New USU General Secretary Ready for the Challenges Ahead
By Graeme Kelly
USU Acting General Secretary
Jul 15, 2010
It is with great honour and pride that I advise members that today I
take on the responsibility of Acting General Secretary of our great union. It
is a responsibility that I take very seriously at a time of great
challenges for working families across Australia. In local government we are continuing our negotiations for a new Local Government (State) Award - the instrument that will determine your pay and working conditions for the next three years. It is vital that we protect job security - the number one concern of members when we surveyed them earlier in the year.
It is also important to remember that these negotiations are possible under the State system of Industrial Relations because of strong campaigning by the USU and our members to remain in the State system with all of the benefits that delivers.
In the lead-up to a state election in March 2011 we need to be mindful of the fact that in the future we may be negotiating under different circumstances should a Coalition government take office.
Our union is also running major campaigns for our airlines members, in particular at Qantas with a new EBA at the bargaining table. We also continue to fight against the privatisation of the energy industry and the sell off of water and utilities. In addition, our private sector division is negotiating several key EBAs under the new Modern Award legislation.
We are fighting and together we are winning.
In September we will hold our 2010 Delegates Conference where I look forward to talking with rank and file union delegates from right across the state on the challenges we face and the best direction we should take in the future.
With a federal election just around the corner, it is important for USU members to look at the issues that affect you and your family and think about what is at stake for the future. WorkChoices took away the rights of working Australians. Today's Liberal leader Tony Abbott was a key Minister in the former Liberal Government that introduced WorkChoices. Now, he wants to bring it back. He just won't call it WorkChoices.
When he was first elected leader of the Liberals, Mr Abbott said, "The phrase WorkChoices is dead," and it is now clear that this means he will only change its name.
At the last federal election Australian workers campaigned strongly against WorkChoices - it appears that an Abbott-led government intends to re-visit WorkChoices - if not in name then in deed.
That is something we must fight - together. We say WorkChoices - never again!
On a personal note I would like to thank former General Secretary Ben Kruse for his commitment to the members of the United Services Union.
I look forward to working with President Steve Birney and the USU leadership team and executive to ensure our union is in the best possible position to meet the challenges that lay ahead and to work with our members to deliver.
Your union leadership is ready for that challenge.
