CPSU members vote
Meetings were held around the country last week to vote on the way forward for the campaign by the Community and Public Sector Union to protect jobs and conditions.
Paul Oboohov reports from Canberra that on July 17 members voted down by 78 to 85 the CPSU national leadership's main motion, which would have meant abandoning the public service-wide campaign for an agreement with the federal government on wages and conditions in favour of agency bargaining.
A motion was then put by the rank and file group National Challenge calling on the leadership to plan a campaign to achieve a public service-wide agreement and protect jobs, and for a report to members by August 1.
The motion, which was adopted by 99 to 53, rejected the idea that public service-wide conditions can be maintained through agency bargaining, but stated that where agencies had already been forced into negotiations, existing public service-wide conditions should be the base line for any agreements.
Attendance at the meeting was poor. Speakers blamed this on the national leadership's weak motion.
Speakers for the leadership's motion painted a picture of industrially passive public servants and argued that agency bargaining was the "realistic" path. Speakers against the leadership's cave-in pointed to the history of sell-outs by that leadership over the past year and the consequent demoralisation of members.
Jen Crothers reports from Sydney that the only meeting in NSW was attended by fewer than 250, down from the last meeting of 800.
In national management committee discussions leading up to the announcement of the official motion, acting NSW branch secretary Malcolm Larsen had argued for stronger action and a 24-hour strike. However, other members of the committee didn't believe members would support a strike.
The national leadership's motion was passed 127 to 115, although some members called for a recount. The great majority of members left without even hearing the result.
A NSW branch motion stating that industrial action was crucial to the campaign and calling on members present to recruit new union members was passed.
However, many people had left the meeting by then and NSW branch policy states that supplementary, alternative and extra motions must have the support of 51% of the members who were originally at the meeting before they are binding.