8 Hour Day Celebrations: Paid Maternity leave in May Budget to ease economic hardship for families
Unions Tasmania held a Family Fun Day on Parliament House lawns, Hobart on Sat March 7 h to celebrate both the 8 hour working day and International Womens Day.
While focusing on fun for kids and their parents, the day also had a serious message as unions and community groups called on the Federal Government to not delay the introduction of national paid maternity leave to help ease the pressure on families.
The fun and games this year highlighted the struggle for work/family balance with unions competing in a speed nappy changing competition, a pram race, dummy spitting competition, a “bake off“ as well as the traditional inter-union tug of war.
Unions and community groups presented a petition signed by over 2000 Tasmanians to ALP Senator Carol Brown with the request that she deliver it to Federal Caucus along with their plea that the government introduce a national paid maternity leave scheme in the 2009 May budget.
Speakers included Simon Cocker , Secretary of Unions Tasmania, Ros Cornish, CEO of Lady Gowrie in Tasmania as well as National Vice President of Early Childhood Australia and Roz Madsen , Senior Vice President of Unions Tasmania & Convenor of Unions Tasmania's Women's Committee. “A national, government funded paid parental scheme is the kind of social infrastructure that is vitally important to help struggling families at a time of economic crisis. The Government must make a commitment to such infrastructure for the future good of Australian families and the future good of the economy,” said Simon Cocker .
A government-funded paid maternity leave scheme is more important then ever with Australian families now facing great economic uncertainty in the wake of the global financial crash.
And now for the fun and games!
Some unions got involved in the inter-competitions for the first time this year with RTBU Secretary Samantha Simonetis showing she is fully multi-skilled in the Speed Nappy Change.
AMWU Secretary and President of Unions Tasmania, Anne Urquhart 's provided a stunning “tour-de-force” in all competitions bar the tug of war. She cleaned up in 2 categories. AMWU also provided a whole lot of Freddo Frogs for the kids. HACU once again surged to the lead with its performance in the “birthday cake bake-off” and the tug of war.
The combined union movement made the day a great celebration with Dino Ottavi & the IEU providing an extraordinary array of piñatas for the kids to destroy, ANF running both the Apheda stall, providing sunscreen, lollies and the registrations for the bake-off. (Lead Organiser, Agnes Stanislaus-Large gave the obstacle course a pretty good shake as well!). CPSU PSU ran a kids drawing competition as well as providing the balloons. The SDA kept the balloon and information stand running most efficiently as well as providing the jumping castle for the kids. RTBU staffed the jumping castle with great enthusiasm once again and HACSU & CPSU SPSFT provided barbeques to feed us all. The crowd roared as the Secretary of Unions Tasmania, Simon Cocker managed to defeat the Workplace Relations Minister Lisa Singh during the AEU run pram race.
The Grassroots Union Choir was in full voice, Peter Hicks did some inspiring solo work on harmonica and Eleanor Tucker kept us smiling & singing along with her powerful vocals & guitar.
Our guest judge this year was award winning pastry chef Alasdair Wise (yes he's worked with Gordon Ramsay). He selected Shelley Shay's imaginative hamburger cake as the winner. The cake was later auctioned for the amazing total of $400 bringing the total money raised on the day to over $900. The money will be used to fly a delegation from the Paid Maternity Leave Coalition to Melbourne to present the joint statement on Paid Maternity Leave, signed by over 40 Tasmanian organizations to Jenny Macklin MP, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
This year we had more superannuation sponsors in CBUS, HESTA, RBF, LUCRF and Australian Super who each sponsored a competition. Many affiliated unions made contributions to the day with AMWU and AEU kicking in to provide the face painting, ETU helping out with vehicle hire. Unions and Super funds contributed to help us have non-stop entertainment including a stunning performance by the Taiko drummers and several wonderfully roving kids' entertainers. Members Equity once again providing the Grand Trophy which was picked up by the dedicated HACSU team who have now won it two years in a row.
So next year the challenge is on – will HACSU make it a hat-trick or will another union knock them off their perch!
Authorised by Simon Cocker, Unions Tasmania 379 Elizabeth St North Hobart Tasmania 7000 - ph: 03 6234 9553 - site enquiries jprice@unionstas.com.au