Respect the Workers! Sustain the Services! ASU rally outside Parliament

Respect the Workers! Sustain the Services!

Australian Services Union rally Tuesday November 10th 2009

Assemble at Parliament Gardens, cnr Albert & Nicholson Sts, Melbourne. For further information
contact the ASU Member Contact Centre on 1300 855 570 or go to
www.asuvic.asn.au

ASU Day of Action for SACS workers on November 10 - We Demand Action on Equal Pay!

All ASU members are called to participate in a Day of Action on November 10, assembling at Parliament Gardens at 11am, to protest against the complete failure of the Brumby Government to increase our wages and to demand equal pay with Queensland SACS workers and public sector workers doing the SAME work.

To date, the Victorian budget delivered a pathetic 3.14 per cent increase to community sector indexation that is not guaranteed for wage increases for workers. At the same time, the Government is funding pay increases for their own employees, which again INCREASES the pay gap between public and community sector wages. At the same time the Queensland Government moved to fund pay increases of 18 to 36 per cent for QLD SACS workers.

Here’s what the Queensland Treasurer had to say:

“We are also providing resources to some of our hardest working, and most important Queenslanders. Community sector workers who care and support some of our most vulnerable Queenslanders, the frail elderly, the disabled and the unwell, have recently had the value of their work recognised by the independent Queensland Industrial Relations Commission. The single biggest allocation of additional resources in this Budget—some $414 million across four years—is provided to support the community sector to continue their essential work.”

At the same time, the Victorian government has done NOTHING to address our demands for equal pay – instead they have sent our pay BACKWARDS!

We have researched, lobbied and written submissions. An independent Commission has agreed with us, Government reports agree with us, our employers agree with us – our work is seriously undervalued! The time for report writing and polite lobbying is over – we demand IMMEDIATE ACTION from the Victorian Government. We demand Equal Pay for our work so our sector is sustainable into the future and our clients and communities receive the support they deserve from a properly funded and resourced community sector.

Coming from the Mornington area?
Contact Mark Cullen (Peninsula Youth and Family Services) on 0439 360 630