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1.0 ATTENDANCE
1.1 Apologies
1.2 Proxies
1.3 Observers
1.4 Adoption of Agenda
2.0 PREVIOUS NATIONAL CONFERENCE MEETING, 17-19 November 2014
2.1 Minutes of National Conference Meeting - 17-19 November 2014
2.2 Business Arising from the Minutes of the National Conference Meeting - 17-19 November 2014
3.0 CONFERENCE MOTIONS
3.1 Ending Community Development Program (CDP) – SA & NT Branch
3.2 Closing the Gender Super Retirement Gap – QLD (S&NA) Branch
3.3 Climate Change - VIC Private Sector Branch
3.4 Climate Change and Just Transition for Workers and Communities - SA & NT Branch
3.5 Plebiscite for Marriage Equality – SA & NT Branch
3.6 Domestic Violence Leave – NSW & ACT (Services) Branch
3.7 Local Government Rate Capping – SA & NT Branch
3.8 Community Services Funding and Support – NSW & ACT (Services) Branch
3.9 National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – QLD (S&NA) Branch
3.10 Higher Education – QLD Together Branch
4.0 LIFE MEMBERSHIP
- Rod Miles - Queensland Together Branch
- Paul Marzato - NSW United Services Branch
- Jim Montague - NSW United Services Branch
- Mark Gill - NSW United Services Branch
- Ian Buckley - Queensland (Services & Northern Administrative) Branch
- Pauline Gallagher - New South Wales & ACT (Services) Branch
- William (Billy) Wotton - New South Wales & ACT (Services) Branch
- Anne McEwen - South Australian & Northern Territory Branch
- Lindsay Goode - South Australian & Northern Territory Branch
- Ian Petrie - South Australian & Northern Territory Branch
- Keith Meynell - Taxation Officers’ Branch
- Russell Atwood - Victorian & Tasmanian Authorities & Services Branch
- Garry Weaven - Victorian & Tasmanian Authorities & Services Branch
- Greg Day - Victorian & Tasmanian Authorities & Services Branch
- John O’Neill - Victorian & Tasmanian Authorities & Services Branch
1.0 ATTENDANCE
1.2 Proxies
Recommendation:
“That the Proxies be accepted.”
Moved:
Seconded:
1.3 Observers
Recommendation:
“That the Observers be admitted.”
Moved:
Seconded:
1.4 Adoption of Agenda
Recommendation:
“That the Agenda and Program, as circulated, be adopted as the agenda for this meeting.”
Moved:
Seconded:
2.0 PREVIOUS NATIONAL CONFERENCE MEETING, 17-19 November 2014
2.1 Minutes of National Conference Meeting - 17-19 November 2014
Recommendation:
“That the minutes of the National Conference meeting held on 17-19 November 2014 be confirmed.”
Moved:
Seconded:
2.2 Business Arising from the Minutes of the National Conference Meeting - 17-19 November 2014
[Any business arising from the minutes of the previous meeting of National Conference should be raised in this item.]
3.0 CONFERENCE MOTIONS
3.1 Ending Community Development Program (CDP) – SA & NT Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the South Australian & Northern Territory Branch and referred to National Conference to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation of the July 2016 ACTU Executive:
A decent living standard, just wages, social protections, the social safety net and self-determined, fulfilling employment is at the heart of the Australian Union Movement.
The Australian Union Movement will work to increase and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander union members, workers and their communities for a strong representative voice to ensure these rights.
Our alternative vision is one where:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the architects of their place in Australia and are equal partners in the development and implementation of policies that effect their way of life;
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers are engaged in fulfilling employment with the standard conditions and wages afforded to other Australian workers;
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are respected; the diversity of cultures, lands and traditions are respected and seen as an integral part of the Australian identity; and
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have economic security, a decent social safety net and access to universal social services (health, education, essential services) which provide the foundation for a decent and fulfilling life with equality and opportunity.
The current Turnbull government is overseeing some of the worst attacks on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers and community organisations in a generation.
The Community Development Program (CDP) undermines the industrial rights of 37,000 workers of which 31,000 are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers. The CDP forces workers into 25 hours of labour, provides no federal occupational health and safety or workers ‘compensation protection, provides no superannuation, no workplace employment standards and could be exploited by employers as a free source of labour.
While the federally mandated maximum wage that oppressed the workers at Wave Hill is gone, the Community Development Program remains, mandating that the people in remote communities work longer hours than people in metropolitan areas for the same welfare payments, or risk months cut off from government support.
The ACTU Executive is committed to ending any employment discrimination against Australia workers and as such condemns the CDP and will advocate for the restoration of equitable treatment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers.
The ACTU Executive endorses the ACTU officers to pursue whatever community, campaign, legislative and legal mechanisms it deems appropriate to end the CDP and fight shoulder to shoulder with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers in the pursuit of equality and fairness for all Australian workers.
The Australian Services Union commits to participate in a campaign to ending the CDP.”
Moved:
Seconded:
3.2 Closing the Gender Super Retirement Gap – QLD (S&NA) Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the Queensland (Services & Northern Administrative) Branch and referred to National Conference to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation:
The National Conference believes that the ASU can play an important role in closing the gender super retirement gap that many of our members face as retirement approaches.
National Conference therefore commits to lobbying the federal government to kick start measures to at least move towards some equity in superannuation to:
- Immediately increase compulsory employer contributions from 9.5 to 12 per cent, which Tony Abbott halted in 2014.
- Boost women’s superannuation balances and address the effects of longevity on annual retirement incomes by increasing compulsory employer contributions for women at a level that is two per cent higher than the mandatory rate for men or a lump sum payment of $10 000 at age 21.
- Amend sex discrimination legislation to make these extra payments possible for women.
- Introduce progressive taxation of superannuation, based on marginal rates minus a rebate that will address the inequitable nature of current tax settings to improve women’s retirement incomes, particularly for those on lower incomes.
- Remove the current exemption for employer superannuation payments to employees earning less than $450 per month, as these employees are mostly female.
- Make the $500 low income payment permanent for all women regardless of income levels.
- Allow super funds to discriminate in favour of women in regards to fees charges.
- Compulsory super payments during PPL.
- Free financial planning and education.”
Moved:
Seconded:
Information to support motion - Closing the Gender Super Retirement Gap
When women have to extend their working year by 70 days just to reach the average annual male wage, it becomes an even harder and more daunting task to accumulate a decent superannuation nest egg.
This superannuation gender gap is the real crisis facing our quickly ageing membership and society.
The union movement and industry super funds have warned about this gap for many years, and it’s encouraging to now see retail super funds echoing these concerns.
In 2015, the average super balance at retirement for women was $138,150 but was $292,500 on average for men. Based on modelling from Industry Super Australia, that current $154,000 gap will increase to $170,000 by 2030.
There are clear reasons for this: women on average earn less than men, women tend to take time out of the workforce to raise children, often return to work on a part time basis, and regularly take on other caring responsibilities for elderly parents and/or grandchildren.
Divorce and separation can also negatively impact their retirement income.
Women are living longer than men, with an average life expectancy of 84 years compared with 80 years for men, and as such need their retirement income to stretch over a longer period of time.
However, figures from the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) show that women are retiring on average with 53% less super than men. Even women who contribute to their maximum ability can face a retirement shortfall.
But this doesn’t give governments and employers an excuse to simply ignore this issue.
Despite decades of legislative, industrial and social advancement, women are still so far behind at a vulnerable time in their lives.
During the 2016 federal election campaign, the LNP showed itself a rudderless ship on super.
They cut the Low Income Superannuation Contribution for low income workers in 2014 – women are the majority of this group – and then scrambled to replace that with their own version, the Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset.
3.3 Climate Change - VIC Private Sector Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the Victorian Private Sector Branch to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation:
The ASU understands that the climate change crisis is an issue of environmental and social justice. Those who have done the least to cause climate change will experience the consequences first and worst.
Climate change will have the greatest impact on our youth, our future generations and importantly, those who have the smallest voices and those who will find it hardest to adapt.
The ASU Victorian Private Sector Branch is committed to climate justice. Through solidarity with our allies and through our organising, we work to address inequality.
The environment is a social good to be conserved. The ASU fights for fairness and equality when it comes to influence over and distribution of environmental goods.
We note that the ASU covers significant numbers of workers in the energy industry, including in coal fired power stations. Accordingly we want to see a transition to a cleaner, fairer, job-rich Victoria that can provide these workers with a just transition.
A Victoria that respects the rights of all people and that supports workers in the transition to a sustainable future. A Victoria that gives all workers fair access to the clean economy and leaves young people to inherit a safer, cleaner world.
In this motion, Delegates of the ASU commit to the following union objectives:
- Provide fair access to a “clean” economy for all;
- Extends our leadership in renewable energy and ensures the benefits of new technology are shared by all;
- Support workers to transition into “clean” jobs;
- Reduce Victoria’s carbon emissions in line with the 1.5 degree Safe Global Warming target.”
Moved:
Seconded:
3.4 Climate Change and Just Transition for Workers and Communities - SA & NT Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the South Australian & Northern Territory Branch and referred to National Conference to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation:
The Australian Services Union accepts the overwhelming science that carbon pollution is causing climate change.
We are committed to ambitious action to reduce carbon emissions and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
We recognise the opportunities for Australia in being a world leader in the transition to a low carbon economy.
We want to ensure a just transition for workers, their families and communities.
Only the labour movement will ensure that workers in carbon-intensive industries are supported through the decarbonisation transformation.
Workers and families in regional areas who are affected by the closure of carbon intensive industries are some of the first in South Australia to feel the impact of the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Australian Services Union stands with these workers and families and supports plans which assist local workers and local populations to obtain jobs through skill acquisition, skill transferability and skill enhancement in the new low carbon industries particularly in the renewable energy sectors.
The Australian Services Union supports Climate Change Strategies which:
- build on Australia’s past climate change action towards more ambitious targets;
- support the development of renewable energy generation;
- maximise opportunities for green and decent jobs;
- prepare workers for jobs in the low-carbon economy;
- encourage investment in and targets industry assistance to low-carbon industries;
- give highest priority to transitioning workers and communities affected by closures and reduced job opportunities in carbon-intensive industries;
- give workers and unions a voice;
- align climate change responses with regional development strategies;
- respect labour and human rights; and
- ensure social protection for individuals and communities.”
Moved:
Seconded:
3.5 Plebiscite for Marriage Equality – SA & NT Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the South Australian & Northern Territory Branch and referred to National Conference to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation:
The ASU is a proud supporter of marriage equality.
The ASU therefore naturally supported the ACTU Executive marriage equality resolution in August, which opposed the Turnbull Government’s proposed plebiscite:
“The Turnbull government has proposed a non-binding and costly plebiscite be held that would in effect result in significant public vilification of a wide range of people, including the children of same sex couples, and have no more legal standing than an opinion poll.
The ACTU Executive believes that during a time when more people are having their jobs destroyed, their wages cut and their living standards diminished it is not appropriate to spend in excess of $160 Million on a national opinion poll.
$160 Million would be better spent providing training to young unemployed workers, restoring refuge services for the victims of domestic violence or putting back funding that was stripped out of much needed community legal services.
The ACTU Executive believes that all people in Australia must be treated equally in law.
The ACTU Executive calls on the Turnbull government to allow a free vote on this issue thus avoiding a divisive and costly plebiscite and providing an opportunity for our elected representatives to ensure equal rights for all couples regardless of their gender.”
(Excerpt from ACTU Executive resolution)
In the vast majority of Australian workplaces, it is no longer acceptable to critique, make fun of, or worse, discriminate against LGBTIQ people due to their sexuality and/or gender identity.
A plebiscite for marriage equality not only licences such behaviour – it encourages it.
As the union for the social and community services sector, ASU members acutely understand the harm this sort of ‘debate’ would cause for the entire workforce, and in particular the LGBTIQ community.
The core values of our Union are equality, rights and safe workplaces – a plebiscite and opposition to marriage equality flies in the face of these values.
The ASU will continue to campaign against a plebiscite for marriage equality and for a successful vote on a Marriage Equality Bill within the Australian Parliament.”
Moved:
Seconded:
3.6 Domestic Violence Leave – NSW & ACT (Services) Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the NSW & ACT (Services) Branch and referred to National Conference to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation:
At the time of writing, already 50 women have died this year in Australia as a result of violence against women. Many of these women have died at the hands of an intimate partner, former partner or family member. As a community we must act to end violence against women.
Access to paid Domestic Violence leave is a vital industrial entitlement that the ASU has a proud history of pursuing through Enterprise bargaining. We have seen its inclusion in agreements across every industry that ASU members work in.
We know that access to Paid Domestic Violence leave has the real and practical effect of saving the lives of women and their children. It also enables women to remain engaged in the paid workforce, and financially secure while they are experiencing and leaving violence.
The ASU recognises the important Modern Award case that the ACTU is running in pursuit of having paid domestic violence leave included in all modern awards. We remain committed in our support of this case and note that the ASU has provided a significant number of witnesses to the case.
The ASU further acknowledges that ACTU congress in 2015 adopted the call for paid domestic violence leave to be included in the National Employment Standards.
Including Paid Domestic Violence Leave in the National Employment Standards is important because it would not only ensure that every National System employee would be entitled to it, but that no Enterprise Agreements could remove workers’ entitlement to paid domestic violence leave.
The NES includes entitlements to annual leave, personal carers leave, parental leave, community services leave and long service leave. We must ensure that domestic violence leave is not seen as any less of an entitlement.
If we are going to end violence against women and their children, we must also address community perceptions about the issue, and including paid domestic violence leave in the NES is a step towards this.
This conference acknowledges and applauds the decades of hard work of ASU members in developing and fighting for paid domestic violence leave provisions.
The ASU calls upon all levels of government to support our call for paid domestic violence leave in the NES.”
Moved:
Seconded:
3.7 Local Government Rate Capping – SA & NT Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the South Australian & Northern Territory Branch and referred to National Conference to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation:
The Australian Services Union is opposed to rate capping within local government.
Experience shows that rate capping bears a negative impact on the financial sustainability of local government.
Rate capping limits the capacity of local government to raise the revenue required to fund essential services and infrastructure, and would unacceptably limit growth in local government workers’ wages.
The Australian Services Union furthermore believes that the attachment of conditions to a rate capping policy, which allowed councils to compete for capping increases, is likely to impose an unacceptable administrative, financial, and/or political burden on councils.”
Moved:
Seconded:
3.8 Community Services Funding and Support – NSW & ACT (Services) Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the NSW & ACT (Services) Branch and referred to National Conference to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation:
ASU members working in social and community services campaigned together in the 2016 federal election for a fairer way of funding community services. They rallied, lobbied, held local actions in their communities and called on candidates across marginal seats to sign an ASU pledge for a better deal for community services and their workers.
On the eve of the election, the Federal LNP Government established a Productivity Commission Inquiry to open community services funding to greater “competition” and “contestability” by allowing for-profit multinational corporations to make money from the provision of family and community services such as domestic violence and homelessness.
This cannot go unchallenged.
The community sector already faces endless re-tendering, short term contracts and a competitive environment that affects members job security and wages and conditions as providers fight for ever reducing government funds.
The Australian Services Union calls on all Governments to:
- Not support or implement competitive tendering for community services and ensure a fairer distribution of funds between smaller locally based organisations and larger organisations, and between specialist providers and generalist providers.
- Exclude for-profit providers from receiving government funds for the provision of social and community services
- Implement sustainable funding cycles of at least 5 year service agreements
- Commit to planned indexation of community and social services funding
- Value and fund the important advocacy work of the community sector and never silence the voice of the sector and the people they support via gag-clauses or any other such restriction
- Establish a national framework for action by federal, state and territory governments to reduce violence against women and their children. In particular, a new funding stream of additional funds to fill current service gaps across jurisdictions in the provision of specialist women-led women’s services across Australia so a holistic approach is taken to supporting women and their needs when leaving domestic violence.”
Moved:
Seconded:
3.9 National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – QLD (S&NA) Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the Queensland (Services & Northern Administrative) Branch and referred to National Conference to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation:
The ASU national NDIS campaign is focused on making sure that the NDIS is the best it can be for everyone involved. The ASU supports people with disabilities having choice and control. We believe this is maximised where there is a stable, skilled and properly paid workforce.
We believe that to ensure the NDIS is the best it can be, the workforce must be supported with a decent safety net of conditions, and secure jobs, so the sector can grow and retain skilled professional workers.
The ASU will continue to campaign on our four key pillars:
- Decent pay and conditions protected in NDIS pricing;
- Secure jobs at the centre of service delivery;
- Workforce engagement in how providers adapt to NDIS; and
- Professional standards and career paths.
- In doing so the ASU calls on all governments to:
- Enhancing skill levels, skill recognition and continuing professional development of the disability sector workforce and that there is access to quality and relevant training provided by TAFE;
- Ensuring employment standards and employee entitlements are protected and maintained through the National Disability Insurance Scheme funding mechanisms so NDIS pricing reflects the true cost of required staffing supports for people with a disability;
- Minimise the spread of casualised and insecure work in the disability sector; and
- Develop best practice standards and accreditation of supports in consultation with stakeholders so that quality controls and safeguards can be established, maintained and properly funded.”
Moved:
Seconded:
3.10 Higher Education – QLD Together Branch
The following motion was referred to National Conference by the Queensland Together Branch and referred to National Conference to adopt the following motion into union policy.
Recommendation:
“That the 2016 ASU National Conference endorses the following recommendation:
ASU National Conference recognises the importance of improving the living standards of all Australians. In doing so, we acknowledge education as a key enabler to improving the living standards of all Australians, what it means for Australian families, and what it means for those who work in the education sector.
The Australian Services Union commits to working with other Unions in lobbying current and future federal governments to:
- secure a high quality publicly funded education system; and
- end the agenda for the deregulation of our higher education sector (VET and Universities).
- Specifically, we call upon the Federal Government to deliver a quality post-compulsory education which:
- is publicly accessible to all and is federally funded;
- promotes the benefits of what education brings as a key underpinning enabler to the Australian society and economy;
- includes quality assurance frameworks and regulations for all post-compulsory education providers, specifically for the VET and Higher Education sectors;
- is accessible to all Australians, and encourages increased participation by underrepresented sectors of our community (e.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people of low socio-economic status, remote and regional communities, and people from a non-English speaking background).”
Moved:
Seconded:
4.0 LIFE MEMBERSHIP
Branches forwarded on resolutions passed at Branch Executive meetings nominating members for ASU National Life Membership in accordance with the National Rule 33 – Life Membership.
National Executive has also recommended the members for Life Membership.
Recommendation:
“National Conference resolves that Life Membership of the ASU be conferred on the following members:
- Rod Miles - Queensland Together Branch
- Paul Marzato - NSW United Services Branch
- Jim Montague - NSW United Services Branch
- Mark Gill - NSW United Services Branch
- Ian Buckley - Queensland (Services & Northern Administrative) Branch
- Pauline Gallagher - New South Wales & ACT (Services) Branch
- William (Billy) Wotton - New South Wales & ACT (Services) Branch
- Anne McEwen - South Australian & Northern Territory Branch
- Lindsay Goode - South Australian & Northern Territory Branch
- Ian Petrie - South Australian & Northern Territory Branch
- Keith Meynell - Taxation Officers’ Branch
- Russell Atwood - Victorian & Tasmanian Authorities & Services Branch
- Garry Weaven - Victorian & Tasmanian Authorities & Services Branch
- Greg Day - Victorian & Tasmanian Authorities & Services Branch
- John O’Neill - Victorian & Tasmanian Authorities & Services Branch
Moved:
Seconded:
2016 National Conference Agenda & Motions