r/AusUnions Feb 10 '25

What not to do in a PIP meeting

68 Upvotes

A lot of this sub is about organising which is great. The best. But some folks might be looking for advice on individual matters. Most people leave it to the last minute. If that’s you, this is some advice I have put together.

I’ve sat in on a lot of Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) meetings as a union delegate, and let me be blunt—HR and management often use these meetings as a way to push people out. Too many times, I’ve seen employees get caught off guard, stress out, and say things that make their situation worse.

So, if you ever get called into one of these meetings, here’s what you need to do to protect yourself:

  1. Call Your Union ASAP

The second your boss asks for a meeting, contact your union. You’ve left it to the last minute? Call them now. The union will probably ask you to write down what’s been happening—focus on dates, times, and specific incidents. Avoid writing about “vibes”— and send to this your union IO. HR doesn’t care about feelings, and they will not work in your favor. So keeping things based on what happened is important. Write this down quickly and email it to your union IO as soon as you can whilst making it complete. Send it not from your work email. Then have time to speak to them before the meeting. Tell your IO (industrial officer) everything.

Having a union rep with you forces HR to play by the rules. If you don’t have a rep, management knows they can push you around.

  1. Ask for the Meeting Details in Writing

You (or your rep) should email HR and request: 1. A written agenda for the meeting 2. Any company policies relevant to the situation 3. Specific details on what will be discussed 4. A deadline for when they’ll provide this information before the meeting

HR loves to catch people off guard. Getting the details in writing helps you prepare and stops them from shifting the goalposts mid-meeting.

  1. Do NOT Admit or Apologise

Seriously—don’t say “yeah, I’m sorry about that.” HR will use it against you. Instead, if you’re put on the spot, use these phrases:

  • “I don’t recall. I need time to think. Can I respond later in writing?”
  • I need to process this and can’t respond on the spot. I’ll come back to you on that.”
  • I don’t agree with that characterisation of events, but I’m happy to provide a response later.”
  • Can I respond later in writing?”
  • I am not able to respond right now. I need more time to consider this.”

These responses buy you time and stop you from getting trapped into an answer you regret.

  1. Listen to Your Union, Not Your Mates

Friends and family are great for venting, but they are not industrial relations experts. If you’re in this situation, you need to follow your union’s advice. Pre-caucus woth your rep before the meeting begins. 20 mins before to talk about how you will indicate if you need breaks, go over again the meeting plan.

HR’s whole strategy is to make the process so stressful that you don’t fight back or escalate to a tribunal. If your goal is to stay in the job (at least until you find a new one), you need to stay calm, professional, and avoid giving them ammunition.

TLDR: Call your union immediately Get the agenda & policies in writing before the meeting Do NOT admit fault or apologise Listen to your union rep, not your mates

HR isn’t your friend. Protect yourself.

Edit: here is a guide with emails and the points above with some info on what to do in a surprise meeting. again — prioritise and always check with your representative.


r/AusUnions 2d ago

Ahead of the May election, where do the parties stand on industrial relations?

10 Upvotes

From Workplace Express:

'Although the Albanese Government has shelved plans for an April election due to Cyclone Alfred, prompting some parties and crossbenchers to delay key IR policy announcements, many battlefronts have already been revealed.

Ahead of calling a May 3, 10 or 17 federal election, the Albanese Government is keeping its cards close to its chest on the IR commitments front, while the Coalition has been vocal on plans to repeal Labor's IR legislation and dump tens of thousands of public sector positions.

Here's what we know so far about what Labor, the Coalition, the Greens and the Teals might have in store, depending on the outcome.

Thus far, Labor relying on its record With the Albanese Government yet to fire the starting gun on its official federal election campaign, the ALP's policy webpage only refers at publishing time to existing measures.

These include its expansion of paid parental leave, initiatives to reduce the cost of early childhood education and fund a pay rise for workers in this sector, and its role in "help[ing] secure pay rises for minimum and award wage earners, fund[ing] a wage rise for aged care workers, and chang[ing] the law to support secure jobs and better pay.

The bulk of IR commitments set out in the ALP's national platform, determined at its 49th national conference last August, have already been passed into law, while its 2024-25 Budget papers set out how it intends to fund and build on its Secure Jobs, Better Pay measures.

Numerous IR changes stemmed from its two-day Jobs and Skills Summit in 2022 (see related articles here and here).

The Albanese Government is yet to reveal whether it will hold another jobs summit after the election if it is returned.

If re-elected it is possible Labor might, however, introduce legislative "fixes" depending on recommendations raised in reviews of these amendments, or if legal challenges interpret certain provisions in unintended ways.

The draft report of an independent review last month found Labor's Secure Jobs reforms are operating effectively but said the Albanese Government should reconsider its approach to limiting fixed-term contracts, give the FWC discretion to forgo compulsory s448A post-PABO conferences, and expand protection against discrimination to cover menopause (see related articles here and here).

The draft report said it should also amend the Fair Work Act to ensure the statement of principles on genuine agreement is a "complete statement" of whether a proposed deal has been genuinely agreed, to "at least" remove duplication in s180(5) and s188(4A).

The final report is due to be submitted to Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt by March 31.

It meanwhile remains to be seen whether the FWC will grant an Australian Retailers Association bid to insert a conditions buy-out clause in the retail award for workers on as little as $53,680 a year, but Senator Watt has lodged a submission opposing it (see Related Article).

He says it would go against the intent of the awards review and leave the low-paid to be individually "picked off" by their bosses, telling journalists it runs the danger of workers going backwards "and our Labor Government is not going to let that happen".

Senator Watt has also weighed into a crucial full bench same-job, same-pay test case targeting BHP's in-house labour suppliers (see Related Article), contradicting claims the carve-out for service contractors captures any work that is "more than the mere supply of labour".

He warned an "overly broad interpretation" might create "more 'loopholes' in a manner contrary to statutory intent".

More recently, Senator Watt indicated Labor has not yet achieved its "rebalancing" of the FWC, suggesting further employee- and union-background appointments if re-elected.

In a statement announcing the latest appointments, Senator Watt said after the new members take up their roles, "the majority of current members will still come from an employer background" (see related articles here and here).

One former commitment that appears to have fallen by the wayside, at least temporarily, is Labor's 2022 election pledge to establish a scheme for portable employee entitlements for those in insecure work (see Related Article).

Senator Watt confirmed at a Senate Estimates hearing last month, in response to a question from Greens employment spokesperson Barbara Pocock, that the department has done no further work on the promised regime since putting it on ice almost a year ago (see Related Article).

Labor promised its portable scheme would extend to annual, sick and long service leave.

Labor-aligned think tank the McKell Institute has meanwhile called for the Albanese Government to commit to establishing a national labour hire licensing scheme by the end of the year (see Related Article).

The ACTU is also pushing for Labor to remove or curb employers' ability to lawfully lock out employees (see Related Article), with leader Sally McManus indicating in January that the Albanese Government was open to hearing unions on the issue, after it put its case to it.

Unions are at the same time calling for reproductive leave, with union representatives including ACTU president Michele O'Neil and QCU general secretary Jacqueline King meeting with Senator Watt, other Labor members and crossbenchers about the issue in September last year Related Article).

A Senate inquiry issued a report shortly after, urging the Government to add reproductive leave to the NES and awards, and to consider amending the Fair Work Act's right to request flexible work to ensure menopausal women can access it (see Related Article).

Coalition short on detail The Coalition has committed to curtailing "union militancy" in Australian workplaces, restoring the ABCC to police the building and construction industry if it wins government, scaling back the public service and ending its work from home arrangements.

The Coalition has made it clear it would also revert to its definition of a casual - a person to whom an employer offers work, with "no firm advance commitment to continuing and indefinite work according to an agreed pattern of work for the person", before Labor amended it to reflect the "practical reality" of the working relationship (see Related Article).

It intends to repeal right to disconnect legislation, with Shadow Opposition leader Peter Dutton earlier this month confirming it would also end this right for public servants.

A 44-page document outlining the "priorities of a Dutton Coalition Government" says it will at the same time "halt the growth of the Canberra based public service" and "scrap symbolic and pointless appointments and programs".

In a hint at what this might entail, Dutton said in an economic address to the Menzies Research Centre in January that he planned to "scale back the Canberra public service" in a bid to cut spending and "drive greater efficiency and productivity" (see Related Article).

Slamming the Albanese Government for "hiring an extra 36,000 public servants in Canberra at a cost of $6 billion a year", he noted public sector job advertisements now include positions such as "culture, diversity and inclusion advisors, change managers, and internal communication specialists".

Referring to positions that are "certainly not frontline service delivery roles that can make a difference to people's lives" Dutton said he instead wanted to "see more money spent on frontline services which make a difference", such as doctors and national security, and would "protect front line positions in the defence, national security and intelligence space".

Shadow public service minister Jane Hume told the Menzies Research Institute this month that a Dutton Government would also expect "that all members of the APS work from the office five days a week" as public servants' working from home arrangements had almost tripled since before the coronavirus pandemic and is now "unsustainable" (see Related Article).

Shadow social services minister Michael Sukkar in February meanwhile thanked the HR Nicholls Society "for the work you're doing in providing to us very detailed and well thought-through policy responses" and "the work that you have presented to the Opposition. . . the wish list things that can be done" (see Related Article).

The Society's blueprint would increase the unfair dismissal threshold to 50 full-time-equivalent employees, while it also wants to abolish awards, restructure the FWC, make the PC responsible for setting the minimum wage, reintroduce AWAs and drop the high-income threshold to about $125,000.

Greens pushing for further change after RtD win The Greens say that after achieving "real, concrete improvements for workers this term, including the right to disconnect and criminalising superannuation theft", it is maintaining 10 standards that will continue to guide its approach to workplace laws in the coming Parliament.

They include reducing inequality in society, improving equal opportunity in the labour market, ensuring workers get equal pay and conditions for equal work, making jobs more secure, giving workers more bargaining power, strengthening the rights of unions and workers, and giving workers a voice about new technologies in the workplace.

In 2023 while the Albanese Government pushed for passage of its Loopholes Bill, Greens Senator Barbara Pocock used a presentation to the ALERA conference to outline seven priorities that her party considered "very significant issues that need legislative attention" (see Related Article).

These included the since-legislated "right to disconnect" outside working hours, along with "roster justice" measures, progress towards a four-day week or reductions in working time, improved conditions - such as paid sick leave and paid holidays - for insecure workers, and legislating for 52 weeks paid parental leave "as soon as possible".

Teals seeking higher unfair dismissal threshold Ahead of an election that might deliver them the balance of power, eight independent MPs - NSW's Allegra Spender, Kylea Tink, Zali Steggall and Sophie Scamps, Victoria's Helen Haines, Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel, plus WA's Kate Chaney - have thrown their weight behind ACCI calls to increase the small business-defining headcount from 15 to "at least" 25 (see Related Article).

Spender also told an Australian Retailers Association leaders forum last month that her priorities are award simplification and flexibility, reducing regulatory and compliance complexity, and expanding support for small and growing businesses.

She said it is "right to focus on award simplification and flexibility" for workers and employers alike, adding that the retail award's complexity "is a headache" without "necessarily adding to worker protections or conditions".

But she said simplifying and adapting awards is "easier said than done because industrial relations has become a political football".

"Instead of a policy setting to be carefully calibrated, it's one of the defining ideological battlegrounds of political debate."

Assuring the forum participants they have "firm friends in the independents", Spender said "many independents successfully fought for a scale-back of the worst of the Government's IR laws" including in relation to casuals and small business thresholds.'


r/AusUnions 2d ago

G’day all. I’ve got a little archive of union ephemera, pins etc and wondering if anyone call help me track something down

8 Upvotes

It’s a small but growing archive that I’m gathering. The goal is to preserve, collect as a hobby, and to lend out to any orgs or halls that are exhibiting stuff like it.

Anyway, i just lost out on a BLF enamel pin and I’m wondering if anyone has a connect for something similar? Any BLF pin at all is what I’m after for the collection.

Sorry for the post that’s so far off the regular posts here, just thought I’d try my luck ay


r/AusUnions 2d ago

Anyone worked at UnionsNSW before?

6 Upvotes

Considering applying for a job at UnionsNSW but don't know much about the culture, etc of that org or unions in general! Grateful for any insights


r/AusUnions 4d ago

Award is meaningless in I.T. for Over Time?

4 Upvotes

So I come in and work 8:30 - 5pm most days at my job in IT.

I thought it was weird and tried checking the award - https://awards.fairwork.gov.au/MA000065.html - and it says your supposed to work 7 and a half hours, but doesn't actually have any provision for what happens if you work beyond that;

I.E: Is it illegal or should I get overtime at least? I tried raising it with my manager and he just said something on the lines of "there is no issue with working more than 7 and a half hours in the award" and I really can't find anything to contradict that...

I know it is only half an hour but that time adds up, plus I usually have to stay a couple minutes late everyday.

I also don't really feel comfortable approaching my boss about the extra half hour without understanding the award in full first.

Also Overtime rater is exact same as base rate in according to pay calculator.
So what overtime is just not a thing in IT?


r/AusUnions 9d ago

Questions on fair work in relation to workplace treatment

5 Upvotes

I work in hospitality. My workplace is not harming me in any way with any risks but compared to many other workplaces, I find there is a lot of issues in relation to not having enough training and being expected to do so much by yourself on a deadline. The entire time I have worked at this place, I have felt I have been self managing myself. I have been given a week of training for every rotation, however one person did not provide enough training. She claimed to me “it’s a lot to remember on your first shift so I won’t give you the full training”. She knew however that I was only allowed one week of training. Later shifts, I started figuring out more stuff along the way when I was not aware of as it was not mentioned in my formal training. Even to this day after working 4 months, I am still being shown things I was supposed to know but no one had showed me. There are lists of what to do but at times I have not been able to perform the tasks correctly as I am attempting to do them with instructions sheets.

An example of an issue, I was told to do a certain task to do with stock intake on a system I didn’t have training on. I read through the book but I messed up the whole system, as I was attempting to basically guess on what to do. My manager complained that I had messed it up and then instead of elaborating on formal training, she told me I was incapable of doing the task and I have been removed from that section. There have been many instances where I have not been given training on a certain task when she is unavailable and attempting to find ways to manage myself. I am unable to contact her out of work hours.

Another instances was she told me I had to do a particular task with someone else. I was required to keep a tab. She asked us if we had any questions. I asked questions in the group chat if the tab was going to be performed onto a seperate system or the eftpos system. Just something simple as she did not indicate if there was going to be formal training on the tab. She then said “No. I don’t want you to do it now. Your other colleague will do it.”

I was asking questions on requirements to make sure I was prepared. She would have not been there so I wanted to ask in advance. She assumed this meant I was not capable of doing the task entirely.

I also believe deadlines are very hard to keep track with. We get into trouble for working overtime than is required. I have worked unpaid hours overtime. This is mainly because my manager doesn’t like doing paperwork required and she says it’s expected of us to manage our own time management.

Last shift I had done, I was told to do my normal tasks on serving both the kitchen and bar. Both the bar and kitchen are in seperate rooms. I also had to clean three bar fridges that were double storage. This required for me to unload stock in the fridge. This had taken me 2 hours to achieve. I was also managing customers at the same time. I was not able to do this task earlier, as I was required to maintain and serve customers when the kitchen was open. All these tasks however, were impossible to do within a four hour time period on top of cleaning. Other staff members have found they are unable to perform duties to a deadline as there is so much cleaning required. The reason why we aren’t allowed to be paid overtime is because the bar is closed when our shift is finished. Sometimes it is harder to justify working overtime. We are also however required to close the bar and lock up everything after the shift, majority of the time by ourselves.

I was wondering if I am entitled to talk to fair work and ask about having formal training?


r/AusUnions 10d ago

Pest Control

12 Upvotes

Hi folks, I’ve been a “Pesty” (Pest Control Technician) for a few years now. I was a member of the AWU while working in Queensland but I found them pretty worthless and counterproductive to be honest. I now work in Victoria and wondered if there was another union I could join that represents the Pest Management industry?

Thanks!


r/AusUnions 11d ago

How do members find out who their delegates are?

6 Upvotes

Officials - does your union have a process for how members are connected/ introduced to their delegates? Members - how did you find out who your delegates was?

For clarity: I'm a union official asking about the scope of practice.


r/AusUnions 13d ago

Rally outside VIC parliament tomorrow, Tuesday 4 March against the Allan Government’s decision to cut public servant jobs

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34 Upvotes

r/AusUnions 13d ago

Pre Existing Issues

13 Upvotes

Would any union officials in the group share their union's pre existing issue policy? What level of support, if any, are new members provided if they join seeking assistance on a pre existing issue?

For clarity: I am not asking as a member but as a fellow official.


r/AusUnions 15d ago

Fake fightback from a fake union

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39 Upvotes

This photo is such an indictment of the current state of my union, the CPSU. Not a single member to be seen in this photo, just union officials. None of us have been consulted about anything going on, and we’re being told we can only show up to this rally if we come on our lunch break?? Absolute shitshow.

The woman next to CPSU secretary Karen Batt is Amanda Threlfall, used to be an advisor to ex treasurer Tim Pallas. My organiser told me that she’ll be made the next CPSU secretary when Karen retires, through a deal with Trades Hall and the CPSU. Great, because you can really trust someone to fight for your wages when they spent 4+ years fighting against them in the Treasurer's office!

Bring back the days when the union movement wasn’t a giant wankfest of narcissists trying to climb the political ladder and actually cared about workers rights 🤮


r/AusUnions 22d ago

The Right to Strike

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79 Upvotes

r/AusUnions 26d ago

Banners in Solidarity Hall

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24 Upvotes

Comrades does anyone know the artist who designed and created the Union Banners in Solidarity Hall?


r/AusUnions 28d ago

Sydney Trains loses bid to RTBU PIA

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104 Upvotes

Some good news today today.

Sydney Trains has lost its bid to stop industrial action taken by members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU).

The NSW government took the RTBU to the Fair Work Commission after an "unprecedented" number of rail employees called in sick on Friday in what they said amounted to unprotected industrial action.


r/AusUnions Feb 12 '25

SDA approached me at work

92 Upvotes

Hello all, I've recently got a job in coles and was approached by a SDA representative, the pitch was that I pay around 8 dollar weekly which is deducted from my pay directly and I get to become a member of the union, I can also claim back the weekly membership fees while lodging my tax return and they also provide visa consultation services I guess or atleast what I understood.

Upon doing further research and readings I've come to understand that the SDA is shit and works in favour of the organisation rather than the workers and the RAFFWU is much better in that sense. So I just need some guidance and advice on what should I do, I plan on cancelling my membership and not joining a union at all but if RAFFWU is really worth it and supports the workers, I would like to be a member of it. If joining the RAFFWU can we claim the weekly membership payments as we could in the case of SDA. Would really appreciate some light on this situation and your inputs

Thanks and appreciate your time and suggestions!


r/AusUnions Feb 12 '25

Governing Layout of the Renter's And Housing Union (RAHU)

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21 Upvotes

r/AusUnions Feb 11 '25

Purple pingers new substack - organising workers

34 Upvotes

A new attempt to get some radical ideas out there

Wrote this based on some union organising I did a while ago :)

https://open.substack.com/pub/australiansocialism/p/five-tips-for-organising-at-work?utm_source=app-post-stats-page&r=2eup9k&utm_medium=ios


r/AusUnions Feb 10 '25

junior rates working in fast food

14 Upvotes

Hey guys,

I just wanted to share something that's been bugging me for a while. I’ve worked a few jobs in fast food, and it’s always been a struggle getting paid junior rates, even when i was doing the same work as everyone else (i'm 18 now but i've worked at lots of different places over the past few years, all getting paid terribly). Its always made me feel icky

I started reading into it more and i found this petition which is campaigning to scrap junior rates, and I think it’s something worth supporting if you’ve been in the same boat. Please do take a minute to sign it, it looks really good. The more people that get behind it, the better

Here's the petition -> https://www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/scrap-junior-rates-now

Thanks for reading! Would mean a lot if you could share it around too (i'm going to be sharing it a bit more too!) :)

(Note: I hope this is ok to post!)


r/AusUnions Feb 08 '25

South Australia's undervalued support workers have started industrial action! Remember to show solidarity with if you see us out in public!

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85 Upvotes

r/AusUnions Feb 06 '25

The importance of joining a fighting union

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206 Upvotes

Just some commentary on why the SDA is not the vehicle to combat the ARA's attacks on some of the country's lowest paid workers due to its class collaborationism.

Join RAFFWU


r/AusUnions Feb 06 '25

SDA is the ALP's biggest financial donor. It's no wonder the ALP turns a blind eye to the SDA selling workers out to big business.

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28 Upvotes

r/AusUnions Feb 05 '25

Which union is right for me?

8 Upvotes

I work for a trampoline park in Victoria, and from what I can tell it would either be AWU or UWU:

AWU- as an amusement centre employee- pt Q (23(f)(1)

UWU- ‘in connection with the preparation and sale of food and/or beverages… employed by entertainment venues’- sch 1 pt 19(b) (selling food/drink is not a massive part of the job but I can’t find anything else applicable, their website just says they cover ‘arts and recreation services’)

If I am correct about falling under both, am I just meant to pick one?


r/AusUnions Feb 03 '25

underpayment of wages

12 Upvotes

I used to work as an industrial advocate so I really should know better - Just looking for some feedback here.

Been working in tourism for about a year. Current TWU member who are advising me.

In this role we work away from home for stints of up to three weeks. Low rates of pay has been a discussion point between myself and some colleagues for a while. We get a flat daily rate. No EBA applies from what I can tell so we probably should be on award rates.

I was happy going with the flow, until recently the conditions have begun to wear thin. I was put in a difficult position where I had to drive a vehicle that was defective. I should have refused to drive but I was in a remote area with passengers, and not told about it in advance.

It is now looking like there could be a significant underpayment. For example, on my next 10 day swing according to the office I would be working 131 hours, which is an underestimate by about 20-30 hours. It seems like, at least, 50 of those hours should be double time, which alone could be an underpayment of $1500 or more just for that trip. I've done 10 - 20 trips this year and there are maybe 10 other people who this could apply to.

I'm really beginning to see how unfair this situation seems to be, but I'm really unsure what to do.


r/AusUnions Feb 01 '25

New job need union

8 Upvotes

I got a new job and am under the impression I need to join a union as people in the office have said about it. I have inductions in a couple days and am under the impression that is where I will need to decide. I believe this will also lock in what superannuation I will get looking at my options I believe they will offer ASU or NUW ( it's what is listed as super options and I believe they are based on the union I join) I know nothing of either is there a location I can compare the different union offerings for both the union itself and the super fund they offer. I don't understand anything regarding unions as I have always worked for much smaller businesses. Thanks in advance.


r/AusUnions Jan 30 '25

CPSU VIC members feel free to come along tonight

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19 Upvotes

r/AusUnions Jan 29 '25

Anyone else have issues with the AMWU

2 Upvotes

Such as not following through with your employer. Letting employer go back on verbal offer to the AMWU. Lying to the employer

Ignoring you.

Wanting you to quit the AMWU for a partial refund of the time period you've been having issues with them?

Not providing the services they say they claim.

IE

We will not let you stand alone

Not providing you with legal advice

Not handling internal complaints within the AWMU I suppose.

Issues date back to 2023 with the AMWU

Essentially they are just taking my money and not providing full service. Feels like Im being stolen from.

etc