Healthy Democracies Don’t Criminalise Protest
CPSU Assistant Secretary Tom Lynch weighs in on the Rockliff Government’s Anti-Protest bill. People in healthy democracies should feel free to protest without threat of criminal prosecution. The Rockliff government’s Police Offences Amendment (Workplace Protection) Bill 2022 is bad legislation. Rather than being developed to address real problems, its purpose is to create a political […]
Community Corrections – Where is the love?
This year’s budget we saw funding for 326 new police officers. More Police will mean more arrests and more people going to prison, but the budget included very little in new funding for community corrections – the people who help to rehabilitate inmates and return them into the community. We saw police gain new funding […]
CPSU Challenges Unenforceable Workplace Policies at DOE
If you were to visit your Employer’s Intranet, you would no doubt see dozens of workplace policies and procedures that have been written and published by your Department’s Human Resources Team. Some policies have been developed or updated through consultation with the CPSU membership, while others have not. Workplace policies are an important tool to […]
Crunch-time for TasTAFE Promise of “No Disadvantage” to Workers
CPSU Lead Industrial Officer Natalie Jones breaks down the implications of TasTAFE’s transfer out of the Tasmanian State Service. PICTURE: TasTAFE Alanvale Campus, Launceston. On 1 July 2022, TasTAFE transitioned out of the Tasmanian State Service to a not-for-profit government business. The expression, “no disadvantage for employees” has been used time and time again by […]
Department of Communities Hit with 6 PINs Over Unsafe Conditions for Child Safety Workers
After weeks of pressure, the CPSU has obtained the inspection reports from the asbestos specialist and occupational hygienist Presna Pty Ltd, which were engaged after the first inspection, under the instruction of your HSR. The reports provide more questions than answers, below are the questions we have sent through to the Department for answering. As […]
Premier Must Investigate Serious Discrimination of Union Members
The Tasmanian State Service has long had a poor record regarding discrimination, so the recent decision by the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal that senior officials discriminated against workers on the basis of their political and industrial activities requires a response from Premier Rockliff. The new Premier claims he wants to lead a government that is accountable and […]
Unions Win Massive Discrimination Case
Discrimination by your Employer on the basis of industrial activity is unlawful. This week the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has handed down a significant decision that confirms the Tasmanian Government discriminated against its workforce on the basis of industrial activity during the stop work meetings held as part of the last Public Sector Union […]
‘Disgusting’ Conditions at Ageing Woodhouse Building Shows State Government’s Attitude towards Child Safety
After the heavy rainfall in early May, the Woodhouse Building at St Johns Park flooded – and not for the first time. The building is known to ‘leak’ during any rain heavier than a sprinkle. The impacts of previous flooding is evident throughout the building on any given day – from the sagging roof to […]
Building a Claim for Working Women
CPSU members have an excellent track record of achieving new rights for working women in the Tasmanian State Service. The CPSU are incredibly proud of what we achieved together in the last negotiation period, including an increase in paid parental leave to 16 weeks and the payment of Employer-superannuation contributions for any unpaid leave taken […]
It’s up to Public Sector Workers to Build Momentum for Fair Wage Increases
Michael Ferguson’s 2022/23 State Budget signals that the Government will attempt to force a 3.5% real wage cut on Tasmania’s 30,000 public sector workers, offering just 2.5% against 6% inflation. It’s another kick in the guts for workers, and more evidence that our industrial system is failing to deliver fair outcomes for working people. It coincides […]