eTU online

eTU online is a e-newsletter for members and supporters who have registered their e-mail address with the union. It aims to keep you informed of the latest developments within your Union.

Please forward a copy to other members or print off a copy for the notice board.

Newsletter Archives

In This Issue

1. WorkCover Questions and Answers
2. Metal, Engineering and Associated Industries Award 1998
3. Return the Eureka Flag
4. Charles Baker, Roll Number 5804
5. Bi-annual Conference
6. Shutdowns in Manufacturing
7. Christmas Eve dispute wins big pay increase
8. Union dues in 2001
9. Recent AIRC decisions
10. Next Edition

The ETU has produced a brochure that provides answers to frequently asked questions on WorkCover. It is available from your local ETU office, organiser or can be downloaded below as a PDF.

2. Metal, Engineering and Associated Industries Award 1998

The 2001 edition of the Metal, Engineering and Associated Industries Award 1998 is now in print and copies are available from your Union office or from your organiser.

Apart from the wage tables, which are varied by the Living Wage case, the Award has varied little since the last edition.

3. Return the Eureka Flag

After the troopers slaughtered the miners at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat on December 3 1854, the miners flag was taken by Trooper King. Despite the miners being charged with treason and then acquitted, their flag was never returned to them or their descendants.

Today the original flag is on display at the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery which is on the site of the original troopers' barracks. It is from here that they marched on the miners at Eureka. It is an insult to the diggers that their flag should remain in "enemy territory".

The ETU urges you to support the return of the Eureka flag to the descendants of the miners and that it be on display at the Eureka Centre Museum on the site of the battle at Eureka, along with all documents surrounding the rebellion, so that the people of Australia may know the truth and learn this great piece of our history.

When the Eureka flag is returned, due respect will be finally afforded to these courageous workers from sixteen nations who stood proudly for workers' rights and our democratic freedom.

"Who is so base to be a slave"

4. Charles Baker, Roll Number 5804

Charles Baker, aged 93, who is believed to be the oldest living ETU member, has recently been recounting his involvement in the Union to ETU historian Ken Purdham. Ken is currently writing a history of the ETU which will be timed for release in the Unions' centennial year, 2002.

Charles has been an active union member all his adult life and worked in the power industry. He was a member of the ETU state council for a number of years and a member of the State Electricity Commission's Approvals board for more than thirty years.

He vividly remembers the campaigns to introduce shorter working hours (44 hour week), paid sick leave and long service leave. At a time when many members are enjoying a well-earned holiday, it is timely to remember that members like Charles fought hard to win paid annual leave.

In the recent interview Charles thought great progress was being made by the Union today, building on the success of the past.

"I follow it very closely and I'm amazed at some of the things the Union has done, they're revolutionary. I've got a letter to tell me I'm covered by Ambulance cover and insurance who'd ever thought that would've been done?"

"They are some of the things that are additional to a union member than just wages and conditions. Why not bring the family into it, that's what a unionist wants to bring the family into it. That's revolutionised unions. I don't know any other union who has done that."

He keeps an active interest in the Union and is very proud of his involvement.

History of the ETU

The Union recently held its biannual Conference at the Victorian Branch office in Swanston Street. Delegates to the conference were elected at the last Union elections. The Conference sets union policy for the next two years.

Amongst the policies determined by the conference was support for the on-going work of the Gippsland Asbestos-Related Diseases Support Group. (GARDS).

GARDS provides support services to workers affected by asbestos-related diseases. These services include medical, legal and family support.

It holds monthly meetings which provide a focal point for continued action and lobbying on a range of issues. These include improving data collection about the incidence of asbestos-related diseases and improving medical service provision. GARDS also ensures that asbestos-related issues are kept in the public arena. This is particularly important given that compensation payments are generally subject to confidentiality clauses.

Asbestos-related diseases are about to reach an epidemic stage because of the huge number of former workers in the industry who are reaching an age where the diseases appear.

The ETU is committed to the ongoing support GARDS which operates on a volunteer basis.

Other policies discussed at the conference included the merger of the Tasmanian and Victorian Branches of the Union, the role of the Office of the Chief Electrical Inspector in OH&S issues, consolidation of Union Divisions and the Federal government's "New Apprenticeship" program which has cut funding available to traditional apprenticeships.

6. Shutdowns in Manufacturing

Members are reminded to have current union tickets when working on shutdowns over the holiday break.

Organisers from all unions will be present on shut down jobs and members in those industries are keen to see work done by union members. Companies involved should have with current enterprise agreements.

Call the ETU office on 8341 5555 to get your ticket current and to check that companies have EBAs. On some sites special site rates apply.

7. Christmas Eve dispute wins big pay increase

Organiser Troy Grey reports that members in the transport industry have won a significant wage increase after their company threatened to sue individual employees during a recent dispute.

Members employed by THIESS Infraco, contracting to Hillside and Bayside trains, imposed bans on repair of overhead power lines after the union would not sign a sub-standard enterprise agreement.

The IR manager, Graham Gosling, initially removed a $2.50 per hour allowance, then stood members down. Finally he notified each member individually that they would be required to attend a commission hearing on Christmas Eve where the company would apply for a certificate to sue the members.

The members stood their ground after Gosling had taken back an allowance, and bans stayed on despite the fact that a kilometre of overhead line had come down on the Frankston line.

After tough negotiations, the company relented and the members picked up a $2.00 per hour all-purpose increase, reinstatement of their allowance and members lost no time for the period they were stood down.

8. Union dues in 2001

Union dues for 2001 are now due. The annual ticket a tradesperson is $344.00 including John Howards GST of $31.27. Members who were financial at the 31/12/2000 are eligible for a discount rate of $310.00 which includes John Howard's GST of $28.18.

Members can also pay quarterly. The rate for a tradesperson is $86.00. The weekly tradesperson rate is $6.65.

Members can pay in person at their nearest Union office or over the phone using a credit card. Account enquires can be directed to either Rose or Tanya on 03 8341 5555.

Electrical Trades Union (ETU) of Victoria Membership costs

9. Recent AIRC decisions

Two recent Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) decisions will have a big impact on workers rights into the future.

The first was a decision by the AIRC which related to tradespeople employed by Kilpatrick Green Facility Management in Melbourne Water under the National Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Industry Award. The employer claimed that employees were only entitled to a "higher duties" or "mixed function" payment because they were exercised for part of the day.

AIRC Senior Deputy President Williams found that the employees had the right to the higher classification whether or not they had done the work for part of the day or for all of the day.

"If an employee possesses the specified skills and is employed to use those skills, it does not matter that he does not in fact use them. As long as he is required to use them when it is necessary to do so, that is sufficient."

This decision will enable members employed under the Award to seek and gain re-classification to higher levels.

The second decision was made in favour of the AMWU against the Australian Industry Group. That decision effectively brings to an end to casual employment for a period greater than six months. Employees who are employed on a casual basis also have a right to a higher penalty payment of 25% rather than the previous 20% loading. It also sets minimum and maximum periods of employment.

This is a significant decision for members not only employed under the Metal, Engineering and Associated Industries Award but for workers whose employment is regulated by other awards. Some awards such as the National Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Industry Award already have provisions relating to minimum and maximum periods of casual employment. Others such as the Television Industry Award have no defined periods. In fact there are employees under that award who have been working over 40 hours per week for greater than 15 years.

Employer association representatives (who incidentally are on a full-time permanent basis themselves) have condemned the decision, as they did reduction in ordinary working hours, long service leave, annual leave, sick leave, family leave, etc.

Nevertheless the decision will improve working conditions for those employees affected. It will give them a stable employment arrangement and add more certainty to their lives.

Copies of the AIRC descision can be found at
http://www.airc.gov.au/my_html/full_bench_decisions.html

Thanks for reading this issue of eTU online. You'll receive your next issue on February 5.

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