selling off our poles and wires means NSW has Nothing to gain, plenty to lose

Earlier this year, the Premier announced he’s seeking a mandate at the March 2015 state election for his plan to privatise NSW electricity. But this week, anew report was released that drives a stake through the heart of Mike Baird’s plan to sell off our — the public’s — poles and wires.

The independent McKell Institute (which Mike Baird has said has a “proud history” and whose work “we need to do more of") looked into the government’s privatisation plan and the report title sums up their conclusions nicely: selling off our poles and wires means NSW has Nothing to gain, plenty to lose. In short, if Mike Baird wins the election, NSW loses.

Add your name to the petition now and tell Mike Baird to stop the sell-off:http://stoptheselloff.org.au/sign-the-petition

The McKell Institute analysis concluded there’s “no logical case for privatisation” backed up by a number of findings:

• The state currently earns $1.7 billion each year from NSW electricity Transmission and Distribution, and selling our poles and wires is likely to hurt the state budget over the medium-to-long-term
• NSW’s public electricity assets operate more efficiently than those privatised in other states
• Selling off poles and wires doesn’t cut costs for business and would actually increase costs for us — consumers — by more than $100 per year
• Rather than reinvesting revenue from electricity into improving the system, privatisation would mean revenues would line the pockets of investors, whereas state assets focus on the citizens they serve

With so much evidence exposing the Baird government’s disinformation, the report “recommends that the NSW Government abandon its plans to privatise.” That’s exactly what those who know the industry best and look after our electricity assets — the Electrical Trades Union — have been saying for months and why they’ve launched the “Stop the Sell Off” campaign.

Add your name to more than one thousand concerned citizens who’ve signed the petition, and together, we can make sure Mike Baird has no mandate to sell off our poles and wires and instead keep jobs safe, prices low, and ensure public assets continue serving the citizens of this great state, rather than lining the pockets of big business.

In Union,

Mark Lennon

Secretary

Unions NSW

Abbott and the Federal goverment want unfair individual contracts

Tony Abbott is trying to rush through laws that introduce new unfair individual contracts that cut take home pay, give more power to employers in bargaining and make it harder for workers to access their union. But to do all this he needs the crucial votes of at least six cross-bench senators.
We can stop Abbott’s attack dead in its tracks if just three cross-bench senators vote against the bill. It looks like the vote will take place this Wednesday so we need to act fast and we need everyone to play their part.Click here to ask the cross-bench senators to vote against Tony Abbott’s unfair anti-worker amendments: http://www.australianunions.org.au/stop_tony_abbotts_anti_worker_lawsTony Abbott’s new laws bring back some of the worst parts of Workchoices. Among other things, the bill:

• Reintroduces unfair individual contracts that can cut take home pay including weekend and penalty rates

• Gives employers a veto over industrial action.

• Allows employers to not pay-out some annual leave if you’re sacked or leave a job.

• Gives mining and construction employers a special deal that allows them to write their own Enterprise Agreements.

• Reduces the rights of workers to talk to their union at work if they need help.

These laws are part of the Abbott attack on the Australian way of life. Let’s make sure that the cross-bench senators know this.
Click here and ask the senators to vote against Tony Abbott’s horrible laws: http://www.australianunions.org.au/stop_tony_abbotts_anti_worker_lawsWe’ve shown before that by standing together we can help put the brakes on Tony Abbott’s radical and unfair agenda. It is going to take a big effort to knock off these laws but, together, I think we have it in us.
Let’s get one over Tony Abbott and his radical anti-worker agenda.

Now more than ever it is vital for UTS Professional staff to join together to stand up for your rights, if you are not already a member join today (https://membership.psa.asn.au/join/)

Tracking The Damage

Unions NSW

The NSW Liberals have been in power since 26 March 2011. From that point, his Government has cut jobs, rights and services and governed for insurance companies and the big end of town.

This page monitors the record of the O’Farrell-Baird Government. It will be regularly updated. Most items have a link to a source for more information.

If we’ve missed something that’s happened in your local community, Email us by clicking here.

This page is based on Tracking Abbot’s Wreckage, a blog by ASU Secretary, Sally McManus. Check it out here.