PSA CPSU NSW Podcast

On the podcast today we talk to members in Wollongong talking about the public sector wages cap and the impact it is having on their ability to earn a living wage above inflation.

On the podcast today we speak to PSA Organisers Susan Chee Quee and Marisa Bosco about the problem of work insecurity and lack of permanent staff who work in NSW schools and what members can do to address this issue.

Workers have been shut out of any negotiations, changes to workplace relations, indeed anything to do with their jobs in the last 10 years of a coalition government. On the podcast today, we speak to CPSU NSW Assistant Branch Secretary Troy Wright about why it's refreshing to hear from one side of politics in the election recognising the role of unions in advocating for workers entitlements.

The Public Sector Needs A Pay Rise - this is the name of the new campaign launched this week by the PSA to lift the wages of public sector employees. On the podcast today we talk to General Secretary Stewart Little about the launch of the campaign, why now is the time to demand action on wages, and the union’s response to the statements made by the premier that rebuke the union's demands.

Last Friday in New Jersey, Amazon Warehouse Workers in Staten Island voted to form a union. The first Amazon Labor Union in the United States. Their leader and interim President - Chris Smalls - was able to organise employees around issues such as low wages, lack of job security, absence of sufficient air conditioning in the summer, constant monitoring of productivity and short breaks - and he is...

With the release of the federal budget on Tuesday night, it was noticed by many that one key area of concern was missing - wages. On the podcast today, we talk to Angela Jackson from Impact Economics.

Today's podcast is brought to you from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, where the PSA Executive is visiting members and staff in the flood-affected area.

On the ground in Lismore -  gaining a first-hand account of the devastation was our guest on the podcast today - the NSW Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib. Fortuitously, Jihad also holds the state Shadow Climate Change portfolio.  In our discussion, we talk about how his two areas have overlapped to produce such a crisis and what we can expect going forward.

Permanent funding for first responders' mental health is needed now - it is a vital mental health service for first responders.  However, the Black Dog Institute’s Traumatic Stress Clinic funding hasn’t been renewed by the Federal Government, meaning the vital mental health support for first responders to bushfires, floods and other natural disasters will end on June 30. The  NSW Government s...

The catastrophes of the 2019-2020 bushfires and the floods of northern New South Wales have amalgamated into one of the most urgent crises facing New South Wales and Australia in recent times.  That is the great housing crisis. As thousands of homes remain unliveable across New South Wales, on the podcast today we hear from Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness - Rose Jackson MLC about what...

On the podcast today, we find out why the PSA's Executive decided to create a permanent Emergency Relief Fund for members.

On the podcast today we speak to the PSA’s New Women’s Officer Jodie Haydon about why the themes of Safety, Respect and Equity are important and what the future brings for Women in the Public Service and the Federal system. We also use this as an opportunity to introduce Jodie to our broader union movement and, as you will hear, she has an open-door policy when it comes to hearing the issues of th...

Your wages are under attack, your ability to purchase household basics along with luxury items whilst maintaining a comfortable buffer for your hip pocket is shrinking by the day. What is the government doing about it? Not a whole lot - that’s according to our guest Greg Jericho  - Columnist with The Guardian Australia and Policy Director for the Centre for Future Work.

An unmitigated disaster is occurring in Northern NSW with some parts of the state, including the town of Lismore experiencing the worst flooding ever. 

On the podcast, we discuss the changes that must be made to the government's 2.5% wage cap in light of the increases in inflation.

Under the cover of darkness, the NSW Government made amendments to workers' compensation that put the onus on the workers to prove they contracted the disease at work in order to be eligible for compensation. 

Koalas have been officially listed as an endangered species for NSW, Queensland, and the ACT.  So what went wrong?  How does Matt Kean, a former environment minister, known as a champion in the field of wildlife preservation - allow this to occur on his watch?  We talk to 40-year National Parks and Wildlife veteran Kim DeGovrik to hear what has happened to Australia's favourite native marsupi...

On the podcast today, we speak with the newly elected Member for Bega, Dr Michael Holland on what were the circumstances that led the electorate to change hands for the first time since the inception of the seat.

As evidenced by the Bill being shelved, there has been significant Federal reluctance for a National Integrity Commission. On this episode, we speak to Barrister Stephen Lawrence on the importance of ICAC at a state level and why the hesitance given by Prime Minister Scott Morrison towards a national model is unfounded.

The Premier, Dominic Perrottet is holding a CBD summit this week to kick start the local economy. Part of the incentives to businesses is a return of the Public Service to the CBD.  While this may be an ethos the union does agree with - it is a decision that was made with no consultation with the peak body representing some 38,000 Public Service workers in NSW.

Federal Minister for Aged Care, Richard Colbeck admitted this week that he skipped a senate inquiry into covid-19 in the aged care sector in favour of the Ashes in Hobart. Since the privatisation of services to the vulnerable in NSW such as homecare and disabilities, we reflect on the impact government negligence has on the vulnerable and what the solutions are to fixing these sectors.

This week Prime Minister Scott Morrison was stumped on a question presented to him by Sky News Political Reporter Andrew Clennell. Mr. Morrison was unable to give an answer to the costs of a loaf of bread, litre of petrol, and a rapid antigen test. On the podcast, we ask why our political leaders are not across the increase in costs of living pressures we face each and every day.

Welcome back to the PSA Podcast for 2022! The NSW Department of Education has put in place a series of safety measures to help curb the impact of the Omicron variant.  In addition, 2022 holds a number of challenges for our members in schools including permanency and rights and conditions.

On this episode, we hear from the executive of the PSA, CPSU NSW who gives seasons greetings to all the champions who kept the state running during a time of crisis.  The podcast will return in January 2022.

Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese announced Federal Labor’s plan, should it win government to fund 465,000 TAFE course places. A shot in the arm for a system of education that has been brutalised by years of job cuts, outsourcing and campus sell-offs. However, there are still some concerns regarding resourcing.