Mum's rights at Work - Historic Victory
How do you describe a day when you realise that over 60 people have decided to get up early on Mother's Day put on their Mum's Rights at Work t-shirt and, as you are standing under the meeting point sign at the Mothers Day Classic, they all start walking towards you? You get this feeling of incredible joy and pride at being part of a group that represents literally thousands of Tasmanians who support paid maternity leave. You are inspired by the sturdy commitment these people have made.
The morning is crisp and blue and you are wondering if t-shirts were such a good idea –perhaps something woolly and warmer for the Tasmanian winter? But they don't mind. The jokes start. Someone goes and buys you a coffee. Those brave enough to try the 4km run to raise money for breast cancer research, sprint off.
Then someone taps you on the shoulder and says, “We've got it. Wayne Swan has announced it's in the budget this morning.” Tears well up, a sense of enormous relief, hugs, huge excitement. The next hour is a strange whirl of phone calls as you desperately ring around to confirm. The ABC says, “No it's not confirmed. Swan just talked about it in positive terms”. Someone at the ACTU says Jenny Macklin and Sharan Burrow are making a big announcement at 11am. Finally you get confirmation and by then over 60 of you are walking briskly on what now seems like the most beautiful morning in a long, long time.
How to sum it up? Unions worked side by side with over 40 Tasmanian organisations on the “final push” for paid maternity leave. We built friendships that we hope will last a lifetime.
On Sunday May 10 th :
We raised over $1500 for beast cancer research.
We won the prize for the biggest team in the Mother's Day Classic . .
and WE WON a national Paid Maternity Leave Scheme all on the same day.
Authorised by Simon Cocker, Unions Tasmania 379 Elizabeth St North Hobart Tasmania 7000 - ph: 03 6234 9553 - site enquiries jprice@unionstas.com.au