CLIMATE EMERGENCY ◆ Image: Paperbark tea-tree resprouting post-fire. Doug Beckers/flickr
Bushfires spark green shoots of solidarity The bushfire crisis that swept Australia over summer was a shocking wake up call for all of us. Clearly, the impacts of climate change are here now and our political leaders remain inept and unprepared in the face of the crisis. As National President Alison Barnes has remarked in her Advocate column, all of us knew someone – friends, family or neighbours – affected by the fires. The loss of life, destruction of country and loss of animals was heartbreaking and shocking. A number of NTEU members were directly impacted and sadly some lost homes and property. When the National Office returned to work early this year, General Secretary Matt McGowan and staff were eager to reach out to members and offer whatever support and advice we could, given the scale of the crisis. In addition to providing members with advice about working when air quality was hazardous (and our rights not to work), the Union announced the creation of NTEU Emergency Grants of up to $1000 to assist those members worst affected. We also offered to waive membership fees for up to 3 months for people suffering financial hardship. Several members took up this offer and the Union was able to distribute much needed funds to those most acutely af-
fected. The union movement has always been about supporting each other when times are tough and the conversations we had with folks who had been on the frontline and in need of assistance were moving. We know that the climate crisis is not going away. We know that climate change exacerbates the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, like bushfires. In that context, we are aware that the creation of NTEU Emergency Grants and fee waivers for members are, whilst a worthwhile initiative in the immediate term, not sufficient to deal with the scale of the ongoing climate crisis.
Climate justice strategy With a view to tackling that crisis, the NTEU is currently working to finalise our comprehensive climate justice strategy, consistent with what members voted for at National Council via the Climate Emergency motion and the UniSuper: Fossil Fuel Divestment motions. We are working on a strategy aimed at shifting our money, shifting our workplaces and shifting our politics away from the climate crisis and towards climate justice. We are working with MarketForces to ensure members retirement savings are not supercharging climate change through supporting fossil fuel companies.
inspired by Greta Thunberg and our own Australian high school students, as preparations for the next Climate Strike on May 15 take shape. We hope that all members can join with young people on the street on this day, so please put this date in your diary. We are hoping to set up a live, online video-call with the high school movement leaders so that NTEU members can hear directly from these young people about how we can work together. Finally, we will be working within the Australian union movement nationally to encourage other unions to support a just transition, or a Green New Deal, for workers and union members. Despite the tragic loss and the fear and the anxiety we all experienced through the bushfires over summer, we are hopeful that the green shoots of solidarity will continue to flower as we work together for climate justice in 2020. ◆ Jake Wishart, Communications Organiser (Digital) More about NTEU Emergency Grants and bushfire relief at nteu.org.au/emergency_grants
We will continue to build solidarity with the School Strike 4 Climate movement,
ADVOCATE VOL. 27 NO. 1 ◆ MARCH 2020
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