|
Issue No. 266 | 03 June 2005 |
An Act of Faith
Interview: The Baby Drought Industrial: Lies, AWAs and Statistics Workplace: The Invisible Parents History: Bruce�s Big Blunder Politics: All God's Children Economics: Spun Out International: Shakey Trials Legal: Civil Distrubance Review: Crash Course In Racism Poetry: You're Fired
Broken Hill Confronts "Choice" Soaring Mercury Sparks Walk Off Education Stands Up To Howard Assault
The Locker Room Parliament The Soapbox
Remembering Workers In Cairns Bad Law Fair Go For Injured Workers A Question Of Choice Galahs Up The Cross National Solution Bomber�s Classic
Labor Council of NSW |
News Working Between the Flags
John Restuccia, Surf Lifesaving NSW director of lifesaving, warns the very people who rescue thousands of Australians every summer are those being targeted by employer demands for "flexibility".
"The increasing demands of work, and the changing nature of work is affecting our ability recruit and retain members," he warned. "It is fair to say the ranks of surf lifesavers in Australia are mainly from the lower to middle income classifications. Most of our active patrolling members are teenagers or people in their 20s or 30s. "I am no labour market expert but this seems to be the group of people bearing the brunt of change in the nature of work, and labour market deregulation." Restuccia told the Unions NSW "Things Fall Apart" conference, that many people who had traditionally volunteered to be lifesavers now had more than one job, or uncertain hours. This, he said, threatened the survival of an iconic Australian institution, based on the volunteer ethos. Restuccia said surf lifesaving clubs had "implicit" contracts with the communities that supported and funded their operations. "Each season surf club members are allocated into rostered patrols and they must attend those patrols, or if absent, arrange a substitute." he explained. "There is little flexibility in the system and most clubs penalise members for missing patrols by suspension. If volunteers don't turn up, for whatever reason, the beach is not patrolled and safety is at risk." Restuccia said when minimum patrol requirements were not met, clubs were fined, and even suspended. Surf lifesaving is Australia's largest volunteer water safety organisation. It has 303 clubs scattered along the coast of every state, and the Northern Territory. There are around 37,000 patrolling members and, last year, they made 12,000 surf rescues.
|
Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
© 1999-2002 Workers Online |
|