Unions

Secret Herbs and Spices

Read KFC worker Claire Hamilton's speech to last week's Second Wave Rally.

	Claire Hamilton at the Rally

I'm Claire Hamilton and I have worked at KFC for the past five years. I have also been union delegate for that long, to the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA). My employment at KFC is covered by a certified agreement, which was negotiated by the SDA with KFC to deliver the best possible conditions and rates of pay.

The proposed changes to the Workplace Relations Act will undermine the protection which unions deliver to employees and leave them, particularly younger employees, vulnerable to ruthless employers.

Australian Workplace Agreements also leave young employees vulnerable, as young people often lack the skills or confidence to bargain for conditions, and speaking with management can be intimidating.

If AWA's were to work alongside certified agreements, individual employees who are prepared to work for less than the rate specified in a certified agreement will get preference from management because they are cheaper in dollar per hour terms.

As a delegate to the SDA, it is my responsibility to ensure that all new employees are informed of the union and its services. But I don't do this alone. Due to the existence of a 'union encouragement clause' in our certified agreement, my managers inform new employees about the existence of the union, and that KFC is happy for employees to join.

Thanks to my managers, staff are aware of the union's presence, and my role is to answer any further questions they may have. Without the existence of a Union Encouragement Clause, young workers will be too scared to join a union.

My workplace has 80% union membership. This has nothing to do with anyone being forced to join - rather, young people cannot help but to see how useful and helpful it is to have a union represent you.

In a situation such as this - with 80% membership - under the proposed legislation my workplace and any workplace with over 60% union membership would be deemed a closed shop. So what happens then? Do the last 20% who joined the union have to revoke their membership and therefore their rights?

The vulnerability of young workers is highly underestimated. We need all the protection we can get.

This is just another example of how the Federal Government is disadvantaging young people.

YOUNG WORKERS ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE WORKERS.

Reith's attack on unionism is an attack on us.

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  Issue 29 contents

»	Workers� Savings to Bankroll Vizard Plan
»	Dress Nazis: Undies, Jewellery in Uniform Code
»	Clothing Farce: Only the Smalls are Home Grown
»	Overseas Trip for Organiser of the Year
»	State Transit Lodges Claim on Bus Drivers
»	Compo Stats Don�t Justify Slash and Burn
»	Second Wave on Misos Menu
»	Workers Rally To Protect Disabled Homes
»	Carr Ministers� New Years Eve Betrayal
»	Telstra Execs Doing Quite Well, Thank You
»	Award Breach. Did Nike Just Do It?
»	Unions Back League Class Struggle
»	STOP PRESS: Images of Burma
»	Musos, Authors in Joint Fundraiser

»	Guest Report
»	Sport
»	Trades Hall
»	Piers Watch

»	Is Bevis a Butthead?
»	More Vizard Feedback
»	The Republican Soapbox
»	Pensioners' Plea

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