newsmonth newspaper of the nsw/act independent education union [vol 31 #7] november Newspaper of the NSW/ACT Independent Education Union (vol 32 #4) July 2012
Print Post: 225007/0002 – ISSN: 0728-4845
A leader in Indigenous education P13
Progress for New Scheme Teachers P8-9
Time bomb P15
Fight for Workers Comp goes on
Legislation was due to pass through the NSW Parliament at Newsmonth press time that would seriously erode workers’ rights. Changes to Workers Compensation would mean workers would lose the right to make claims for injuries sustained
on journeys to and from work, cover for medical costs would cease one year after the initial claim and most workers payments would cease after two and a half years. Last week, about 2000 unionists and members of the public braved heavy
rain to attend for a rally protesting the changes. A vocal IEU contingent joined the umbrella and banner wielding crowds outside Parliament House to hear a moving speech by young nurse Emily Orchard, who has struggled with injury
since a CPR mishap in her first year of work. She described her five-year battle with insurers since the injury, and said things would have been even harder without Workers Comp. IEU Senior Industrial Officer Stan Koulouris Continued page 4
Dick moves on to new frontiers On behalf of our 30,000 current members and the tens of thousands of others over the years, we'd like to thank Dick for devoting his working life to our union and its members, and to pay tribute to his leadership and the strategic direction he has set for us. For more coverage see pages 2-3.