Meeting held : 05 June 1997
Chair of Meeting: The President, Com. J. Whelan
LABOR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
MEETING HELD 5TH JUNE, 1997 IN THE
TRADES HALL AUDITORIUM
AT CORNER GOULBURN AND SUSSEX STREETS, SYDNEY, AT 6.05 P.M.
The President, Com. J. Whelan, occupied the Chair.
PRESENT:- P. Sams (Secretary), M. Costa (Assistant Secretary)
M. Lennon (Executive Officer).
The Secretary, Com. P. Sams, moved:-
"That the minutes as circulated be received."
Com. C. Hodges seconded.
CARRIED
The Secretary, Com. P. Sams, moved:-
"That the minutes as circulated be adopted."
Com. J. Templeman seconded.
CARRIED
CREDENTIALS:-
For tonight's meeting:
From The Australian Services Union, New South Wales Clerical and Administrative
Branch - appointing P. Sekhon.
Moved and seconded:-
"That the credentials be received
and the delegates welcomed."
APOLOGIES:-
Apologies were received and accepted from: S. Moait, J. Merchant, B.
Jardine, J. Hennessy, B. Schmidt, G. Dwyer.
MOTION OF CONDOLENCE:-
The Secretary, Com. P. Sams, advised all affiliates it was his sad duty
to report the passing of Com. David Irvine, a former organiser of the Printing
and Kindred Industries Union and former Labor Council Executive Member.
Com. Irvine joined the then Amalgamated Printing Trades Employees Union
in 1941. In 1965 he was elected as an Organiser, a position he held following
the formation of the P.K.I.U. up until his retirement in August, 1987.
During those years he was an active delegate to the Labor Council and served
as an Executive Member for many years. In 1984 he was presented with the
Labor Council's Scroll of Honour. Com. Irvine was a trade union stalwart
and his commitment to the rank and file workers and their rights and aspirations
was total and unwavering.
In a tragic and ironic twist, the day following Com. Irvine's death,
his wife passed away - obviously unable to cope with the loss of her lifetime
partner.
J. McCarthy seconded and spoke to the resolution.
CARRIED BY DELEGATES
OBSERVING A MINUTES SILENCE
EXECUTIVE BUSINESS
CORRESPONDENCE:-
1. From the Ministry of Urban Infrastructure Management - requesting
Labor Council nominate a representative with whom the Waterways Advisory
Panel could consult during its deliberations. The Waterways Advisory Panel
would be conducting a review of Sydney Water Corporation's proposal to
store and transport wet weather sewer overflows from the Northern Suburbs
Ocean Outfall Sewer which would be one of the major influences on water
quality in the Harbour by the time of the Olympics in 2000.
Com. Sams moved Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Labor Council nominate
the Secretary of the Australian Services Union, NSW and ACT Services Branch,
Alison Peters, as its representative."
Com. L. Darnley seconded.
CARRIED
2. From the New South Wales Nurses' Association - concerning
its campaign "keep the nursing in nursing homes".
The purpose of the campaign is to ensure that, as a result of the proposed
Federal Government changes to aged care, nursing care and nursing positions
in aged care are not lost and the quality of care to older people in aged
care facilities is not compromised. One of the aspects of the Association's
campaign was the tabling of petitions in the Senate prior to the debate
on the Bill. It hoped to have a large number of completed petitions and
requested Labor Council's support in collecting signatories.
Com. Sams moved Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Labor Council encourage
affiliates to participate in the campaign and organise signatories for
the petition."
Com. B. Holmes seconded and spoke to the resolution.
CARRIED
3. From the Attorney General and Minister for Industrial Relations,
the Hon. Jeff Shaw, QC MLC - thanking Council for its recent letter
regarding the calculation of workers' compensation weekly payments. The
Minister advised that, although the issue was of great concern, in view
of the current financial position of the WorkCover Scheme the impact of
any change to the legislation regarding weekly benefits must be carefully
considered. The Minister had directed the WorkCover Authority to obtain
actuarial costings of amending the legislation and would keep Labor Council
informed on the matter.
Com. Sams moved Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and noted."
Com. D. Reiss seconded.
CARRIED
4. From the Minister for Ports, the Hon. Carl Scully, MP - seeking
Council's nomination for an appointment of an employee's representative
board member of the Sydney Ports Corporation, following the resignation
of the Staff Director, Mr Paul Curran. The Minister proposed to fill the
vacancy created by Mr Curran's resignation by appointing a Labor Council
nominee for the balance of the term, to April 1999.
Com. Sams moved Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Labor Council nominate
Com. Paddy Crumlin, Maritime Union of Australia, as the employee representative
to the Sydney Ports Corporation."
Com. J. McCarthy seconded.
CARRIED
5. From the Treasurer of New South Wales, the Hon. Michael Egan,
MLC - concerning Council's recent meeting with the MEU and its delegates
employed by Gosford and Wyong Shire Councils employed water and sewerage
services. The Treasurer advised that the review into the provision of water
and sewerage services in the Gosford and Wyong Shires had now been completed
and the Government had received the report. The report found that, while
there could be improvements, any Government imposed structural change to
the way water and sewerage services are provided by the Councils, had been
ruled out.
Com. Sams moved Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Labor Council welcomes
the Government's decision not to alter the arrangements for the water and
sewerage services currently provided by Gosford and Wyong Shire Councils
and a copy be forwarded to the MEU."
Com. C. Hodges seconded.
CARRIED
6. From the Council on the Ageing - requesting Council's support
for a project on unemployment for mature age workers. It was applying for
a one-off grant offered from the Ageing and Disability Department to start
this project and would continue the project in partnership with interested
stakeholders. It proposed to conduct a number of public seminars drawing
together unemployed older workers and older workers at risk of unemployment
and form peer support groups. It would also conduct an education campaign
to target employers and unions to counteract stereotypes and myths about
older workers.
Com. Sams moved Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and Labor Council liase
with the appropriate support for the project and provide a letter of support."
Com. V. Herman seconded.
CARRIED
7. From the Australian Services Union, NSW and ACT Services Branch
- advising that a rally should be organised outside State Parliament House
as a clear public demonstration of the union movement's concerns over the
proposals to privatise the electricity industry in NSW. The Union requested
that Labor Council co-ordinate the rally.
and from the Committee of Inquiry into Sale of Electricity Assets
- informing Council that the NSW Government had established a Committee
of Inquiry to examine the desirability of selling NSW Electricity assets,
which would Chaired by Mr Bob Hogg. The Committee's broad Terms of Reference
would pay particular attention to social employment, environmental and
industrial issues associated with the discussion paper "A Plan
for a Secure NSW" recently released by the Treasurer and Minister
for Energy. The Committee invited Labor Council to provide a submission
on the issues raised in the discussion paper attached, by June 27.
Com. Sams moved Executive Recommendation:-
"That the correspondence be received and referred to a meeting
of power industry unions for the drafting of an appropriate union submission
to the Hogg Inquiry and Labor Council co-ordinate a rally outside Parliament
in consultation with power industry unions."
Com. B. Riordan seconded and spoke to the resolution.
CARRIED
REPORT:-
1. RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN - CAMPAIGN
The Secretary, Com. P. Sams, advised of a recruitment campaign to be
conducted on the Central Coast in the week commencing June 23, which would
involve himself and the President of the ACTU, Jennie George. The campaign
would include radio advertising and a 1800 number for enquiries. The project
budget was approximately $8,000.
At a meeting of unions convened to discuss the campaign, and its cost,
it was determined that, as the campaign was intended to highlight the broad
role of unions on the Central Coast, and the advertisement was generic
rather than union specific, that this was a case for costs to be apportioned
across all affiliates.
The Secretary, Com. P. Sams, moved:-
"That the report be received."
Com. L. Poleson seconded.
CARRIED
The Secretary, Com. P. Sams, moved:-
"That the report be adopted and the costs associated with the
campaign be allocated to all affiliates."
Com. L. Darnley seconded.
CARRIED
ANNOUNCEMENT:-
The Secretary, Com. P. Sams, advised all affiliates of the 4th lecture
in the 1997 Whitlam Lecture Series to be held Wednesday, June 25 at 6.00
p.m. The lecture would be delivered by Anne Summers, Writer, Columnist
and Social Commentator on Back to the Future: Issues and Ideas for the
Men and Women of Australia, and would be held in the auditorium at
the NSW Teachers' Federation. Admission would be by ticket only and the
cost of the tickets - $5.00.
COUNCIL ADJOURNED AT 6.40 P.M.
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