Latest news with #JiselleHanna
Sydney Morning Herald
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
The newly elected militants leading the public sector union
Militant unionists elected by a disengaged workforce now face twin battles to activate Victoria's public servants while taking on a government preparing to slash jobs. For the first time in 32 years Victoria's Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has a new leadership, with newly elected state secretary Jiselle Hanna and her ticket swept to power by the base it has vowed to grow. The rare successful challenge that replaces Karen Batt, whose tenure stretched back to the start of the Kennett years, with a more hardline leadership will be a fresh pain for the Allan government heading into an election year. Labor is poised to announce widespread job cuts and a reshaping of public entities as part of the Silver review to ease pressure on the state's finances. But Hanna and the new leadership from A Voice for Members are not about to organise a strike. She accepts that low membership rates will limit the CPSU's ability to fight. Only 15,000 public sector workers signed up to the union, between 15 and 25 per cent of all the possible workers the CPSU could cover, which is a point of contention. The grouping set a target to increase membership to 20,000, including by cutting fees, by the next union elections in 2028. 'But it's not density alone. You can have high density, but a de-politicised, demotivated, disengaged membership,' Hanna told The Age on Friday as she prepared to finish her job at Corrections Victoria. Some workplaces within the public services could have high density. 'There is a lot of rebuilding of this union required,' the 45-year-old said. 'One of the smears that was run against us was that we're going to organise strikes tomorrow. We're not idiots.' The ticket's campaign statement said members should lead union decisions but promised to 'stand ready to take strong industrial action, including strikes, to secure meaningful wins for members'.
The Age
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
The newly elected militants leading the public sector union
Militant unionists elected by a disengaged workforce now face twin battles to activate Victoria's public servants while taking on a government preparing to slash jobs. For the first time in 32 years Victoria's Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has a new leadership, with newly elected state secretary Jiselle Hanna and her ticket swept to power by the base it has vowed to grow. The rare successful challenge that replaces Karen Batt, whose tenure stretched back to the start of the Kennett years, with a more hardline leadership will be a fresh pain for the Allan government heading into an election year. Labor is poised to announce widespread job cuts and a reshaping of public entities as part of the Silver review to ease pressure on the state's finances. But Hanna and the new leadership from A Voice for Members are not about to organise a strike. She accepts that low membership rates will limit the CPSU's ability to fight. Only 15,000 public sector workers signed up to the union, between 15 and 25 per cent of all the possible workers the CPSU could cover, which is a point of contention. The grouping set a target to increase membership to 20,000, including by cutting fees, by the next union elections in 2028. 'But it's not density alone. You can have high density, but a de-politicised, demotivated, disengaged membership,' Hanna told The Age on Friday as she prepared to finish her job at Corrections Victoria. Some workplaces within the public services could have high density. 'There is a lot of rebuilding of this union required,' the 45-year-old said. 'One of the smears that was run against us was that we're going to organise strikes tomorrow. We're not idiots.' The ticket's campaign statement said members should lead union decisions but promised to 'stand ready to take strong industrial action, including strikes, to secure meaningful wins for members'.
