By David Llewellyn
WOLLONGONG — Threatened industrial action by Public Sector Union members here in support of an unfairly dismissed fellow worker has forced DSS back to a Human Rights Commission hearing it had walked out of.
In July 1988 DSS appointed Wendy Campbell as a probationary employee. She was an equal employment opportunity placement. Wendy's neurosurgeon recommended that she be found a workplace closer to home than where she was initially placed, but it took the department 11 months to arrange this transfer.
Within a month after her transfer, Wendy underwent surgery to alleviate her problem and returned to work after three weeks because her sick leave ran out. Rather than providing support, the local management subjected her to an inordinate amount of scrutiny and her work performance suffered because of this.
Within months of successful brain surgery which had almost cured the condition, Wendy was sacked from the South East Area Office in Wollongong. "Her work performance and health were unsatisfactory", according to management.
PSU members in the office believe Wendy was discriminated against because of the personal bias of departmental officers and omissions in the performance of their duties. Wendy's health deteriorated because of constant, unfair scrutiny of her conduct and work.
The union appealed to the Merit Protection Review Agency, the Human Rights Commission and Equal Employment Commission on Wendy's behalf because, as a probationary employee, she had no appeal rights.
After 18 months, DSS finally agreed to attend a human rights conference called to conciliate the matter. After PSU put its case, the meeting adjourned for lunch, but the DSS officials did not return. DSS officials stated that the department "was not prepared for such a detailed case and the Human Rights Commission was biased"!
The department recently offered Wendy three months' temporary work with no guarantee of continuing employment. This was considered completely inadequate.
PSU members in Wendy's office have passed several resolutions in her support and on March 29 demanded that DSS return to the human rights conference or face industrial action. After Easter, the department consented to return to the Human Rights Commission. The matter is yet to be resolved.
PSU members at the office have requested resolutions and messages of support. These can be sent to PSU Delegate, Area Office South East, PO Box 726, Wollongong East 2520, or faxed on (042) 26 0505. To contact the delegates involved ring David Llewellyn on (042) 26 0536 or Jim .