ACTU/Unions NSW “Union Summer” program

Central Council, 14 March 2007

Report adopted

From 29 January to 16 February 2007 the PSA participated in the ACTU/Unions NSW "Union Summer" Program. The Program aims to give university students with an interest in working in the union movement, practical experience in working in unions.

This year, the PSA had two interns working with us: Zoë Hutchinson, who is studying a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology)/Law degree at Macquarie University; and Sanjiv Singarayar, who is studying a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of New South Wales.

A program was devised for the three week internship by Jacqui Nissim (Organiser) and Shabnam Hameed (Industrial Officer) who acted as mentors to the interns.

The program aimed at providing Zoë and Sanjiv with a multi-faceted union experience, with particular attention paid to activities at the Department of Commerce and NSW Lotteries Corporation around the PSA's "Public Interest: Job Cuts = Service Cuts" campaign and the "Your Rights at Work: Worth Fighting For" campaign.

Concurrently, Zoë and Sanjiv attended training by Unions NSW on organising theory and practice, and worked with a number of PSA delegates and staff throughout their internship.