CPSU's protected action in Parks Victoria is continuing over the Christmas/New Year period.

Parks Victoria have not approached the Unions with an improved offer, so there will be no let up in our campaign.

There has been a great deal of media interest in our campaign, and this is causing ongoing embarrassment to the Government.

Just prior to Christmas, Fair Work Australia decided the impasse on wages applying to the Victorian Public Service Agreement would be best dealt with by the tribunal.

Commissioner Smith asked for undertakings about CPSU protected action applying under the VPS Agreement and the Union undertook to cease all the protected action applying in all areas under the VPS Agreement in anticipation of the Tribunal's intervention.

WHILE THE TRIBUNAL'S INTERVENTION IN THE VPS WAGES STALEMATE IS WELCOME AND WILL ULTIMATELY ASSIST OUR PARKS BARGAINING THE UNDERTAKING IS NOT RELATED TO OUR PARKS VICTORIA AGREEMENT AND DOES NOT AFFECT OUR PARKS PROTECTED INDUSTRIAL ACTION.

The ongoing protected action in Parks Victoria is as follows:

- Indefinite or periodic industrial action in the form of not complying with the Public Sector Standards Commissioners restrictions on public comment as set out in section 3.5 of the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees (No 1) 2007

  (This means that members in Parks Victoria are free to make public comment about the Government’s substandard pay offer)

- Indefinite or periodic ban on the use of private vehicles for any work purpose

- Indefinite or periodic ban on checking emails after 12 noon each day. Requests outside this time, via email, will not be responded to until the next day

- Indefinite or periodic industrial action in the form of a ban on answering phone before 9am and after 4.30pm.

  (Members who are on Emergency Standby are advised to use discretion on this ban)

- Indefinite or periodic industrial action in the form of attaching the following statement to each email:

   “The following message is authorised protected industrial action under the Fair Work Act 2009: I’m taking protected industrial action because 2.5% IS NOT 4 ME. The Government needs to adequately fund public services and I ask you to support us by joining our campaign at www.fairpay4fairwork.com. Thanks.”

  (Please copy and paste these exact words into your email signature)

- Indefinite or periodic industrial action in the form of wearing campaign material and/or badges.

- Indefinite or periodic ban on providing of statistics or data for official reports

  (MANAGERS PLEASE NOTE – you may be asked to keep records of those participating in bans, for the purpose of pay docking. The recording of such information is covered by this ban, and as such, you are not required to do so)

- Indefinite or periodic ban on traveling for work purposes in own time

- Indefinite or periodic ban on using private credit cards, cash etc to make small purchases and then getting reimbursed via petty cash

- Indefinite or periodic industrial action in the form of placing signage on Government Vehicles containing our CPSU logo and messages authorised by CPSU relating to bargaining for an enterprise agreement.

- Indefinite or periodic ban in the supervision of volunteers working in parks.

- Indefinite or periodic ban on the collection of camp fees.

- Indefinite or periodic ban on the servicing or monitoring of camp facilities.

- Indefinite or periodic ban on completing time sheets.

- Indefinite or periodic ban on issuing fines or infringement notices, preparation of legal briefs, and court appearances.

- Indefinite ban on meetings, correspondence to or contact with Friends Groups, Community Groups or Peak Bodies.

CPSU may also notify Parks Victoria of Parks closures.  Members at these locations will be contacted individually regarding these arrangements.  If you are not contacted, work will continue as normal.

Union members are protected under the Fair Work Act when taking this industrial action.

It is unlawful for any person, including your employer, to take any kind of adverse action against you for doing so.

The employer can ask if you are participating in action, but you are not obliged to answer.

The employer CANNOT ask if you are a Union member.

The employer can dock your pay for taking action, but this must be proportionate to the action you are taking, and they must notify you first.

If it is disproportionate, the Union can contest it.

If you have any concerns about your rights, or believe you have been the victim of adverse action, you are urged to contact the Union immediately.

CPSU strongly encourages all members to participate in the Protected Action to say 2.5% is not enough.

Join our Virtual Campaign http://www.fairpay4fairwork.com/ and call on the Government to bargain in good faith and adequately fund public services.


ORGANISE YOUR WORKPLACE NOW.

Follow all our bargaining updates on twitter -

  - CPSU_Vic #baillieubargaining

Visit http://www.cpsuvic.org for all the bargaining information.

Please distribute this bulletin and ask your colleagues to join CPSU to have their voice heard and their views represented.


TOGETHER WE DO BETTER!

http://www.cpsuvic.org/public_docs/Work-Can-Change-membership-flyer.pdf
http://www.cpsuvic.org/public_docs/memform.pdf


KAREN BATT
CPSU Victorian Branch Secretary

28 December 2011