Support Material

About the ASU

It is our members that make the ASU strong and united. The ASU (NSW Clerical & Administrative Branch) has approximately 15,000 members in NSW in industries ranging from breweries to call centres.

Our members are:

Secretaries, Accounts Clerks, Personal Assistants, Data Entry Operators, Call Centre workers, Receptionists, Telephonists, Legal Clerks, Assistant Accountants, Customer Service Officers - anyone who works in administration will benefit from belonging to the Australian Services Union.

As a member of the Australian Services Union you vote for your elected representatives through elections held every four years. You also elect your workplace representative - your union rep. Your local rep is your first contact point with the union. With the support of all members your local rep can ensure you are represented effectively at the workplace.

Our union is successful because it is about teamwork and the ASU (NSW Clerical and Administrative Branch) always works as a team. If your rep is unable to help you or you believe the problem is best talked over with your Organiser or another Official then it's best to contact the Union on (02) 9265 8211 and you will always get help

Industries covered by the ASU (Clerical & Admin):

The ASU covers you no matter what industry you work in. The following list is an example of what industries we cover. The ASU (Clerical & Administrative Branch) is developing links within and between organisations. These links have proved to be valuable networks for employees encouraging participation at all levels, on all issues affecting them. Not all industries or industry links are listed - if you have a query ring our Call Centre on (02) 9265 8211.

Health Funds

TAB

Payroll Companies

Building Societies

Radio Cab Industry

Employment Agencies

Wholesale and Distribution

Ambulance

Call Centre

Wages and conditions

Career

Industry

Stress

Community/ Unions

Newspapers

AIRLINES

Road Transport

Legal Industry

Auscript

Royal Blind Society

Real Estate

Medical Centres

Breweries

NRMA

Manufacturing


The following is a sample of some of the areas the ASU is working in. It tells you specifically what action the union is taking.

Health Funds

Health funds are part of the finance section of the union and are covered by a base federal ward with enterprise agreements for each individual fund. Wage rates and conditions of employment vary between the funds. The union has a goal of having a standard set of conditions and pay across all funds so that funds are competing on the basis of product not of the expense of employees.

Payroll Companies

Brambles (Chubb) are covered by the Brambles Armoured cash processing and Clerical and Administrative Award or the Brambles Records Management Services Award. The Armaguard Clerical and Administrative Award cover Armaguard employees. Armaguard members are currently voting on a collective agreement offer received from the company. The offer if accepted will provide for two increases of 5% each.

Building Societies

The Clerical and Administrative Employees (Permanent Building Societies))(State) Award was recently varied to include wage increases, granted under the May 2000 Wage Case. Wage increases of $15 per week have been applied to all grades under the Award, taking effect from the first pay period on or after the 10'th July 2000.Allowances paid under the award were also increased as of the 10'th of July 2000.

Employment Agencies

The ASU has managed to set a minimum standard from the industry. Employees in temp/employment agencies are covered by the Clerical and Administrative Employees in Temporary Services (State) Award. The Award has been varied to include wage increases of $15 per week.

Wholesale and Distribution

The Wholesale and Distribution sector has grown into one of the largest industries in Australia. P&O cold storage, David Holdings, Franklins, Woolworths, Barter Chickens and J Blackwood + Sons are all covered by separate collective agreements.

The ASU are in the process of tapping into this area by establishing Industry Link meetings with members and representatives with the intention of establishing a collective approach throughout the industry.

Call Centre

Call Centre operators are covered by the Clerical and Administrative Employees Award. Call centres are becoming one of the fastest growing industries in the Australian economy. Currently the ASU is lobbying the government and call centres to establish an industry standard.

After undergoing research, the ASU have found that there are particular issues/themes of most concern to call centre operators.

The five main themes are:

Wages and conditions

Hours of work/wages/ salaries/penalty rates/ OH &S/ parking/ travel

Career

Training/ career development/ courses/ education/ new technology/ classification structures

Industry

Outsourcing/ contracting/ casualisation/ temporary work

Stress

Breaks/ targets/ monitoring/ performance assessment/ pressure from management and customers/ phone harassment

Community/ Unions

True and accurate recognition from industry bodies/ community awareness/ union ability to represent individual and collective cases/ government legislation. The ASU supports an environment that encourages co operation between the Call Centre, staff and the Union to embrace a workplace culture of improving conditions, training and development, career building and skill recognition and protection of entitlements.

Real Estate

The Clerical and Administrative Employees State Award cover employees.

Real Estate, much like Medical Centres and Doctor surgeries are categorized with low wages and conditions, and long hours. Currently the Real Estate Employers Federation is seeking to remove penalty rates on Saturday and Sunday resulting in employees being paid normal rates on the weekend. The Federation is also advocating an increase to the span of hours from 7am to 7pm. The ASU will be strongly opposing the Federation's proposal.

Medical Centres

The Clerical and Administrative Employees Award cover employees. Employees working in this industry endure low wages and long hours with very little security as many employers withhold delivering entitlements. For more information phone our Call Centre on (02) 9265 8211.
 

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