Starting Us off!

[info1001]

At the CC conference we worked through some of the issues raised by the survey, which our fearless and efficient forum facilitator, Kier, guided through the day to cover some interesting ground, and finally arrive at some common areas for the future

There was a feeling that to get the necessities for doing our job - adequate hours, understanding of what we do from services, resources and respect among others - some sort of united voice will be necessary, very possibly some industrial association or link with an existing Union, or at least advice about ways forward.

[Dave]

Hi,

It would be a good idea to have as suggested " A United Voice " and from a broad spectrum of us who work in the field across the country and not be
sterotyped from /by a given few.

Dave

[davidgu]

It is possible for us to join the relevant union just by paying the dues twice a year. I used to do this when I was working at the Geelong MH Consumers Union. When I joined Barwon Health as a consumer consultant I stopped doing this. I was a member of HACSU.

But looking at the websites of HACSU and the ASU it is not clear to me which is the relevant union for the comsumer consultants.

Perhaps the first task of this group would be to decide between ASU and HACSU. Then some may choose to join while the work value case was being developed.

kind regards from David Guthrie, Geelong. 

[Dave]

Hi David,

I wonder weather we could form our own Australia Wide Union.

Any thoughts?
Viability and empowerment?

Dave

[info1001]

Arguments both for and against, Dave.

Joining an existing union makes sense if we know it will really support us. That  brings us clout and allies. but if a union has 30, 000 members, and only 30, or 40, or 100 are in our CC sub branch, will that really interest the leadership and justify industrial advocates and negotiators spending much time on our issues, especially where sometimes our issues are at odds with those of other of the same union's members?

Standing by ourselves ensures that the body be concerned only with us and our issues, and in principle is the option  Iwould prefer but for me has a key weakness; much of a union's authority came originally from the ultimate threat of 'denial of labour' - a strike, and in some of the services we work for I don't know if management would even notice a strike by CCs!
Bill

[Dave]

Hi All,

I often wonder about the nonpayment of Consumer Reps in some circles of the system, surely if we are pro active and also do homework re meetings and comittees we are entilted to pay based upon a fair scale of qualifications.

Dave

[davidgu]

Barwon Health management are supportive of me helping with this issue. We think that it may be possible to use the same arrangements for consumer and carer consultants or peer support workers and consumers or carers who do occasional sessions. At Barwon Health we are all Community Development Workers.

What I would like people to think about first is whether they are happy with doing similar to the definition of community development work? (pp 14,15 13.5.3.a). http://www.airc.gov.au/updatedawards/AT796561.rtf

The next issue is are the pay rates at  http://www.workplaceauthority.gov.au/docs/Payconditions/2007ePSS/AP796561.pdf   better or similar to your present rate? (we are qualified community devlopment workers if a member of the group that we are providing services to _ like Koories in Koories' services). For occasional workers the 25% leave loading applies.

Let me know if you have trouble with accessing these documents and then post any thoughts you have on this Forum. People from other States please join in because these arrangements are now all nationwide in coverage (other states had different SACS awards with different wording so we want to conbine the best features of all of them).

regards from David Guthrie