Editorial: By AMWU National Print Division Secretary Lorraine Cassin
Welcome to our first AMWU Print Division News of 2016, a year which looks like being extra-busy industrially and in politics with a federal election.
Growing membership and good servicing is always our priority, so delegates will soon have our updated classification booklet for our Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award.
We understand that members at smaller shops can at times be uncertain on whether their classification and pay are correct, so the booklet will make things clear.
Some of our bigger workplaces have their enterprise agreements due to expire, particularly at Visy Fibre Packaging, Orora Packaging and Carter Holt Harvey.
We’ve scheduled bargaining education sessions very soon for delegates, who’ll also be seeking your ideas on the new agreements as bargaining approaches.
The Fair Work Commission will also be conducting a modern award review into our Graphic Arts Printing and Publishing Award 2010, the safety net against which our print agreements are judged. It’s an opportunity to include metro newspapers outside the News stable.
We must defeat employer moves to water it down, particularly over training allowances and not including the updated printing training package.
We’ll keep backing our members in mailout, catalogue and stationary companies by continuing the campaign to stop the Turnbull Government running down Australia Post by slashing services.
The traditional post remains a vital and effective community service. The print industry – unions and employers – can work with Australia Post in ensuring it remains sustainable.
And we’ll constantly be scrutinising the Turnbull Government as it looks at raising taxes, seeks to undermine collective bargaining, embraces trade deals harmful to manufacturing, attacks industry superannuation funds and talks up innovation without directly helping the firms that employ you.
This election year will be demanding but full of opportunity and I look forward to us sharing the journey together.