
Issue No 3		05 March 1999

News

No Picnic, No Pay

By Peter Lewis

Workers who don't turn up to their union picnic day should not be paid to take the day off, according to the NSW Labor Council.

For more than a century have been organising picnic days, often dedicating the proceeds to worthy causes. For many children of working class families the picnic day was a highlight of the year, because they had access to venues they would otherwise be unable to afford.

But amidst concerns that more workers are using the day for personal recreation rather than participating in the actual picnic, unions will ask state government agencies to require proof of attendance before paying workers fro the day.

NSW Labor Council secretary Michael Costa said the payment for no picnic issue was a classic example of non-members freeloading on the gains that unions have fought hard for.

Building unions have raised the issue amidst concerns that some state government departments are not requiring proof of attendance at the picnic days before

"Picnic days have traditionally been a day for workers and their families to socialise together and build important ties for these days," Mr Costa said.

"They should not become just another public holiday."

"People that take the day off and don't buy a picnic ticket are bludging on their workmates who continue to support these important trade union traditions," he said.

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Issue 3 contents

Interview: How Organising Works
The ACTU�s Sarah Kaine is part of a new breed of union organiser who help workers stand up for themselves.

Unions: Big Boys Bank on Mergers
Mergers of the big banks are back on the agenda, and the Finance Sector Union is leading the community campaign against them.

History: Commemorating Our Dear Departed Equal Pay Activists
Two women who deserve special recognition and commemoration as part of our Women's Day celebrations are Eileen Powell and Edna Ryan, both of who played a crucial role in the struggle for equal pay.

Legal: New Judge Announces Zero Tolerance Of Pay Inequity In NSW
The NSW Industrial Relations Commission is training its sights on industrial raw-deals for women, and targeting the traditional under-valuation of women's work.

Review: Keep the Australia in Australian Television.
Local content quotas for Australian television are under threat from our Kiwi cousins.

Campaign Diary: Radical Conservatives Raise Their Own Bar
This Monday writs are issued for the state election, The phoney campaign ends and the real one begins; and the issue of stability, the need for it and the lack of it, is set to dominate the next four weeks.

» Unions Win Virtual Access To The Workplace

» Shaw To Snip At Gender Pay Gaps

» Living Wage - Round One To Unions

» Workers Fight Hotel Chain's Contracts Push

» No Picnic, No Pay

» The Modern Day Tales Of Robin Hood

» Nothing Casual About Woolies Drivers

» Unionists Flex Muscles for a Gay Time