Sentry, September 2020

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DELEGATES

MEMBER STORIES

Knowledge, Flexibility & Composure Tips on being an effective NTEU Delegate I am a Lecturer with the Centre for Aboriginal Studies (CAS) at Curtin University in Perth, coordinating the Indigenous Australian Mental Health Principle and Practices Major program (IAMHPP). I was elected as the NTEU Academic Delegate for CAS in my first year of employment. The previous delegate had resigned from the position. Issues started to emerge within the workplace after I was elected; they are not unique to CAS as I have seen them in other workplaces. Firstly, there was a lack of trust between management and staff. I acknowledge that the stance between unions and management is mostly adversarial, but no trust in the workplace has a devastating effect on social and emotional wellbeing of our members, which then reduces productivity. Secondly, I noticed a lack of open and honest communications between workers and managers. Unfortunately for some management teams they decide not to take on the feedback and ignore it, which leads to the eroding of trust between both parties.

Fred Yasso Curtin University

These two features of a workplace create an environment that can set back organisation for years if left to fester. To tell your COVID-19 story to the NTEU member community, please contact Helena Spyrou

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SEPTEMBER 2020


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