The Secretary Reports

Tim Daly Branch Secretary

ANNUAL REPORT 2004
The last financial year has been challenging and has resulted in many changes in the Union both in the way it has conducted its business and in the personnel the Union employs.
The membership of the union has continued a slow increase and the union’s financial position has improved considerably on last years result.

Office Restructure

During the year the branch's computer system was overhauled and new updated hardware purchased. This investment was at a significant cost but was necessary if the Union is to operate more efficiently and improve services to members.

A web site has been established for the Branch and it is hoped this will assist in the dissemination of information to members particularly in remote locations.

A training room has been established in the old board room and fitted out with the appropriate equipment.

Many of the Union's old records which cluttered the union's office have been moved into storage.

Alcoa

During the year a new enterprise agreement was negotiated with Alcoa for the Kwinana, and Wagerup refineries and the Huntly and Willowdale mine sites.

Negotiations are continuing with Alcoa in an attempt to reach an agreement for the Pinjarra refinery.

On going allegations of environmental and health issues have continued to dog Alcoa at Wagerup, Kwinana and Pinjarra and the Union has been active through the health wise studies and discussions with a wide range of people in regard to these issues.

The Union has continued to lobby the Government hard over the expansion of both the Pinjarra and Wagerup refineries.

Discussions have been on going over the development of a Fitness for Work Policy at Alcoa.

Timber Industry

The Union has continued to be particularly active in this industry achieving significant benefits for members.

I continue to serve on the Timber Workers Assistance Advisory Committee assisting dislocated timber workers to relocate or re-establish themselves in new jobs or businesses.

The Union was also successful in negotiating with the State Government to have Nick Oaks secondment with the government assisting timber workers extended.

I continue to sit on the Native Forest Industry Ministerial Advisory Committee and the Plantation Industry Ministerial Advisory Committee.

During the year despite the Union's best efforts the State Government reduced the volume of timber available from native forests very significantly and this has caused further hardship in areas of this sector.

Shearing Industry

During the year the Union has continued to be active in this area again providing significant benefits and assistance to workers in this area.

The Union has successfully negotiated and had registered a new state common rule award for the industry, something which was first muted back in the mid 50's.

The Union has continued to work hard with Work Safe to improve the health, safety and working conditions in this industry.

I continue to serve on the Agricultural Industry Safety Advisory Committee developing safer methods of work.

I feel a sense of frustration that despite the significant investment and time the Union has invested in the industry the Union has not received the level of support I would have hoped from the workers.

Industrial

Again the Union has been very active in negotiating enterprise bargaining agreements across all the Unions industries.

All organisers are to be congratulated for their efforts.

The deregulation of industrial relations practices has led to a significant increase in the workload of organisers.

The Union is also continuing to update all of its awards to ensure that they are all modernised and updated; many of the Branch's 52 state awards have been amended already.

The Union has also successfully represented many members in unfair dismissal cases in some cases gaining re-instatement in others monetary compensation.

Again the Union has recovered significant wages underpaid to members.

Many members have been assisted with workers compensation problems.

Mining

During the year the National Office negotiated a new federal Award with Hamersley Iron and Robe River Associates.

Unions have not effectively had any access to these two companies since the bitter disputes of the early 1990's.

The Union has successfully negotiated through the ACTU and the PMU (Pilbara Miners' Union) is now effectively operating on BHP sites.

A new updated award has been achieved at BHP giving significant benefits to workers at BHP who refused to sign an AWA.

The Union negotiated a new collective agreement with BHP at the Boodarie HBI plant.

The State Government has ordered an investigation into safety practices and procedures at BHP Iron Ore and the role of the mines inspectorate following a number of deaths.

The Branch is looking at the viability of re-opening an office in the goldfields.

There have been protracted negotiations with Henry Walker Eltin for a new enterprise agreement at Yandi. The company is trying to introduce AWA's, which the workforce has so far effectively resisted.

Construction

During the year the Federal Government in its wisdom spent $60 million dollars on the Cole Royal Commission.

The Branch Secretary was subpoenaed but ultimately not called.

The Commission was aimed at the CFMEU and some of their practices.

The Branch continues to be active in construction and has negotiated a lot of EBA's in this sector.

During the year the Secretary signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the CFMEU, AMWU,and the CEPU to end demarcation disputes on the Burrup Peninsula.

Offshore Oil & Gas

The Union has increased its presence in this sector and has actively pursued EBA's on behalf of members.

During the year the union entered into a memorandum with the Maritime Union of Australia and a strong degree of co-operation has developed between the unions leading to improved wages and conditions for members.

Training

As already indicated the union has established a new training centre and the Branch is refocussing its attention on training.

Samantha Bond from the National Office has conducted a number of training courses for delegates and others have attended courses run by Unity Training.

The Union also successfully ran a course for OHS representatives employed by Calm and Rocla Pipeline Products.

The Union is represented on the Primary Industry Employment Training Council, the Light Manufacturing Employment Training Council and the Process Manufacturing Training Council.

The Union is also represented on Workplace Services which is a registered training provider and a group training company.

During the year Mrs Kerry Crook was employed by the Union to help the Union become a registered training provider in its own right.

Politics

The Union maintains its affiliation with the ALP and has lobbied hard to have legislation changed for the benefit of workers.

The Union made submissions on "Extended Working Hours", the revision of the Industrial Relations Act, the Environmental Protection Authority on the Forest Management Plan and the Legislative Council Standing Committee on the Environment.

Conclusion

The above is not intended to report on all that the officials or union has been involved in but seeks to provide a fair over view.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who have assisted me during the year including all members of the Branch Executive, convenors and shop stewards who give so freely of their time for no other reward than the satisfaction of seeing their members benefit.

Thank you also to the staff and officials of the Branch who work extremely hard sometimes under very trying conditions.

Tim Daly
Branch Secretary

The Australian Workers' Union
West Australian Branch
Operating Report July 2003-June 2004
Workplace Relations (Registration and Accountability of Organisations) Act

Number of persons in register of members: 5,077
Number of employees (equivalent full time): 10

Names of members of Management Committee:

Norm Dicks
Tim Daly
Mike Llewellyn
Henry Rozmianiec
Glen Anderton
Steve Baker
Andy Hacking
Bill McDade
Keith Jones
John Saunders
Domenic Rippepi

Superannuation Trustees:
Union Secretary Tim Daly is a trustee of FAISS (Superannuation Scheme)

Right of Members to Resign:
AWU Rule 14 - Resigning as a member - provides for resignation of members in accordance with s174 of Schedule 1B of the Workplace Relations Act 1996

Principal Activities and Changes:
The principal activities of the organisation continued to be those of a registered trade union working for the benefit of its members through negotiating enterprise bargaining agreements, varying Awards, representing members before industrial tribunals, training of delegates and members in Occupational Health and Safety, workplace organising, recruitment and public promotion of the interests of members. There were no significant changes to the activities of the organisation.

Signed: TIM DALY Date: 25 November 2004

BRANCH SECRETARY'S REPORT

All workers desire fair wages and conditions of work and most would say that wages and working conditions in Australia are amongst the best in the world.

Many young workers have taken those conditions for granted. They can be forgiven because many of them have not had to make the sacrifices that others have to achieve these improvements.

There are many older workers however who should know better.

Four weeks annual leave and leave loading were only won in the 1970s and the 38-hour week was not achieved until 1983. Most workers did not receive industry superannuation until the late 1980s or early 1990s.

During the 1980s unions entered into an accord with the Labor Government that traded wage restraint for significant improvements in family and social security benefits.

Nothing worthwhile comes easily and nothing should be taken for granted.

Today, Australia ranks second behind Korea in the developed world in relation to the most hours worked and much of these are unpaid.

Why has the deregulation of the labour market been pushed so hard?

It has led to a rapid casualisation of the workforce.

The role of trade unions has never been more important than it is today.

It has been through the collective actions of workers working through their unions that the lifestyle most of us enjoy was achieved.

The introduction of individual contracts and Australian Workplace Agreements is aimed at weakening the collective and reducing the bargaining power of workers who after all have nothing else to sell put their labour.
Many of these new forms of agreements offer attractive wage increases upfront in return for trading off hard won conditions such as shift penalties, overtime rates and allowances.

I have rarely seen one that requires an employer to talk to his employees about changes taking place or containing a redundancy provision.

Nothing is given for nothing and invariably what happens is that over time the increased wages offered are whittled back without any return.

So why would someone sign an agreement that offers worse conditions than are contained in a union negotiated enterprise agreement?

In most cases it is because they feel there is no choice and that is why AWAs and individual contracts are wrong.

Australians of my generation are in serious danger of leaving our children with relatively worse wages and conditions than we ourselves have enjoyed.

The breakdown in the collective has been able to develop because of the unfortunate rise in the attitude of individualism or the attitude that says: "I'm alright, I can look after myself!" whereas the concept of unionism has always based itself on the principle of "The strong are prepared to make sacrifices to look after the weak."

If you take things too much for granted and are not on occasion prepared to make a sacrifice for something worthwhile you are more than likely to find out, as many have to their cost, that what you thought you had has simply disappeared.