November 1, 2024

Unions

How unions helped create Medicare

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The union movement has always campaigned for laws and policies that will protect the health of working people.

Unions were strong advocates for the Whitlam Labor Government’s introduction of a universal healthcare scheme during its time in office, from 1972 to 1975.

But many conservatives hated the idea of public healthcare. When Whitlam was dismissed from government in 1975, the Liberal Party Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser started to undermine the system.

In 1976 Fraser’s attacks led to the ACTU calling a national strike to defend universal healthcare. Two million workers took action in an incredible show of support.

But while we were able to delay Fraser’s attacks, we weren’t able to stop them entirely. By 1981 Fraser had succeeded in ending the system of universal healthcare.

The union movement, however, didn’t give up.

In 1983, former ACTU President Bob Hawke was elected Prime Minister, leading the new Labor Government.

Hawke’s government signed an agreement with the ACTU known as the Accord. As part of this agreement, unions would help tackle the major inflation crisis at the time by not pushing for certain wage increases.

In return we would see an increase in the ‘social wage’ – social services to make working peoples lives better.

At the top of our list was universal healthcare, and this was introduced by Hawke’s government as Medicare in 1984, which we still have and rely on today.

This article was originally published by the ACTU Institute, and was republished with permission.

Unions demand new COVID safety plans and free RATs

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The ACTU has vowed to ‘keep working people safe’ if Scott Morrison won’t, calling for free for RAT tests for all workers, improved masks, fixing close contact definitions and restoring support for businesses. The ACTU has also not ruled out strike action if the situation calls for it.

“Unions will take whatever steps are necessary in their workplaces to ensure they are as safe as possible. Where employers do not fulfil their obligations, the union movement determines to do everything within its power to ensure the safety of workers and the community. This may include ceasing work or banning unsafe practices.” Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

With Australia is now experiencing the worst days since the start of the pandemic and the highest level of sickness ever seen in the workforce, leaders from national unions met to discuss the ongoing health and economic crisis caused by the rapid spread of Omicron.

The unions representing those workers report that they are exhausted and feel abandoned by governments who have encouraged “let it rip” policies.

“The “let it rip” governments have failed to prepare our health system and our community, and they are responsible for Australia suffering the highest per capita infection rates in the world. Essential workers are being expected to put themselves in harm’s way to keep the country going and in many cases without the protections they need.” Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Union leaders reported on the devastating impact the latest Covid wave is having on the health and incomes of working people. All unions express their solidarity, respect, and deep gratitude to the health care workers of our country who are experiencing the full brunt of this wave of sick people.

The union movement vowed to do everything they can to keep people safe and act to slow the spread of this latest wave of the Covid pandemic.

The ACTU condemned the failure of the Morrison Government to respond to our requests to work with us during this crisis; or our demands for the provision of free Rapid Antigen Tests, improved masks, fixing close contact definitions and restoring support for businesses and workers.

The Morrison Government has ignored repeated calls over the last 6 months from unions regarding the urgent need to procure RATs as an essential part of our Covid defence as well as the slow pace of the booster and children’s rollout putting working people at increased risk.

The ACTU determined that despite the Prime Minister not acting to keep working people safe, the union movement will.

Accordingly, ACTU members resolved to write to all employers reminding them of their obligation to do all that is reasonable and practical to keep workers safe.

This will require each workplace to undertake a new risk assessment for Omicron in consultation with unions, workers and their health and safety representatives. In addition, where appropriate, sector-specific plans should be developed in consultation with unions. New measures are now needed to ensure safety at work.

For workplaces were working from home is not an option, the provision of free RATs by employers to all workers will be necessary once supply is resolved, alongside upgraded masks and improved ventilation.

“Free RATs are needed for the whole community to limit the spread and keep people safe, not just essential workers. The failure of the Federal Government to act and to provide free and accessible RATs puts us all in harm’s way.” Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

The ACTU is calling on the community to join us and demand the Federal Government reverse this decision. The union movement will work directly with the community to demand all members of the Federal Government be held accountable for the inaction of the Prime Minister.

Underpaid injured workers to share $38 million payout

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A review of 16,000 workers’ files found 3.5 per cent had been underpaid due to an error in the way the insurer, icare, was calculating their earnings before their injuries.

At least 53,000 injured workers will now share in a $38 million payout from the NSW public insurer, and icare’s chief executive has had to make a “sincere apology” for miscalculating payment amounts.

The calculation errors were made between 2012 and 2019.

NSW Shadow Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, told The Guardian that the decision was “a big step forward for justice” for injured workers, who had been the victims of “the biggest act of wage theft committed by any Australian government”.

He said the government should guarantee the repayments would cover the state’s public service.

Unions NSW raised its concerns about the bureaucratic hoops that injured workers faced before they could be compensated.

“icare must err on the side of accepting further claims from people who have been underpaid,” Unions NSW secretary, Mark Morey, said.

“There may be many thousands more sick and injured workers whose underpayments have not been captured by this review. icare needs to give them the benefit of the doubt.”

Morey said the icare saga should prompt a “fundamental rethink” of how the state treats sick and injured workers.

A letter to public school parents

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NSW Teachers Federation President Angelo Gavrielatos pens a letter to public school parents as teachers prepare to go on strike on Tuesday 7 December.

Teachers and principals have made the difficult decision to go on strike on Tuesday 7 December.

This will be the first 24 hour stoppage in a decade and it reflects the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in.

We are deeply concerned about growing teacher shortages and the impact they are having on students across NSW.

There are more than 1800 vacant permanent positions in schools now from Bondi to Broken Hill. The Department of Education’s own research shows large and growing shortages of teachers.

Due to rising student enrolments, an ageing workforce and a significant decrease in the number of people enrolling in teacher education courses the teacher shortages will only get worse.

What is causing these teacher shortages?

Uncompetitive salaries and unsustainable workloads are making it harder to keep teachers in the job and have reduced the attractiveness of the profession to high achieving young people.

While the work of teachers has become more complex and challenging, their salaries have fallen well behind the average of other professions.

Teachers’ workloads are also excessive, particularly the administration and compliance obligations which detract from the time they have for lesson planning and focusing on the needs of individual students.

For 18 months we have tried to reach agreement with the NSW Government on a reset of teacher salaries to better reflect the work teachers do and make them competitive again with other professions.

We have also sought an increase of two hours in the preparation time teachers have each week. (The current two hour entitlement has not changed since the 1980s for primary teachers and the 1950s for secondary teachers.)

Unfortunately, the NSW Government is refusing to make this investment that will help retain our teachers and attract the ones we need to stop the shortages.

What will happen on Tuesday 7 December?

 You will need to make alternative plans for your child on this day because teachers will not be at the school.

We understand this is not ideal. But if we do not take action now, teacher shortages will only widen and the disruption in the years ahead will only be greater.

If you would like more information or to show your support for teachers, you can do so at morethanthanks.com.au

 

COVID recovery fails to deliver for Australian workers

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Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has shown that wage growth in Australia stagnated at a miserly 0.6% in the September quarter, for an annual increase of only 2.2%. 

Compared to the current inflation rate of 3.6%, this indicates a wage cut for the average Australian, including for public sector nurses and midwives who currently receive annual increases to a maximum of 2.5%. 

The Wage Price Index statistics released by the ABS shows that the Morrison Government’s widely touted economic recovery has not trickled down to workers. 

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has indicate that the Morrison Government’s sustained attack on workers’ rights and bargaining power, combined with legislation embedding insecure work by making it easier for employers to keep workers casual, are continuing to keep working Australians’ wages low. 

““Eight years of record low wage growth through a series of Liberal governments, is not a coincidence. The Morrison Government has done nothing to address the systemic issues which are keeping wages low,” said Sally McManus, Secretary of the ACTU. 

“We need immediate action on the issue of insecure work in this country. An economic recovery that sees more people working multiple jobs, not having paid entitlements, and having limited bargaining power in their workplaces, is not a recovery at all.” 

The ACTU and affiliated unions, including the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association are running a campaign called Secure Jobs – Worth Fighting For to ensure that Australian workers get their fair share from the COVID-19 recovery.   

“Taking this support away is unjust and simply just cruel”

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Emergency nurse and NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association member Josh spoke out against the NSW government’s proposed repeal of legislation which will make it more difficult for nurses and midwives to access workers compensation if they are diagnosed with COVID-19.

Good afternoon everyone. My name’s Josh. I’m a registered nurse working in metro hospital in the emergency department. I’ve been doing this for the past five years.

Like all other nurses and midwives across the state, whether here in Sydney or a regional town, we’ve all been working exceptionally hard to ensure we provide our patients the best possible healthcare we can possibly do.

Through our work, we are exposed to high-risk situations every shift. And this pandemic is an ongoing issue, as we still have unvaccinated people in our communities.

While working in emergency, I myself have been identified as a close contact twice. I was isolating in hotel quarantine for a total of four week, as my sister is an asthmatic and mum has had collapsed lungs. On top of this, I was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 requiring me to isolate again for a further two weeks; away from my family and away from my friends, not only dealing with the physical side effects of COVID-19, but also the psychological impacts of this disease.

In May last year, special legislation passed through both houses, with the intent of offering workers compensation to nurses and midwives who needed it, if we became infected with COVID-19.

This is something I am currently utilising with strong support from union, my employer, my GP Dr Jamal Rifi who has also done a great deal already for South West Sydney. Ongoing support I need for myself, such as physiotherapy and psychological support so I can return to work.

The emergency department and specialised wards never stop. Nursing and midwifery is a 24/7 service. With this comes nurses who are full-time, part-time and casual.

If the NSW government withdraws these supports it will leave all health staff, especially casual nurses and midwives, financially burdened – as they would have to prove they contracted the deadly disease from work and on top of that, contest workers compensation claims. This in turn will lead to casual nurses and midwives to not risk working as they would be financially, physically and physiologically impacted by COVID-19 and with no supports. This will in turn lead to no patient ratios, with more patients to less nurses, putting even more strain on an already burnt out workforce.

As we all know this pandemic has taken a toll on everyone. But all frontline staff have done an exceptionally good job in attempting to best care and protect the people of NSW. Taking this support away from one of the most essential services is unjust and simply just cruel.

We are asking all politicians, in the lower and upper house, to do the right thing and block the government’s shameful repeal.

Josh provided this statement at a press conference on the workers compensation legislation on 16 November 2021. You can check the speech with his delivery here. 

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