Labour Day: Celebrating the past, committing to the future
Published: 6 June 2011
What do the following have in common?
The 8 hour day, 40 hour week, 38 hour week, annual leave, sick leave, long service leave, penalty rates, paid parental leave, career and classification structures, anti-discrimination laws, equal pay, bereavement leave, public holidays, right-of-entry laws, collective bargaining rights, unfair dismissal laws, the right to natural justice in disciplinary matters, and workplace health and safety legislation.
The answer is that these issues were all fought for and achieved collectively by the union movement. They are all designed to improve the living standards of working people, both in the workplace and outside work.
Unions have always been central to social progress, and every year on Labour Day, in May, we celebrate the generations of unionists who have committed their energies, and sometimes even their lives, to advance the common good.
The modern union movement has promoted rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, peace in favour of war, social harmony instead of division, and industrial democracy over arrogant managerialism.
It is a sad paradox in Australia that we should live in a healthy liberal democracy which has a history of producing great policy outcomes, yet once we step inside the workplace consultation and democracy all too frequently become the prerogative of the employer and great outcomes come second to profit and personal interest.
A strong union presence in the workplace has a sobering effect on how the managerial prerogative is applied.
Wise managers learn to consult rather than direct, and seek change through collaborative decision-making and problem-solving rather than by decree.
Sadly, there is also the ever-present threat that good public policy will be sabotaged by managers who disagree with the policies they are required to implement – managers who reluctantly comply, but resist every step of the way.
Unfortunately, instances of this are not uncommon.
For example, some Queensland Health Districts resist their own policies in relation to consultation and process.
So Labour Day is not only a celebration of the collective achievements of the past, but also a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to industrial democracy and good public policy.
Labour Day is also a celebration of our profession.
There are so many positive things to celebrate about being a nurse or a midwife, not least the contribution we make to the community.
I am always delighted by the goodwill extended by the public to our nurses and midwives, whether they work in primary health care, the rural and remote areas of the state, our tertiary hospitals and general practice clinics, schools, offender health services, or mental health and aged care.
It is unfortunate that such recognition is not always extended by employers.
Just look at the recent behaviour of TriCare – the self-proclaimed "leaders in aged care". After five enterprise agreements, their wage rates are barely above the award and their offers arguably fail to meet the minimum award standard.
So while we are growing in strength and capacity as a union and a profession, we still have many challenges ahead.
Your voice in these challenges is central to our collective success.
If you missed Labour Day this year, try to add your voice to next year’s march. It’s a great day.
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