Issue 19635
, Friday 29 May 2015
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In this issue
[1]
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has sought
"urgent meetings" with the NSW Government about protections for
employees after the lower house passed legislation allowing the sale of
majority stakes in Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy, and the full sale of
statewide transmission business TransGrid. Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian told
parliament the bill guaranteed existing enterprise bargaining agreements
terms and conditions. "Once transferred,
employees may continue to be a contributor to their existing
superannuation fund, retain rights to annual leave, sick leave, extended or
long service leave accrued or accruing immediately before the
transfer," Berejiklian said on May 26. However, ETU NSW sec
Steve Butler told WFNSW
the bill didn't provide worker protections retailers and generators had
previously been offered such as salary maintenance and job security for
five years following the sale, nor addressed issues like guaranteed
apprentice numbers. The ETU is pinning its hopes on the Legislative Council
Leasing of Electricity Infrastructure Inquiry headed by Fred Nile (WFNSW8/05/15) which will produce
recommendations on June 2. Butler said: "It is extremely
concerning that the NSW Govt has decided to jump the gun, tabling
legislation ahead of the parliamentary inquiry even handing down its
findings ..." Butler told WFNSW
it's a bid to get the laws through "before they are truly
understood". The Electricity Network Assets (Authorised Transactions) bill
passed the lower house last night with the upper house debate scheduled for
next Wednesday.
·
Fred Nile MLC is
to address Unions NSW on Thursday June 4.
Unions say govt
broke promises to consult
The ETU and United Services Union (USU) are
"considering their legal and industrial options following the Baird
govt's failure to consult with the workforces of Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy,
and TransGrid ahead of their privatisation". The unions said the govt
has told them a scheduled 30 minute meeting with Premier Mike Baird and
Berejiklian on Monday (June 1) will be the only consultation over
protections for workers and apprentices. Butler said "power industry
unions have made themselves available for urgent negotiations, including
after hours or over the weekend, but neither the Premier nor Treasurer is
willing to meet". Berejiklian responded saying the govt had been
working "round the clock" to kick-start their infrastructure
program and reiterated conditions would be maintained per negotiated EBAs.
"The Fair Work Act and Enabling Legislation will in effect ensure
continuity of employees' accrued entitlements including
superannuation."
[2]
University of Sydney (USyd) Associate
Professor Jake Lynch has told WFNSW
he is "relieved and delighted" the threat to his position has
been lifted, after the Uni investigated him for misconduct at a protest in
March. The investigation sparked a Defend Civil Liberties campaign (WFNSW1/05/15) led by academics and
the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and supported by Australian
Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon and Julian Burnside QC. Lynch said: "I
am grateful for the campaign which rallied right-thinking people both
within and outside the university to oppose the vexatious and insubstantial
allegations." USyd said it "will not comment on the outcomes for
any individual due to the confidentiality of the investigation process, and
privacy rights of those individuals". It said: "A number of
members of the University community and the public were found to have
engaged in unsatisfactory conduct, as a result of which disciplinary
action, including counselling, warning and suspension of access rights to
the University grounds have been imposed." WFNSW understands only serious misconduct
charges could have resulted in dismissal. The uni's preliminary
investigation into the events at the Richard Kemp lecture had cleared Lynch
of anti-Semitism.
[3]
Some 3,600 people may be affected by the
No Land Tax (NLT) party's failure to pay workers at the last NSW election,
says the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO). FWO said NLT party secretary and former
Communications Electrical Plumbing Union official Peter Jones "is
not fully cooperating with the investigation and has been asked to meet
with Fair Work inspectors to provide further information". It added:
"Mr Jones has made misleading statements to his former workers
regarding their eligibility for Fair Entitlements Guarantee [FEG] assistance."
FEG assistance is for workers of bankrupt employers. In the meantime the
FWO will continue efforts to negotiate back-payments from Jones, and
gather evidence from affected workers. FWO executive-director dispute
resolution and compliance Steve Ronson confirmed it had enforcement options
available. Ronson said it was unusual for the FWO to comment on
"ongoing operational matters", but chose to do so given the
volume of complaints in order to "reassure the public that the matter
is receiving priority attention". The Sydney Morning Heraldreported
some workers had been promised $330 for the day's work.
[4]
Labor and the NSW Greens have successfully pushed
for an upper house inquiry into the impacts of the Government's "Fit
for the future" local government package, which could see councils
amalgamated and jobs lost. The terms of reference for the Local Government
in NSW Inquiry includes reporting on "evidence of the impact of forced
mergers on municipal employment, including aggregate redundancy
costs". It will be chaired by former Shoalhaven mayor and Christian
Democratic Party MLC Paul Green. A United Services Union (USU) submission
to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) Expert Advisory
Panel criticised the govt's speed to introduce the policy. The USU said
while it did not oppose amalgamation in general, it did "oppose
amalgamation where employees have not been properly consulted or in
circumstances where appropriate steps have not been taken to protect
employees' jobs and conditions". Shadow local government minister
Peter Primrose said "many councils have objected to the timeline,
criteria and methodology imposed by IPART and the Govt".
[5]
The NSW Government plans to reform and end overlap
for the seven agencies responsible for police corruption and misconduct,
having commissioned former state shadow attorney general Andrew Tink to
undertake a review by August 31. A govt statement said: "The
current system for doing this is out–dated, complex, and confusing with
overlapping responsibilities amongst the agencies." Agencies under the
microscope include Ombudsman, the Police Integrity Commission, the
Inspector of the Police Integrity Cmn, Crime Cmn and WorkCover. Deputy
Premier and Minister for Justice Troy Grant said an effective system
will uphold "the highest standards of behaviour and integrity, while
allowing police to get on with the job". Tink will take submissions
until June 24. The final report is to include options for a
single civilian oversight model for police.
[6]
Women still have a long way to go to ensure equal
representation in the male-dominated rail and bus industry, Rail Tram and
Bus Union (RTBU) NSW representatives have told a national conference. Only
8% of State Tranist Authority, 16% of Sydney Trains and 24% of NSW Trains
employees are female, the biannual Wimdoi – Women in Male Dominated
Occupations & Industries – Conference
heard. Five RTBU NSW representatives attended the conference in Sydney. It
attracted women from industries ranging from construction and transport to
correctional services, maritime, firefighting and mining
[7]
On Monday June 1, peak state union body
Unions NSW will protest outside federal Treasurer Joe Hockey's office
against govt cuts to paid parental leave. Unions NSW encouraged supporters
to bring "dummies" and their baby or toddler as part of the protest.
[8]
Editor:
Stephanie D'Souza. Email:Stephanie.D'Souza@thomsonreuters.comContact: Phone
(02) 8587 7684.Journalist:
Steve Andrew. Managing
Editor: Peter Schwab.
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