Why do we need unions?
Our No.1 priority is to maintain and advance the wages and conditions of our members.
It’s a fact, workers at unionised workplaces earn on average 16% more than those at similar non-union sites.
But while improving the wages of our members is important, it is not all we do.
Our mission is to build a real force for working people, something that will endure not only for our generation but for generations to come.
Unions are becoming increasingly important in the Australian industrial landscape, as various groups attack workers’ wages and conditions and try to strip away our rights.
Unions like the NUW are the only true protection workers have against these attacks; the only group prepared to fight to maintain and improve workers’ wages and conditions.
We are workers only true VOICE.
Currently workers’ rights are being attacked on three fronts:
• By Governments and the courts who are continually stripping back Awards and Agreements, eroding workers’ rights
• By employers who are increasingly national and global companies, with foreign management practices and ‘deep’ pockets;
AND
• By the fact that industrial disputes are becoming more drawn out and harder to win
Unions like the NUW have not come about by accident. They were formed by concerned workers who want to defend themselves from exploitation and improve their lifestyle.
And the strength of the NUW continues to be its strong, committed membership base.
The NUW does not exist without the collective strength of its members.
Individuals alone hold little power, but together their strength and influence grows. That is why unions such as the NUW are so important – we give our members strength; we give our members bargaining power; we give our members support; we give our members industry-leading advice, training and advocacy; we give our members a VOICE.
Whether you need advice or support as an individual, as a group, as a workplace or industry, the NUW is here to assist you.
Collective principles:
Everything the NUW does is based on the following principles:
• A recognition that a union is really just a group of workers, who have organised themselves to solve problems that individually they cannot solve themselves
• Unions exist because groups have more power and strength than individuals
• This power enables unions to require employers to do things they might otherwise be reluctant to do
• But if we only act on problems that affect us personally we are unable to improve everyone’s conditions – eg some people may not support paid maternity leave, or young workers may not support better superannuation provisions. To succeed, unions need solidarity and an understanding that not everyone will have the same problem at the same time.
• Solidarity means “I will support you when you have a problem knowing that you will support me when I have a problem”.
Anti-union Employers
There are many employers who try to discourage their workers from joining unions.
Sometimes they do this by claiming unions are irrelevant and unnecessary, sometimes they do this through threats and intimidation.
But no matter their method, their reasons for doing this are nearly always the same – to shift the balance of power to them and away from the collective strength of their employees working together.
Attempts to discourage unionism usually go hand-in-hand with attempts to introduce individual workplace contracts.
But the reality is that unions like the NUW reflect the views and opinions of their members in any particular workplace. We are NOT a ‘third party’ we are the collective voice of the employees themselves.
We are the power of the employees in the workplace and employers cannot stop you or your workmates from joining the union; IT IS YOUR RIGHT!
So if you and/or your workmates want to know more about the NUW or to arrange to meet one of our Officials simply contact our toll-free number on 1800 136 112.
Meetings can be arranged away from worksites for those employees being discouraged from joining a union.
It’s a fact, workers at unionised workplaces earn on average 16% more than those at similar non-union sites.
But while improving the wages of our members is important, it is not all we do.
Our mission is to build a real force for working people, something that will endure not only for our generation but for generations to come.
Unions are becoming increasingly important in the Australian industrial landscape, as various groups attack workers’ wages and conditions and try to strip away our rights.
Unions like the NUW are the only true protection workers have against these attacks; the only group prepared to fight to maintain and improve workers’ wages and conditions.
We are workers only true VOICE.
Currently workers’ rights are being attacked on three fronts:
• By Governments and the courts who are continually stripping back Awards and Agreements, eroding workers’ rights
• By employers who are increasingly national and global companies, with foreign management practices and ‘deep’ pockets;
AND
• By the fact that industrial disputes are becoming more drawn out and harder to win
Unions like the NUW have not come about by accident. They were formed by concerned workers who want to defend themselves from exploitation and improve their lifestyle.
And the strength of the NUW continues to be its strong, committed membership base.
The NUW does not exist without the collective strength of its members.
Individuals alone hold little power, but together their strength and influence grows. That is why unions such as the NUW are so important – we give our members strength; we give our members bargaining power; we give our members support; we give our members industry-leading advice, training and advocacy; we give our members a VOICE.
Whether you need advice or support as an individual, as a group, as a workplace or industry, the NUW is here to assist you.
Collective principles:
Everything the NUW does is based on the following principles:
• A recognition that a union is really just a group of workers, who have organised themselves to solve problems that individually they cannot solve themselves
• Unions exist because groups have more power and strength than individuals
• This power enables unions to require employers to do things they might otherwise be reluctant to do
• But if we only act on problems that affect us personally we are unable to improve everyone’s conditions – eg some people may not support paid maternity leave, or young workers may not support better superannuation provisions. To succeed, unions need solidarity and an understanding that not everyone will have the same problem at the same time.
• Solidarity means “I will support you when you have a problem knowing that you will support me when I have a problem”.
Anti-union Employers
There are many employers who try to discourage their workers from joining unions.
Sometimes they do this by claiming unions are irrelevant and unnecessary, sometimes they do this through threats and intimidation.
But no matter their method, their reasons for doing this are nearly always the same – to shift the balance of power to them and away from the collective strength of their employees working together.
Attempts to discourage unionism usually go hand-in-hand with attempts to introduce individual workplace contracts.
But the reality is that unions like the NUW reflect the views and opinions of their members in any particular workplace. We are NOT a ‘third party’ we are the collective voice of the employees themselves.
We are the power of the employees in the workplace and employers cannot stop you or your workmates from joining the union; IT IS YOUR RIGHT!
So if you and/or your workmates want to know more about the NUW or to arrange to meet one of our Officials simply contact our toll-free number on 1800 136 112.
Meetings can be arranged away from worksites for those employees being discouraged from joining a union.
Last modified 2004-12-21 03:30 PM
