Why Join a Union?
10 good reasons Conservative governements Health and safety Abolition of state awards Other activities Unions and IR - Translations in languages other than English
10 GOOD REASONS TO JOIN A UNION
(there are more than 10 - just ask a union member)
1. People who belong to unions have better wages and conditions than non-union members: - Did you know that union members on average earn 15% more than non-union members!
2. Unionised workplaces have better health and safety conditions and are more likely to elect representatives who are then legally entitled to monitor health and safety at work.
3. Unions have a long and proud history of defending the rights of working women, part timers and casuals. It is much more difficult for employers to discriminate against women union members who are aware of their rights. Anti-discrimination laws, paid maternity leave and family leave was won by unions who continue to fight for improved conditions for part time and casual workers.
4. Overtime rates, annual leave, rostered days off, redundancy agreements, long service leave payments - these are all conditions fought for by unions. Employers do not just hand out entitlements.
5. Unions collectively and individually support education and training for employees and lobby for on-the-job training for members. The benefits flow onto everyone.
6. The Union movement has successfully lobbied state and federal governments for better laws to protect low paid workers such as outworkers.
7. People who are active in their unions learn heaps about their working environment and how it can be improved - they can help fellow workers and have fun at the same time.
8. In tough economic times, employers will try to cut jobs and increase productivity - it is unions who make sure that big companies don't put profit before people.
9. Unions help to break down barriers in workplaces - they unite workers and create a community so workers don't feel isolated and fearful of employers.
10. Unions are involved in important social and community issues. The environment, women's movement, Aboriginal reconciliation, rebuilding East Timor and other overseas aid and rights for refugees are just some of the social justice issues unions become involved with.
Conservative State Governments and the Federal Coalition oppose the right of workers to join unions. They oppose our system of conciliation and arbitration and would prefer to see employer/employee relations governed by the Master and Servant Act which dates from the 14th century. Under such a system, workers would be paid what the employer wants to pay them and dismissed employees would have no rights. Any disputes would be settled by the courts. You can imagine the inequity in the average worker who can afford little or no legal representation challenging an employer who is represented by Queen's Counsel in a court of law. In addition to seeking improved wages for workers, unions act to improve conditions. Whether its teachers campaigning for smaller class sizes, nurses wanting better quality care for patients or building workers checking equipment for faults, unions recognise the need for workers to have conditions that are safe while being productive.
Health and safety in the workplace is another important union activity. Every year, hundreds of workers are injured or killed at work and the figure would be much higher without union intervention and the movement's support of trained health and safety representatives. Even employers realise that without union health and safety reps, they would not be able to meet their statutory obligations to provide a health and safe workplace. Trades Hall has a new website for OHS reps. Launched in June 2002, the OHSReps site provides a wealth of up-to-date information to support union activists.
Trades Hall's campaign for legislation to punish those responsible for workplace death is just one of the many other ways unions work to make workplaces healthier and safe. Read more about the campaign for industrial manslaughter laws.
The abolition of Victorian State Awards in 1993 by the Kennett Government and the attempt to replace awards by individual employment contracts negotiated between the employer and the employer has been an abject failure. Most unionised workers have been moved by their unions to the protection of Federal Awards.
But around 250,000 workers fell through the net and were put on a minimum wage and five minimum conditions, instead of around 25 enjoyed by federal award workers.
When the Bracks Government was elected to office in 1999, it pledged to deal with the unregulated industrial relations system in Victoria. An IR Taskforce took evidence from a range of stakeholders in 11 public consultations. Individuals who were employed on only five minimum conditions gave graphic accounts of the misery of living on low wages.
Trades Hall said in its submission:
"Our conclusion, after seven years of operation of Schedule 1 of the Employment Relations Act and then Schedule 1A of the Workplace Relations Act, is that non-federal award workers in Victoria are scandalously disadvantaged compared to the approximately 45-50% of the Australian workforce covered by comprehensive State awards and agreements and the similar percentage covered by federal awards and agreements."
The IR Taskforce agreed that Victoria's IR system needed an overhaul and made 106 recommendations.
The Government accepted the recommendations and released the Fair Employment Bill in October 2000 Fair Employment Bill summary
The Bill aims to restore the rights of Victoria's 250,000 disadvantaged workers who have fallen well behind workers working in the same jobs interstate. The Liberals and Nationals have blocked this legislation despite its widespread support. They are relying on the Federal Government to sort out the mess, but the Federal Government's Workplace Relations Act has entrenched the discrimination for Victorian Workers. Trades Hall and Victorian unions are campaigning to make sure the Fair Employment Bill become law in this state.
Apart from being seen as organisations which seek to maintain and improve working conditions for their members, unions also act as vehicles for social change as a whole. These are just some of the community based campaigns unions have become involved with:
- Anti-conscription campaign in World War I and during the Vietnam War
- Opposition to nuclear weapons, and visits by nuclear armed or powered ships.
- The protection of our national resources, including our rain forests.
- Land rights for Aboriginal people.
- Improved rights for women.
- Supporting self determination for the people of East Timor.
- Highlighting the inhumane treatment of refugees seeking asylum in Australia.
