On 2-3 November, we had our annual Delegates Conference – and whether you were able to join us in person this year or not, we’d like to give you an update on some of the significant discussions and resolutions that took place.
First and foremost, we want to say thank you to each and every one of you for being amazing HACSU delegates – your role within our union is absolutely pivotal. It’s your commitment and involvement that have propelled us this far, and you hold the power to steer us toward even greater accomplishments in the future.
During the conference, we had the opportunity to hear from a lineup of great speakers.
Michele O’Neil, the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, talked about the remarkable union movement and why Australian workers need the Closing Loopholes bill. Thomas Mayo, a signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and a big advocate for the Voice to Parliament, delivered an inspiring and touching speech about where to next in our fight to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Wilhelmina Stracke, Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, talked about her passion and extensive experience with union campaigns. We also got to hear from Senator Tammy Tyrrell, and our major sponsors Hall Payne Lawyers and HESTA. Finally, Dr John Falzon, a fearless champion against social injustice, left us feeling empowered and motivated.
In our sector workshops, we tackled workplace issues that could be addressed with funding or changes in legislation, and we discussed having a tangible impact on policy decisions and enhancing the lives of working people.
Joining us in these engaging workshops were Lauren Hutchins, Assistant Secretary at the Health Services Union NSW/ACT/QLD; Andie Moore, Health Services Union’s National Policy and Projects Officer; and Tess Oxley, HSU NSW delegate and a paramedic working in remote and regional NSW.
We also had Esther from Red Letter Day Productions who interviewed our keynote speakers and some of our delegates. They are currently putting together podcasts that we will send to you over the next few weeks.
A thank you message from Magnolia Place
Our incredibly generous delegates donated a substantial number of supplies for welcome packs to support children and women who are leaving violence or facing homelessness.
Upon receiving our donations, Magnolia Place expressed their gratitude, and wanted us to pass on their thanks – here’s what they said:
“Thank you doesn’t do justice to how deeply we appreciate your support. Many families that need to call the shelter home for a while will benefit greatly from the donations, and it is because of organisations such as yours that we are able to reduce the impact of homelessness.”
Resolutions
1. Aged care
HACSU delegates are committed to fighting for change in aged care until aged care workers and the residents they care for get the respect they deserve. We demand fairness for all aged care workers and recognition that every aged care worker provides and essential services to our loved ones and our community. HACSU delegates will no longer allow moneygrubbing employers to trample over workers’ rights or residents’ welfare, and we will no longer allow our government to let our voices go unheard.
Delegates resolved to campaign to:
• Introduce mandatory safe staffing levels for residents by writing to MPs, petitioning the community, doorknocking and educating fellow union members
• Win mental health leave for aged care workers included in the Fair Work Act by lobbying Federal parliamentarians
• Bring in mandatory professional development and training standards for aged care workers by lobbying Federal parliamentarians
2. Disability services
HACSU delegates are committed to fighting for an NDIS that supports the people who rely on it and looks after the workers who are there to provide support in our communities. Workers’ rights and NDIS participants’ rights are bound up in the same struggle. We will not allow providers to get away with rorting the system at the expense of the people who rely on it, and we will no longer allow the government to get away with underfunding us, under-supporting us, or putting our safety at risk.
Delegates resolved to:
• Organise a rally in front of Parliament House to draw attention to the need for higher wages in disability services
• Fight to secure funding for training and ensure workers have minimum qualifications by sharing our stories online
• Work with participants and their families to write joint letters to politicians to demand provider oversight
3. Public sector
HACSU delegates condemn the state of the Tasmanian health system and public community services at the hands of the State Liberal Government. We are committed to providing the very best services to our patients and our communities and we demand a full-time Health Minister who can actually focus on this vital work. The government have created an ongoing health crisis, and we will no longer accept inaction from them. HACSU delegates are committed to taking whatever action is needed in our fight to fix our health system and our community services.
Delegates resolved to doorknock, write letters and meet with politicians to campaign for:
• Public money to go to funding public services, not private hands
• More funding in allied health and primary health
• Pay parity between public servants across Australia to help attraction and retention issues
4. Fighting for the Closing Loopholes Bill
HACSU delegates resolve to fight to pass the Closing Loopholes Bill to bring in laws to make it easier for casual workers to become permanent, stop employers outsourcing work to pay people less, and protect workers in the so-called gig economy from exploitation.
Today, we commit to using our passion and our power wherever and whenever we can to demand these laws, including lobbying the crossbench politicians, educating fellow union members and supporters, and actively campaigning to win the support we need to pass these laws through the Senate.
5. HACSU members stand with First Nations people
Preamble
HACSU’s Delegates Conference in 2019 endorsed the ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’ in full, we were fortunate then to have had Thomas Mayo attend to speak about where this invitation came from and what it meant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We are fortunate enough again to have Thomas with us here this year, however, unfortunately as you would all be aware the recent referendum did not go the way we had all campaigned for. This does not signify an end to the Statement though or the fight for the First Nations people of this land.
As trade unionists, we have fought many fights and struggles over the years that have not been easy or won at first. On 23 August 1966, led by Vincent Lingiari, 200 Gurindji stockmen, domestic workers and their families initiated strike action at Wave Hill station in the Northern Territory. Supported by the MUA in the NT and other unions, they continued their strike for 9 years before they eventually won and became the first Aboriginal community to reclaim their land from the Commonwealth Government.
Fights like this have gone on throughout history in Australia, with the Union movement standing with First Nations people to ensure their voice is heard and that injustices are fixed. This is no different than how we fight for equality and fairness in our workplaces and for a better future for all.
Motion
HACSU delegates stand with First Nations people in their constant struggle and fight against the effects of colonisation on their people. We acknowledge that their sovereignty has not been ceded recognises that their fight is our fight, as uplifting those disadvantaged in our community sees all of our community grow to be stronger and leads to a more equal and fair society.
We call on politicians from all sides of government to make real change for the First Nations people of our country. We call on them to make full commitments to implementing the recommendations from the current inquiries (including Indigenous Deaths in Custody report) into why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are more disadvantaged, to set up a Makarrata Commission and commence genuine talks for treaty.
HACSU delegates stand in solidarity with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comrades and will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in their fights each step of the way, wherever their path may lead.
6. HACSU members stand in solidarity with Palestine
This conference is appalled at the latest outbreak of violence in Israel and Palestine, including in Gaza, and now spreading into neighbouring countries like Lebanon.
We grieve for all lives lost, all of which should have been preventable.
We grieve for the workers who have been killed on the job because of violence – including workers like many of us: hospital staff, paramedics, health professionals and nurses.
Every worker deserves to know that they’ll be getting home safely.
HACSU members condemn all violence against civilians, and we condemn Hamas’ attacks and abominable mass killings of Israeli civilians. We join the international community in demanding the immediate release of any hostages and an end to violence of all kinds between Israel and Palestine.
Specifically, we call for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine.
The international community must work quickly together towards a fair resolution for lasting peace, which must at its heart recognise the sovereign nationhood of the state of Palestine and the freedom, equality and human rights of its citizens. For a lasting peace to be meaningful, Palestinians must have the same rights, self-determination and access to resources as any other democratic nation.
HACSU members express our concern for Gazan workers, their families, and their communities as they have been left without food, water, electricity and fuel (blocking their exit from the horrors occurring in Gaza) at the hands of Israel’s government.
The indiscriminate bombing of Gaza by Israel is a blatant war crime and must stop. Giving residents prior warning before a missile strike does not justify the destruction of someone’s home and community infrastructure. We are especially concerned for Gazans who are unable to leave the area, and as defenders of human rights we believe that military objectives should never be prioritised over civilians.
White Australia has its own black history, and just as we showed our solidarity in the struggle for Indigenous Australians to have a Voice and self-determination, we extend our solidarity to our comrades in Palestine across the sea.
We call on international leaders to be brave and consistent in their support for universal human rights. Civilians on either side are voiceless in this. Civilians are innocent, and they have no choice in any of it.
Human rights are not selective, and we ask that these are extended to Israel and Palestine alike.
The union movement is a movement of peace. We reiterate our opposition to all forms of violence, which includes racism, antisemitism and islamophobia.
Where to now?
Because of your passion and power, we know that we can make real changes at work, and in our communities.
Now it’s your turn to keep up the momentum and go forward with the six key issues we’ve resolved to take action on.
We also need to harness our collective power to change our laws and legal loopholes and get the Closing Loopholes Bill through parliament.
Today, the fight begins to lobby crossbench politicians, educate fellow union members and supporters, and campaign to win the support we need to pass the Closing Loopholes bill through the Senate.
We’ll be writing letters, calling our representatives and talking to our friends and family about just how important these changes are.
You can also sign the ACTU’s petition to get wages moving and close the loopholes here – and if you’re keen to get even further involved, make sure you get in touch with us so we can point you in the right direction.
We want to thank you again for all of your hard work as delegates and thank those of you who attended another successful, enlightening and powerful Delegates Conference – we’re looking forward to joining you to harness your power and get active in your workplaces!