Almost every ward, unit or small workplace has someone.
Someone who’s stepped forward.
You’ll know them. We have more than 3000 of them.
It’s the person who decides that working conditions could be better and makes sure everyone attends the ANMF members meeting.
It’s the person who has noticed everyone is complaining about an issue and they join the dots and contact the union.
It’s the person who puts another ANMF newsflash on the workplace noticeboard.
It’s the person who’s always attending a committee meeting about EBA implementation or preventing violence and aggression.
It’s the person who puts up their hand to attend the ANMF Annual Delegates Conference.
These ‘someones’ are Job Reps and Health and Safety Reps (HSR) and they have taken on a significant extra load during the pandemic.
We have more than 2000 Job Reps and more than 1400 HSRs. They are the critical link between ANMF and members in relation to workplace issues, campaigns and the pandemic.
It’s been three years since hundreds of ANMF reps come together under one roof for the annual delegates conference.
Our 29th annual conference, held on 30 June and 1 July, and broadcast from the ANMF’s auditorium, was a hybrid online event. Job Reps and HSRs had the option of attending virtually or at one of the 11 satellite venues across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
It still didn’t quite feel like our beloved event of pre-pandemic days. But it did feel a different kind of special after having no conference in 2020 and only a virtual conference in 2021. And it did give the Job Reps and HSRs who chose to attend one of the 11 locations the precious ability to network face-to-face by workplace and by area/region, and to share experiences.
Sixty-eight motions, developed at workplaces by members were robustly debated. These motions will influence the ANMF’s direction and work over the next 12 to 24 months and will contribute to the development of logs of claims for the next enterprise bargaining round for 2024 and beyond.
Thank you to all of the reps for the extra load you have carried on behalf of your colleagues, the professions and the union. Your contribution during these difficult times and often dark days has been critical to the ANMF’s ability to navigate the challenges of the pandemic and support members.
If your ward/unit or workplace has Job Rep or HSR please thank them for all of the above and beyond work they have been doing over the past three years.
If you don’t have one, maybe you are the someone your workplace needs to become a Job Rep or Health and Safety Rep.
And yes, you can be both.
