ASU Members Celebrate Triumphs in Community Sector Campaign

2011 has been an exciting year for developments in your community sector campaign.

IN BRIEF:

• Historic Fair Work Australia's decision in May acknowledged community sector undervalued and underpaid
• SA and Federal Government commitments followed to fund increased wage rates
• Branch Council convened forum joined by a Vietnamese Trade Union delegation incredibly impressed by the six year campaign undertaken by your ASU
• Secretary Katrine Hildyard reviewed what had worked in this historically successful campaign
• ASU Lead Organiser Max Adlam outlined the key issues still to be addressed
• Achieving pay equity was just one plank of our national plan so there is still much to do
• United we will secure the sector's future capacity to deliver quality services to vulnerable members of our community
• 2011 has been an exciting year for developments in your community sector campaign.

As our submissions in the historic pay equity case neared to a close, ASU Members and our supporters took over the streets, right around Australia on our National Day of Action, singing, dancing and demanding equal pay.

Members will recall the excitement of achieving Fair Work Australia's decision in May in our pay equity case which found that community sector campaign are indeed undervalued and underpaid.

This historic decision was followed by commitments for which we have so strongly campaigned from the SA and Federal Governments to fund the increased wage rates which will flow from the final decision.

Your Branch Council opened up its meeting of 20 September 2011 to an open forum for members from all industries to reflect on and celebrate the struggle in the community sector which has achieved so much, but which is ongoing. We were excited to be joined by a Vietnamese Trade Union delegation for the celebration and they reported being incredibly impressed by our campaign.

The open forum provided an opportunity to hear from Secretary Katrine Hildyard about the six year campaign story - how an amazing workforce, dedicated to serving the vulnerable in our society, got left far behind in wage rates and how that impacted on the attraction and retention of staff, resulting in risk to ongoing quality service delivery and grave concern about the future of the sector.

Katrine reviewed what has worked in developing the campaign and how members have become so active in recruiting others into their Union and the Campaign; we could not have come so far without this and of course we need to continue and increase this activity if we are to achieve our goals.

Workplace representatives and Branch Councillors addressed the Open Forum and related what the campaign means to them in their workplaces and in their lives.

Chris Small (Anglicare), Robert Habel (UCWPA), Deb Milford (LWB) and Kaye Andrewartha (Anglicare) explained movingly why the campaign is so crucial for them and for those for whom they provide care and why most employers are actively supporting the campaign.

Others, including Branch Vice President Rachel Abdulla (Centacare) and Branch Councillor Sandra Dunn (Central Domestic Violence Service) spoke of their experiences in the campaign and how they have helped build the membership strength and confidence to succeed.

ASU members' stories were inspirational!

ASU Lead Organiser Max Adlam reminded the Forum of the key issues still to be addressed - the delivery of the funding commitments from governments; the smooth implementation of the decision,; organising to ensure sustainable funding into the future to deliver ongoing wage improvements through bargaining; and the addressing of other conditions which impact on the sector's sustainability.

For those of you aware of the ASU National Plan to Address the Workforce Crisis in the Social, Community & Disability Services Industry, you would know that although critical, achieving pay equity was just one plank of the agenda, so there is still much to do.

Our national plan outlines a range of strategies which require implementation including:

• Aligning new career structures with new education pathways providing incentive to ongoing learning and skill development;
• An end to competitive tendering and short term funding cycles;
• The establishment of an industry certification and accreditation body that brings us into line with other professions and which comprises representatives of employers, employees, educators & clients;
• The accreditation of all services as part of a long term commitment to quality service delivery, better quality assurance, and a lesser regulatory burden;
• Improved conditions of employment at the workplace level that bring our industry into line with other professions
• New staffing arrangements which introduce staff client ratios to ensure safe staffing levels.

The forum provided the opportunity to look back on the campaign journey and celebrate our achievements to date but also importantly, heartened by our historic success, to look forward confidently and dedicate ourselves to the challenges ahead.

Together we'll address all the workforce issues which both impact on staff and inhibit the sector's future capacity to deliver quality services to vulnerable members of our community.

We know that together, we can make a difference.