SUE WALSH

PSA PRESIDENT

SUE WALSH

Thank you all for attending this very important Women's Conference.

I want to talk about the Federal Government's IR reforms but before I do, I want to say that at the end of last year's Women's Conference we were criticised for being too political, particularly against the Coalition Government, so before I start I want to say that the PSA is not affiliated to any political party. In fact, the rules of the PSA do not allow such affiliation. Also, regardless of the Government proposing such anti worker legislation, the PSA has a responsibility to protect its members rights and conditions of employment. We have joined with the ACTU and Unions NSW to fight against the current Federal Government's IR changes.

I am impressed by the energy and commitment of women in this room to continue to campaign against these changes. And it is great to see so many women wearing their "Rights at Work" shirts today.

Women's Conference is all about inspiring and empowering its participants. And right now there is no more an important time for women to be inspired and empowered.

John Howard's reforms threaten to wind back the clock on many of the workplace improvements made for women over the last 75 years. It will also destroy the mechanisms with which that progress has been made

The union movement's response to the Howard government's attacks is commendable.

The PSA has been at the forefront of the campaign in NSW.

Who would have thought that over 100,000 workers would attend the 1 July Sky Channel meeting, making this meeting the largest ever workers meeting held in Australia.

I got some feel for the concern that workers had about Howard's changes when I was handing out leaflets at Town Hall station in the week leading up to Sky Channel meeting. I recognise some other early risers who were helpers at the Conference today. The PSA appreciated everyone who made the effort and showed commitment and support for the campaign.

Many commuters stopped to take leaflets to give to their friends at work and urged us to keep up the good work. One woman approached me and asked for as many leaflets as possible. She worked at Myer City Store and wanted to put them on counters throughout the store. She said we have to get the message out. Overall the PSA handed out 24,000 leaflets at Town Hall station, at Bondi Junction we distributed about 12,000 leaflets over the 3 days at Parramatta commuters were also very supportive of our campaign.

I was at Sydney Town Hall on the 1 July and I have never seen such a solid show of strength by the union movement. We have most certainly wrong footed the Liberal government with the solidarity and wide spread community support that this campaign has received.

The union's strategy has been one of not only educating and mobilising union members about how the Federal government plans to erode workers rights but also to get the message out to the community at large.

We have done both very well.

We have to say to John Howard and others that Australian workers want a just society. A society where workers have the right to spend time with family and friends. The right to have a weekend, a right to watch our kids play sport, a right to penalty rates if we work shift work.

We should not have to rely on one or two fair minded politicians to maintain our rights at work.

Workers in NSW want the NSW IRC not a unitary system which will take away the independent umpire. If the Commission is abolished in NSW it would be the end of state wage cases and the end of arbitrating a "special" case, as happened in the major schools award in the nineties, which saw an outcome for members of between 19% and 38% salary increases on top of the public sector salary award increases. To abolish the IRC would be a total disaster for NSW public sector workers.

These are the messages we want to send out to pollies and to the community during this campaign.

Thankfully, it seems the message is being heard in some areas with cracks emerging in the political ranks. Some politicians realising the damage for workers, with other politicians realising the damage for them at the ballot box.

Further, leaders from both the Catholic and Anglican churches have expressed concern at the stress these changes will place on Australian families.

Even the new Victorian Senator representing the Family First Party is worried about the impact the workplace changes will have on families.

On 7 August thousands of workers and their families descended on Sydney Olympic Park to make a huge public statement to John Howard. An estimated 50,000 people heard speeches from unionists about the workplace changes while later dancing with their children to the popular kids band The Hooley Dooleys.

We have also been campaigning in rural and regional areas and marginal seats in NSW.

About a fortnight ago I was visiting members on the mid north coast. As I was driving along I saw placard after placard on telegraph poles saying "Your Rights at Work. Worth Fighting For." It made be feel good.

The PSA has been actively involved in campaigning in local communities. We have "adopted" the marginal seat of Lindsay, which is centred on Penrith. Every weekend our staff and members are somewhere in the electorate handing out leaflets and letting the local community know how serious the workplace changes are.

The PSA has 4 industrial staff on the big orange "Your rights at work" bus that is travelling around country NSW with Unions NSW Secretary John Robertson. Right as I am speaking the bus is at the Telstra Call Centre in Bathurst. The bus tour has raised awareness in country NSW about our campaign.

The "Your Rights at Work" campaign is ongoing. It will not stop until the Liberal Party is convinced this is a very bad thing. Until that happens workers rights in Australia will be under threat.

The next significant mobilisation of union members and their families will occur on 15th November. I don't have the details but the PSA will inform members as details are known.

There will be more advertisements, more leaflets, more Conferences and no doubt more family picnics.

To make this all happen requires a big lot of money. As you would understand this is the biggest threat to workers and their families for over 100 years.

To support the campaign the PSA has contributed to the ACTU and Unions NSW. Further, Central Council voted to place a levy on members on the two highest income levels of our fee structure, to be used as a fighting fund to oppose the changes. Many other unions have done the same. This levy will also ensure member services will be maintained throughout the campaign.

The PSA will be encouraging all members to have their union fees debited directly from their bank account.

With the industrial relations changes looming it is no longer safe for the PSA to rely on member's fees being received directly from the payroll.

Some people may remember what Jeff Kennett did when he became Premier of Victoria. On Christmas Eve 1993 he abolished payroll deductions, thereby forcing many unionists to become unfinancial in the union of THEIR choice.

The affect on unions was devastating. Our Victorian counterpart was financially crippled and lost over 10,000 members overnight. They are still recovering from this massive blow more than 10 years later.

I cannot stress how important it is for members to move from payroll deductions to direct debits. Shortly our industrial staff will be encouraging members to do just that. I urge you to help them in this huge and important task.

As you would be aware this year marks 75 years of the PSA's Women's Council.

During the last 75 years the marriage bar in the public service has been removed, women have received equal pay for equal work and pay equity, carers leave, flexible working hours, part time work and paid maternity leave.

Unfortunately, all of these gains are under threat by the Federal Government.

Moving on to more positive things -

It is with great pleasure I announce today the 75 Years of Women's Council - Study Grant, sponsored by State Super Financial Services, whose representative addressed conference yesterday.

The Study Grant is open to all women members of the PSA who will be undertaking further education and training in 2006.

Consideration will be given to women who can demonstrate how their further study will help them improve their job/career prospects.

Consideration will be given to a woman who can demonstrate that hardship has been a barrier to her advancing her study opportunities. This may include financial hardship, carers responsibilities, geographic and cultural isolation.

The successful recipient of the Study Grant will receive $5,000.

The $5,000 may be used for a short course (conducted by an accredited training provider), a university degree or a TAFE course.

It can be used for expenses such as childcare, course admission fees, HECS, books, stationary and other related study expenses.

Nominations will be called for in the October edition of Red Tape. A decision will be made no later than mid-December.

A Committee consisting of myself, Women's Council Chair Cheryl McGuire and Women's Industrial Officer Anne Kennelly, will consider all nominations.

The successful applicant will be presented with the award by State Super Financial Services and her name/photo published in Red Tape.

WOMEN @ WORK- RHONDA DANYLENKO

Many women here would have seen the 75th anniversary edition of Women @ Work.

It was with much surprise I received a letter from PSA member Rhonda Danylenko advising me that her grandmother is one of the women pictured on the cover of Women @ Work.

Rhonda is a long-term unionist and is currently a PSA member at the Department of Corrective Services. I understand that Rhonda is here at today's Conference.

Rhonda's grandmother, Alice Holloway, was a campaigner for women and workers rights all her adult life. She was a member of the Australian Railway Union's Women's Auxiliary.

In 1938 Alice did something that most working class women at that time would not have dreamed of being able to do.

In 1938 the Auxiliary and concerned others raised enough money for her to go as part of a delegation to the Soviet Union for their May Day celebrations and to visit women in their workplace. She was in the Soviet Union for about 4 to 8 weeks.

She then went to London for a few weeks. From London she went to Spain at the height of the civil war where she supported the republicans in their fight against Franco's fascist government. While she was in Spain she meet such luminaries as Ernest Hemingway, who too was concerned about the rise of fascism in Spain.

Upon her return to Australia Alice continued to campaign for workers rights in Australia, the Soviet Union and Spain.

I personally find this story fascinating and am more proud to know that Alice Holloway's granddaughter is a PSA member.

PSA CONTINUES ON

While the PSA has been at the forefront of the "Your Rights at Work " campaign we have continued to improve the working lives of our members.

Maternity Leave

From the 1st of January this year paid maternity leave in the NSW public service increased from 9 weeks pay to 14 weeks pay. From the same date partners became entitled to one week paid partner leave.

Last year our union negotiated 36 weeks paid maternity leave for our members employed by the University of Sydney.

I am proud to be a President of a union that continues to set the benchmark for paid parental leave in this country.

Workplace Bullying

At the 2003 Women's Conference being bullied and harassed in the workplace was widely discussed.

The PSA has always taken this issue in the workplace seriously and since that Conference the PSA has pushed for major changes as to how to handle this unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.

I wrote to Unions NSW (formerly Labor Council) asking them to coordinate a New South Wales wide campaign in the workplace.

This campaign has been very successful with the PSA playing a pivotal role.

On the 8th September last year at the Sydney Opera House, the Labor Council along with the PSA, launched the Dignity and Respect in the Workplace campaign.

At the launch the Dignity and Respect in the Workplace Charter was co-signed by Steve Turner Assistant General Secretary of the PSA and the Director General of the Premiers Department, Col Gellatly.

There are many other public sector agencies that have also signed the Charter.

As well the PSA along with Unions NSW approached the Premiers Department to development a public sector wide policy on workplace dignity and respect.

The Premiers Department agreed to establish the Dignity and Respect Working Party.

The Working Party is close to finalising the policy and if all goes well it is expected that the policy will be launched in November this year.

Mary Yaager from Unions NSW is a member of the Working Party and will be coming to the Conference later today to briefly talk about the progress of the policy.

The PSA has had three representatives on the Working Party all of whom have played a crucial role. They are Anne Kennelly, Women's Industrial Officer, Pam Veivers, OH&S Trainer and Sharon Vassar Organiser in Schools.

PUBLIC SECTOR JOB CUTS

While we are fighting against the Federal Government to maintain a fair and just industrial relations system the PSA is alarmed at the recent bidding war by both NSW political parties to cut the number of public sector jobs.

The Liberal Opposition quite shamefully announced that if they were elected that 29,000 "non-essential" public service jobs should go. Plus they announced voluntary redundancies should be replaced by forced redundancies.

Unfortunately, the Premier dipped into this silly bidding war by stating under the State Labor Government that 3,000 public sector jobs may go.

It never ceases to amaze me that these people fail to understand that all our jobs are essential for the public sector to effectively provide the services that the Government wants provided.

"We promise we won't cut front-line services", they say to the public. Who supports the front line services (police, teachers, health workers, policy makers etc.,) - we do!

Hear this Mr Premier, there is no fat in the NSW public sector among our members. We have had the razor applied enough. The bosses trade on our goodwill, the unpaid overtime, the flex-time not taken, they know we are committed to our jobs. The PSA will not tolerate any nonsense from you Mr Premier and will take you on if you continue to make such silly announcements. We will campaign against any future job cuts.

We have many more exciting and inspirational speakers today.

I would also like to encourage everyone here today to tell everyone you know how John Howard plans to change their working conditions.

If you are already not a PSA activist, I hope that this years Women's Conference inspires you to be one.

Please remember YOUR RIGHTS AT WORK ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR!

To conclude, I would like to personally thank everyone involved in organising this conference - the staff, Women's Council, the Executive, particularly Cheryl, and you the participants. I would like to congratulate Anne on her recent appointment to the WIO position and look forward to working with her in the future.

Now Cheryl and I are going to cut the fabulous birthday cake to celebrate 75 years of Women's Council. After we do that the cake will be served at morning tea. ENJOY!