In an increasingly complex and challenging environment, it is vital that the CPSU uses all means necessary to protect and advance the interests of the workers who choose to join our union.
This means augmenting our traditional workplace campaigning strategies with new tactics such as paid advertising, media campaigning, community alliances, focus groups, polling and political lobbying.
To this end Governing Council (GC) in March 2007 endorsed a proposal that will allow the CPSU to formally represent your views at a range of ALP forums, through affiliation. This plan recognises that meaningful political influence is derived from a combination of lobbying, workplace and community campaigning and participation in party forums. If you are interested in policy development or representing CPSU members' issues in Labor forums, we'd like to hear from you.
A key part of the GC plan involves the identification of a CPSU political claim. This includes campaigning politically to secure:
a fair system of IR laws
decent workers' compensation protection and OHS rights
15.4% superannuation
paid maternity leave and return to work part-time
proper whistleblower laws.
All of these issues have a central impact on the working lives of CPSU members. But all of them are 'legislative' matters which are ultimately determined politically - not industrially - by the Government of the day. If we are to play a meaningful part in political debates on issues that matter to members, we need to be directly involved in the political process.
Motion endorsed by Governing council - March 2007 Council agrees that our success as a union in the current environment requires us to organise in the workplace and politically. [read more]Political campaigning - your questions answered We know that to successfully represent our members, we need to have industrial and political power. Industrial power comes from the workplace, political power comes from having influence over policy and decision makers in Parliament. [read more]
Can I opt out of the affiliation process? Yes. Where CPSU has had an affiliation with Labor in the past, the branch/region affiliated on behalf of CPSU members in that State or Territory. However, we recognise not all members may be comfortable with affiliation. Therefore under our plan individual members will get a choice as to whether or not their membership should be included for affiliation purposes. [read more]
