I am forever grateful for the Union’s support and guidance during that time. Despite the Director General’s insistence that I had no case, the Union did not back down once. The Union’s Industrial Relations Officer assigned to my case is now a friend and someone I will always admire for his absolute dedication to the empowerment of middle-class worker rights.
I was employed in a Government Department on a fixed-term contract basis for over three years undertaking the same role; to which I was fully dedicated. When the McGowan Government released its instruction on Pathways to Permanency, I was ecstatic.
I began the process and before I had even submitted my formal application to the Human Resources Department, I was told that I was not eligible. I contacted the Union for assistance and within a matter of hours I was on the phone to a Union Representative who confirmed that the Union agreed I had met the criteria and they would represent me in any dispute with the Director General.
The matter ultimately ended up in the Industrial Relations Commission. As my contract at the Department was ending, the Union asked the Director General to continue my employment during the dispute, given the position would be vacant.
With no explanation, the Director General refused. In a matter of weeks I went from thinking I would have a permanent job – to being unemployed. As someone who has been a staunch supporter of the Labor Party my whole life, I felt like that decision flew in the face of Labor’s dedication to strengthening worker rights. From that point onwards I found myself in a protracted dispute with the Director General in the Industrial Relations Commission.
It was one of the most stressful times in my life, and despite knowing the strength of my case, without the Union assisting me in the IRC, it is unlikely that I would have continued fighting the Director General on my own. He had the entire machine of Labour Relations and the State Solicitor’s Office behind him. Although the IRC is set up for self-representation, without having a legal background in industrial relations law, a self-represented litigant would be at a huge disadvantage against their unequalled powers and resources.
Luckily for me, the Union was one step ahead of the State Solicitor’s Office at every step of the dispute. The matter was listed for trial, and in the weeks prior, given the strong case that the Union put up, it was able to negotiate a favourable settlement.
I am forever grateful for the Union’s support and guidance during that time. Despite the Director General’s insistence that I had no case, the Union did not back down once. The Union’s Industrial Relations Officer assigned to my case is now a friend and someone I will always admire for his absolute dedication to the empowerment of middle-class worker rights.
— CPSU/CSA member.
