Leave our leave alone - rally during holidays

Public sector unions have joined forces to campaign against the State Government’s attacks on job security, long service leave and holiday leave loading.

A full page advertisement endorsed by the unions appears in today’s Advertiser and Independent Weekly newspapers.

According to SA Unions President, Janet Giles, the Government has drafted a Statute Amendments Bill which will override other Acts which define current long service leave accrual rates for various public sector workers.

The Bill is likely to be rushed into Parliament at the same time as the Budget Appropriation Bill on 14 October.

SA Unions Executive will meet next week and plan a combined public sector unions rally at Parliament House.

AEU members' current long service leave entitlements could disappear after 14 October!

"Teachers" have been identified as one group of public sector workers whose holiday leave loading will remain. The AEU understands that TAFE Act employees will be similarly exempt.

DECS has been unable to say whether the same applies to other education workers - SSOs, ECWs and AEWs.

This is the action of a Labor Government!  It has already imposed a 2.5% wage freeze on public sector workers.  (Our case was in Arbitration at the time, so we escaped the freeze.) 

Now it is intending to use legislation to ram through cuts to our leave provisions having, on the same day as the Budget was delivered, voted with the Liberals to award politicians a 71% increase in superannuation contributions -  paid for by our taxes!

The AEU has no affiliation with the ALP or any political party and does not contribute to ALP campaign funds.

If there’s ever been a reason to get angry and rally in numbers, this is it!

Prepare for a Rally supported by all public sector unions to oppose this attack on conditions.  The likely date for the Rally is Friday 8 October from 12.30-1.30 pm at Parliament House.  Check your
e-mails and SMS for confirmation.