Last week, the Fair Work Commission approved our protected action ballot. This means the protected action ballot will be going ahead.
We’re still awaiting a timeline from the voting company which is running the protected action ballot, but it is likely that the ballot will commence towards the end of this week. This means that we will have seven days or thereabouts to make sure that the ballot gets up.
Your protected action ballot will be emailed and texted to you, so you can do it all online. It is absolutely critical that you vote in favour of all options (by selecting yes to every question), and that you vote as early as you can. A majority of union members need to vote in the ballot, and a majority of those members must vote in support of taking protected industrial action.
As soon as the ballot is voted up, we will be in a position to notify Parklea of industrial action. You will see in the ballot that there are different types of industrial action – some of these are stoppages, or strikes, but there are also other options as well.
The union will be in touch with members again prior to the ballot with more information about what it means to take protected action. However, for the time being it is important to be aware the vote will soon start and you will receive your voting link via email and text.
Correctional Officers at Clarence Correctional Centre voted in favour of a protected industrial action ballot just a few months ago, and after going on strike a few times management came to the table with a pay increase of nine per cent in the first year alone. This just goes to show how powerful taking protected industrial action is and what it can achieve.
In the meantime, it is important to check and make sure that you are a financial member. If you’re not certain as to whether your financial details are up-to-date or not, please call the union on 1800 772 679.
We will keep you posted, but if you have any questions in the meantime reach out to Brian Kirk or Mark Ward. Alternatively, you can call CPSU officials Jess Epps on 0401 521 561 or Kim Villanti on 0408 249 277.