My address to union members December 2005

Greetings everyone.
Thankyou so much for taking the time to come along today.

At the risk of repeating some of what David has already spoken of, I would like to spend a couple of minutes to give you some background to this years EBA negotiations from the union delegate’s point of view.

Because of the Liberals bastardly industrial relations changes, we’ve always been racing against the clock somewhat to deliver an acceptable outcome to you, the members.
The bottom line is that we’ve only had a few short weeks to negotiate a new agreement, before these IR changes kick in, probably early next month.

Now, in that context, I believe we’ve got a pretty good outcome.
As ever, we didn’t get everything we asked for, but we’ve done okay.

There are some who may say we could have pushed a little harder and squeezed a bit more out of the company (and, just as an aside, I would mention that the company are fully aware that none of us here are afraid of a blue, after last year’s strike).
However, while we may have got a little more out of them if we’d pushed a little harder, these people aren’t stupid, and they knew that if we played hardball all they had to do was put off signing a new EBA and just hold out till these shitty new laws were enacted. That way they could screw us good and proper, because under the new laws they won’t be obligated to negotiate an EBA with us. They can do what they like.

It’s my belief that the most important thing we’ve gained from this year’s negotiations is that we still have an EBA that maintains our rights and conditions in the face of the
Liberals all new, all singin’, all dancin’ brave new world of industrial relations.

Once the new laws kick in, there will be many businesses in Tasmania, that won’t even be bound by a basic award (never mind an EBA) to protect the interest of workers and to keep the employer honest.

At this property, not only have we maintained award conditions, but with the EBA we are almost 20% better off than most other hospitality and entertainment venues within Tasmania. This is the EBA that many of us here have fought for over the years, by virtue of our union membership, and our commitment to looking after our rights.

I truly believe that the best thing about the new EBA being put forward for your consideration, is that it gives us some breathing space in which to elect a federal government who are committed to rolling back these shonky new laws.
And I am quite certain that if we fail to do so, next time we won’t be so lucky in getting a collective agreement. When the company believes they can succeed in breaking us down by offering individual contracts, how long do you think it will take them?

When I make a statement like that, it’s not just so I can have a cheap shot at John Howard, as tempting as that may be. No, it’s a genuine heartfelt warning to you that what the Liberals are doing to workers this time is only the beginning of their horrific agenda. Remember, if you tolerate this your children will be next.

In closing then, I would reiterate that in the context of the political times we live in, this EBA is the best outcome we could have hoped for, in that it maintains and in some ways improves upon, what we’ve achieved in previous years. It gives us a solid platform to build on next time around, when, with a bit of luck, we will have voted in a government who are more interested in, and sympathetic to, your rights at work.

God bless and breed you all.