Current Campaigns

At this time, WorkersOut! is busy supporting two important UnionsNSW campaigns which affect GLBTI workers in NSW. These campaigns are known as the Better Services for a Better State campaign and the Don't Risk 2nd Rate Safety campaign.

Both campaigns have great significance to GLBTI workers.

Better Services for a Better State

The Better Services for a Better State campaign is being co-ordinated by UnionsNSW. All of the public service unions are actively engaging the community to get the message out that good delivery of public services into the NSW community requires job creation, not job cuts!

GLBTI workers, their partners and their families all use public services. Education, Health and Transport to name a few. The population of NSW is growing, the economy floundering. The Government needs to enhance investment in services and infrastructure.

The Government also needs to invest in the staff to deliver those services out into the community. Workers who are GLBTI, like other citizens, deserve a better deal. We demand that public services to the community are enhanced and improved, not reduced.

Contact your Union or UnionsNSW to find out how you can support this important campaign.

Don't Risk 2nd Rate Safety

The Don't Risk 2nd Rate Safety is a campaign seeking to ensure that as workers, we can be guaranteed of safe workplaces. Each year, approximately 7,500 workers die at work. That's a lot of family's tragically kissing goodbye to their  loved one, who leaves for work, as usual, but doesn't come home. Ever.

The Federal Government is seeking to "harmonise" OH&S laws across Australia. It's a great idea -- if implemented correctly. Our concern, as GLBTI  workers is that superior legislation, like the NSW  OH&S Act will be watered down to match inferior conditions in other Australian jurisdictions.

OH&S Harmonisation: a race to the bottom, or, a race to the top?

By bringing those other states with weaker workplace safety laws up to the higher standards set in NSW is a great idea.

WorkersOut! agrees that by taking the best pieces from every OH&S Act, a race to the top would produce a uniform law giving the best protection for the safety of workers. It's the logical way of giving workers in Australia the best guarantee of returning home to their families, safe and healthy each day after work.

At this time, the Federal Government has not indicated that this is what will happen. Big business has been pushing hard for the race to the bottom in harmonisation of OH&S laws. Providing safe workplaces does cost money, but, what price do you put on your health? Who can forget the late Bernie Banton and the other James Hardy workers who now years later, are dead or terminally ill asbestos victims?

Heres how it could affect you as a GLBTI worker:

Did you know that in NSW an employer MUST provide a workplace that is safe to both your physical, and, your psychological well being? What this does is reinforces your right not to be bullied and harassed in the workplace because of your sexual diversity or gender identity. Or a perception, suspicion or fantasy, that you might be GLBTI.

Your Union has been fighting hard for years to ensure that GLBTI  workers are allowed to contribute in their workplaces with dignity and respect. The NSW  OH&S Act is pivotal to your Union being able to bring issues of bullying and harassment into the light and forcing cultural change in workplaces to make them free of bullying, harassment and discrimination.

As GLBTI workers, at work, we sometimes face problems on the basis of our diverse sexualities and gender identities. The NSW  OH&S legislation makes that illegal. Our psychological welfare at work is legally required to be protected from the bigotted and the bully by your employer.

GLBTI workers need to send a strong message to Deputy PM, Julia Gillard that we will NOT risk 2nd rate safety with weak OH&S laws. You can sign the online petition to protect our workplaces and Don't risk 2nd Rate Safety.