By Steve Rogers
CANBERRA: A debate on the proposed amalgamation between the Public Sector Union (PSU) and the State Public Service Federation provided a lively focus for the first meeting of the ACT branch conference since the PSU Challenge victory in November. PSU national secretary Peter Robson argued the yes case against ACT senior deputy president Greg Adamson.
Robson stated that the amalgamation was essential to respond to growing threats to public funding, and that a combined union would be in a stronger position to influence government decision making on the issue.
Adamson responded that the issue was how to protect the public sector. "We don't do it by taking $100,000 from the Department of Industrial Relations and then pretending that governments are opposed to bigger unions.
"We don't do it by spending large amounts of money on thinly veiled ALP electioneering.
"We do it through networking with all public sector unions ... We do it through our independence from the governments which are making these cuts.
"We do it through amalgamations, where these genuinely help us, unlike this one.
"But overwhelmingly, we do it with our members, in a democratic and fair manner. We encourage debate: that means both sides being heard. We prove in action that we are something different from the forces we are up against."
The conference later passed without opposition a resolution from Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories delegates condemning the union's pro-amalgamation video and the one-sided presentation of a yes case to their delegates' committee. The resolution proposed that the issue be considered in an even-handed way.
PSU Challenge won a clear majority in the November elections, generally with a 10% majority over the incumbent PSU Alliance candidates. The conference delegates, on the other hand, were elected a year earlier. Many are supporters of the old guard. Much of the meeting was bogged down by defeated PSU Alliance candidates attempting to impose their agenda on the newly elected officials.
In addition, a red-baiting attack was launched on branch secretary Cath Garvan, claiming that she had abused branch resources by providing delegate lists to left-wing organisations. In fact, these are freely available from the Electoral Commission to any union member standing as a workplace delegate.
Meanwhile, the PSU national office continues its record of poor service to members by failing to meet union rules regarding nominations for the forthcoming national union elections.
With nominations due to close on March 30, union rules specify that the call for nominations should be published in the union journal by the end of February. This deadline has been missed.