
SA
Unions Climate
Change
Conference
Thursday 24
September 2009,
at the eco-smart
Ridley Centre,
Wayville
Showgrounds
More than 100
representatives
from almost
every union in
South Australia
gathered for the
state's first
ever union
conference on
climate change.
As part of the
Union Agenda for
a fair share of
the future the
conference to
learn ways to
tackle climate
change both from
an economic and
a social
perspective.
..>>
read on
SA
Campaign
- Don't
Risk 2nd
Rate
Safety
Australia
has a chance
to have the
same
Occupational
Health &
Safety laws
in every
state and
territory
around the
country that
protect
workers with
the world’s
best safety
standards.
But proposed
new laws
lower safety
standards
and put
Australian
workers at
risk.
....>>
click
here for
more
information
Welcome
Rise for the
Lowest Paid
SA Unions
has
applauded
the State
Industrial
Relations
Commission's
decision to
award a
2.56% pay
rise to the
state's
lowest paid
workers.
This means
workers on
the minimum
pay rate
will receive
a
$14 per week
rise,
taking their
weekly
income from
$546.65 to
$560.65.
The
Commission
has assessed
the unique
circumstances
of South
Australia
and made a
decision in
the best
interest of
our
families,
balanced
with the
needs of
business.
Read on>>
WorkChoices
Last Nasty
Gasp
SA Unions
has
described
today's
decision by
the inaptly
named "Fair
Pay"
Commission
as a final
nasty swipe
from a
discredited
Industrial
System in
its death
rattles.
Read on>>
We Don't
Want Your
Construction
Laws Here
SA Unions
says to
Gillard that
there is no
need for
special
construction
industry
laws in this
state, and
that such
laws are
hurting our
building
industry and
worker
safety.
Read on>>
Fair
Work
Australia
Welcomed by
SA Unions
SA Unions
welcomed the
decision of
the State
Government
to be the
first state
to formally
adopt the
new Fair
Work laws.
It has been
done in a
way that
guarantees
South
Australians
will
continue to
have a say
about
industrial
laws for our
state.
Read on >>
Restore
Justice
and End
NT
Intervention
A
poignant
exhibition
of the
hardships
created
by the
Howard
government's
2007
intervention
into
Northern
Territory
Aboriginal
Communities
opened
in
Adelaide
tonight
at the
ArtLab,
70
Kintore
Avenue,
Adelaide.
Called
"autonomies"
it is a
photographic
exhibition
and
aural
journey
into the
lives of
Aboriginal
people
stripped
of their
independence.
While it
is good
news
that
Prime
Minister
Kevin
Rudd on
Friday
announced
that the
Racial
Discrimination
Act
would be
reinstated,
this
doesn't
address
the
overall
concerns
of
communities
living
under
this
dehumanising
regime."
Read
on>>
Landmark
Industrial
Ruling
for
Victim
Support
SA
Unions
hope the
long
awaited
conclusion
of the
industrial
death
case of
Daniel
Madeley
will be
seized
as an
opportunity
to
better
support
victims'
families
Read
on>>
Workers
Rally
for
Safety
Workers
rallied
outside
the
meeting
of the
Workplace
Relations
Ministers
and the
Acting
Prime
Minister,
Julia
Gillard
to call
for the
abolition
of
special
laws in
the
Construction
Industry
and the
introduction
of the
strongest
possible
Occupational,
Health
and
Safety
laws
across
every
state in
the
nation.
Unions
are
calling
for the
strongest
possible
laws in
every
state
and
territory
that
ensure:
-
The
absolute
duty of
care of
employers
to
provide
a safe
workplace
-
Proper
and
effective
right of
entry
provisions
for
union
officials
-
A strong
system
of
independent
health
and
safety
representatives
in
workplaces
-
A strong
system
of
prosecution
for
employers
who
breach
safety
laws
-
The
abolition
of
special
laws in
the
Construction
Industry
>>..
read on
Clean
Start
Campaign
Contract
cleaning
firms
have
flocked
to the
historic
Clean
Start
Union
Collective
Agreement,
and now
contracting
firms
cleaning
more
than
half of
Australia's
capital
cities
have
signed.
Nearly
30
companies
in total
have now
signed.
They
signed
because
cleaners
stuck
together
and
campaigned
together
until
the
companies
agreed
that
they
deserve
fair
jobs and
decent
pay.
>>..
read on
For more
information
visit
the
Clean
Start
Campaign
Website.