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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-01 Daily Xml
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MAY DAY

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Will the minister advise the chamber about International Workers' Day, commonly known as May Day, and particularly the Australian Services Union's role in the recent pay equity case?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for her very important question. International Workers' Day, commonly known as May Day, is a commemorative day around the world on the first day of May and is a celebration of the international labour movement. I acknowledge and congratulate members of the May Day Committee, including Liz Temple, Regional Secretary of the CPSU, Jamie Newlyn, Branch Secretary of the MUA, and Darren Roberts, Assistant Secretary of the CFMEU, who have worked tirelessly to organise several events over the coming weeks, including a dinner this evening with distinguished guest, former High Court Justice, the Hon. Michael Kirby QC.

I look forward to attending that dinner and also to attending the May Day march on Saturday 5 May, beginning in Victoria Square, and also to speaking at the Port Adelaide Workers Memorial ceremony on Sunday 6 May. That memorial, among other things, commemorates the life and contributions of Mr Arthur Mortimer, who passed away in April 2011. He worked as a library services lobbyist for children and the underprivileged in the community, and he played a key role in developing quality public libraries throughout the state. His name will be included on the workers memorial in Port Adelaide.

May Day, and the events that accompany it, emphasise the importance of workers uniting to achieve common goals. It is also important to remember that unions undeniably bring working people together to make workplaces a fairer, healthier and safer place, by advocating collectively for improved working conditions. So many workplace conditions that we take for granted and are now enshrined in law were secured for working Australians by workers and their unions.

Unions are responsible for almost every advance made by working people. The 38-hour week, annual leave, health and safety and workers compensation, and maternity leave provisions are just some of the working conditions that have been fought for and won by union members. More recently the Australian Services Union and its members have sought equal rights for women in the workplace through the national pay equity case which was recently heard by Fair Work Australia.

In March 2010 the Australian Services Union lodged an application with Fair Work Australia seeking an equal remuneration order for the social and community services industry. Since the application was lodged, this government has acknowledged in many ways the invaluable service provided to the South Australian community by workers in the social and community services sector. On 1 February 2012, Fair Work Australia handed down its decision to increase award rates for workers in the social and community services industry by between 19 and 41 per cent.

Fair Work Australia concluded that workers in these industries have received lower pay over many years because this work is disproportionately undertaken by women workers. Equivalent jobs that had a greater number of male workers generally received high wages. The South Australian government warmly welcomes this news. Without the advocacy of the Australian Services Union (and I might note that the Hon. John Gazzola was formerly the secretary of that union for quite a number of years) and the hard work of union members, this outcome would not have occurred.

The state government also advocated on behalf of workers in the community services sector. In 2008 a submission was made to the national inquiry into pay equity and associated issues relating to increased female participation in the workforce, advocating that Fair Work Australia should implement equal remuneration principles based on the South Australian Fair Work Act 1994 definition of 'equal remuneration for men and women doing work of equal or comparable value'. This definition, which recognises remuneration under-valuation due to gender, was consequently included in the Fair Work Act 2009 (the commonwealth Fair Work Act) and was critical in paving the way for the recent Fair Work Australia decision.

In 2010 and 2011, the government made written submissions reinforcing South Australia's support for social, community and disability services sector workers receiving equal pay as workers in equivalent jobs in other industries. South Australia was also directly involved in the case through representation at multiple conciliation conferences. The South Australian government has chosen to be actively involved in this case because it values the very important contribution of workers in the social and community services sector.

Increases to the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award will commence on 1 December 2012. I look forward to the implementation of this decision in South Australia. This is just one of the countless examples where unions have advocated for improved working conditions and where union members have achieved a favourable outcome for working Australians. International Workers' Day stands as a reminder of these wins for workers and the important role that unions play in our society.

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