Meta tags:
description=8 posts published by Tara Nipe during January 2013;

Headings (most frequently used words):

and, days, the, there, are, still, archives, we, is, health, battles, to, be, fought, monthly, january, 2013, 672, re, fighting, 675, truth, out, somewhere, important, information, for, victorian, volunteers, 680, it, insecure, work, again, this, why, can, afford, public, cuts, 687, hospitals, feeling, strain, 2012, in, review, 697, new, year, problem, that, affects, workers, nation, wide, recent, posts, categories, meta, periodic, blog, on, matters, union, social, justice, occasional, random, rant,

Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (272), and (219), for (96), that (90), are (60), this (46), not (42), they (41), have (39), work (36), with (35), but (35), was (33), #health (30), who (29), our (28), there (27), more (27), from (26), you (25), about (24), can (24), your (23), patients (21), 2013 (19), care (18), government (18), only (18), because (18), nurses (18), victoria (18), though (18), 2012 (17), their (17), been (17), had (17), staff (17), public (17), those (16), will (15), all (15), year (15), just (15), like (14), how (14), two (14), cuts (14), has (13), time (13), which (13), volunteers (13), term (12), one (12), days (12), were (12), hospitals (12), joe (12), already (11), even (11), people (11), some (11), years (11), every (11), here (11), midwives (11), members (11), any (11), emergency (11), don (11), anf (11), may (10), many (10), workers (10), over (10), pay (10), see (10), what (10), services (10), still (9), now (9), uncategorized (9), before (9), leave (9), next (9), when (9), system (9), while (9), cost (9), out (9), state (9), know (9), also (9), insecure (9), victorian (9), january (8), need (8), children (8), than (8), make (8), case (8), posted (8), tara (8), nipe (8), jan (8), baillieu (8), most (8), hospital (8), three (8), lost (8), australia (8), volunteer (8), act (8), get (7), comment (7), other (7), blog (7), australian (7), october (7), let (7), think (7), these (7), would (7), issue (7), part (7), long (7), things (7), patient (7), means (7), federal (7), his (7), write (6), 2011 (6), february (6), march (6), september (6), november (6), 2014 (6), 2016 (6), 2017 (6), under (6), contracted (6), short (6), without (6), job (6), roles (6), ago (6), number (6), working (6), could (6), night (6), new (6), ratios (6), fewer (6), then (6), branch (6), longer (6), aren (6), premier (6), way (6), fire (6), them (6), campaign (6), through (6), help (6), discrimination (6), action (6), wordpress (5), com (5), fought (5), account (5), april (5), august (5), problem (5), fighting (5), casual (5), career (5), growing (5), never (5), going (5), found (5), employment (5), day (5), top (5), first (5), world (5), since (5), level (5), vic (5), often (5), someone (5), making (5), significant (5), both (5), surgery (5), funding (5), despite (5), important (5), last (5), based (5), departments (5), why (5), life (5), very (5), employers (5), provide (5), far (5), service (5), seasonal (5), employees (5), harassment (5), age (5), protected (5), sexual (5), equal (5), opportunity (5), industrial (5), lisa (5), started (4), required (4), comments (4), battles (4), social (4), december (4), july (4), workforce (4), future (4), employer (4), almost (4), labour (4), costs (4), training (4), knowledge (4), tomorrow (4), jobs (4), teachers (4), covered (4), across (4), news (4), lives (4), australians (4), nurse (4), little (4), safe (4), affects (4), weeks (4), four (4), least (4), mean (4), legal (4), reduced (4), instead (4), ward (4), sustained (4), federation (4), risk (4), increasing (4), support (4), others (4), hours (4), elderly (4), couple (4), media (4), coverage (4), alfred (4), family (4), trauma (4), melbourne (4), fact (4), face (4), including (4), won (4), less (4), few (4), worker (4), homeless (4), told (4), fight (4), union (4), protection (4), injured (4), well (4), during (4), volunteering (4), organisation (4), issues (4), commission (4), paper (4), association (4), activity (4), didn (4), colleagues (4), royal (4), beds (4), secretary (4), believe (4), indigenous (4), report (3), log (3), sign (3), join (3), feed (3), education (3), aged (3), 2018 (3), icu (3), posts (3), search (3), own (3), hire (3), against (3), impact (3), feeling (3), week (3), car (3), place (3), positions (3), doctors (3), quarter (3), casualised (3), contract (3), another (3), she (3), bad (3), themselves (3), after (3), shift (3), too (3), taken (3), months (3), none (3), running (3), same (3), surgical (3), twenty (3), haven (3), likely (3), conditions (3), change (3), thanks (3), current (3), cut (3), high (3), likelihood (3), pathology (3), cleaners (3), done (3), allied (3), asked (3), total (3), numbers (3), admissions (3), outcomes (3), off (3), head (3), governments (3), sector (3), friday (3), identified (3), post (3), love (3), budget (3), enough (3), department (3), unions (3), higher (3), where (3), thirds (3), financial (3), society (3), isn (3), try (3), met (3), manager (3), fighter (3), spend (3), written (3), made (3), exception (3), recourse (3), parks (3), return (3), half (3), does (3), workcover (3), medical (3), brown (3), received (3), good (3), today (3), yes (3), employed (3), wasn (3), resolve (3), local (3), section (3), include (3), show (3), 2010 (3), hundreds (3), thousands (3), waiting (3), run (3), particularly (3), needs (3), leaving (3), win (3), values (3), sides (3), rally (3), victorians (3), stand (3), member (3), six (3), fitzpatrick (3), ambulance (3), minister (3), announced (3), petitions (3), cash (3), shirt (3), square (3), site (2), website (2), email (2), subscribed (2), subscribe (2), create (2), justice (2), nursing (2), june (2), 2015 (2), 2019 (2), 2021 (2), archives (2), pressure (2), recent (2), secure (2), worth (2), visit (2), protecting (2), country (2), should (2), employee (2), sick (2), annual (2), loyalty (2), precarious (2), plan (2), develop (2), credit (2), always (2), indeed (2), function (2), industries (2), example (2), spoke (2), graduated (2), her (2), 8am (2), fightback (2), yesterday (2), losses (2), ongoing (2), whether (2), rent (2), bed (2), sees (2), better (2), tuesday (2), nation (2), wide (2), reached (2), everest (2), got (2), views (2), person (2), 000 (2), stats (2), prepared (2), ten (2), afford (2), having (2), vulnerable (2), smoothly (2), worse (2), unlike (2), combining (2), wards (2), acute (2), changed (2), implemented (2), 2000 (2), sicker (2), morbidities (2), areas (2), above (2), minimum (2), load (2), eight (2), fortunate (2), past (2), executive (2), legally (2), regardless (2), increase (2), smaller (2), getting (2), harder (2), developing (2), linen (2), meals (2), disease (2), orderlies (2), length (2), available (2), being (2), reduce (2), home (2), bill (2), related (2), wait (2), friend (2), colleague (2), repair (2), fractured (2), clearly (2), poor (2), population (2), elective (2), informed (2), kennett (2), suffer (2), strain (2), calls (2), million (2), took (2), office (2), busy (2), down (2), clear (2), unless (2), otherwise (2), nor (2), twitter (2), endorsed (2), indefensible (2), picture (2), into (2), machinery (2), minutes (2), seven (2), shows (2), nine (2), fong (2), says (2), reading (2), watch (2), episode (2), ask (2), series (2), several (2), treatment (2), worked (2), ever (2), unrelated (2), incidence (2), check (2), line (2), between (2), take (2), genuine (2), homelessness (2), gain (2), individuals (2), business (2), receive (2), increased (2), solutions (2), taking (2), option (2), mistakes (2), economy (2), hear (2), budgets (2), states (2), graduate (2), ought (2), hearing (2), skilled (2), 2007 (2), lead (2), tied (2), injuries (2), avenues (2), fit (2), might (2), effects (2), flexibility (2), strategy (2), failed (2), discussed (2), talk (2), left (2), him (2), rights (2), money (2), agreement (2), aspect (2), victim (2), discuss (2), respect (2), fighters (2), fine (2), follow (2), cfa (2), hoped (2), direct (2), result (2), currently (2), controlled (2), further (2), wrote (2), tweet (2), again (2), attention (2), legislative (2), community (2), problems (2), inadequate (2), paid (2), bodies (2), reported (2), unable (2), reasonable (2), disability (2), discussing (2), page (2), wholly (2), unpaid (2), emphasis (2), specifically (2), excluded (2), belief (2), parental (2), status (2), contact (2), human (2), transport (2), homes (2), hands (2), assist (2), students (2), deliver (2), toward (2), increasingly (2), power (2), turned (2), saturday (2), information (2), went (2), strike (2), stop (2), industry (2), used (2), discussion (2), strong (2), access (2), quality (2), effective (2), timely (2), technicians (2), sunday (2), activism (2), clad (2), editors (2), call (2), herald (2), sun (2), experienced (2), weren (2), among (2), away (2), closing (2), ambulances (2), 3aw (2), centre (2), squabbling (2), politicians (2), needing (2), back (2), responsibility (2), much (2), sure (2), degree (2), mid (2), cover (2), closures (2), peter (2), times (2), until (2), determined (2), rooted (2), later (2), negotiating (2), shirts (2), hat (2), understood (2), assistant (2), davis (2), claire (2), pat (2), quite (2), something (2), design, name, loading, collapse, bar, manage, subscriptions, view, reader, content, privacy, subscribers, free, entries, meta, voluntary, assisted, dying, clinical, politics, categories, 2022, fifo, answer, covid, quarantine, deaths, acts, give, herd, immunity, rip, supporting, cause, possibly, www, securejobs, org, suits, climbing, fixed, choose, weighed, entitlements, investment, month, promises, eligible, mortgages, loans, cards, sometimes, rental, properties, sessional, student, locum, relieving, agency, preferred, systems, fail, century, norm, rapidly, said, nuw, sectors, levels, knowing, tem, teacher, recently, ninth, knows, phone, rings, fluoro, fantastic, addition, sorrows, tragedies, griefs, unhappy, registered, worry, precariously, balanced, sleep, headed, hope, happy, eve, ahead, 697, click, complete, 600, viewed, excerpt, helper, monkeys, review, votes, forget, sighted, functional, integrity, doesn, managing, five, brisbane, prince, charles, although, region, concomitant, acknowledging, allowing, duty, charge, caring, instance, committed, present, board, mandated, severity, loads, structural, changes, management, makes, impossible, adequately, supervised, supported, process, additional, requires, justification, air, mattress, ulcer, attendant, monitor, confused, pulling, vital, lines, falling, wandering, deliveries, blankets, cold, encouraging, wet, pads, rather, kitchen, wrong, modified, diets, coeliac, diabetes, stroke, ramifications, everything, takes, physiotherapy, nutrition, occupational, therapy, speech, podiatry, lengths, decreasing, acuity, rising, sent, room, ready, discharge, progress, readmitted, subsequent, inpatients, mother, waited, hip, research, demonstrates, delays, lists, 7000, practice, memories, continue, bicker, pressured, feel, compromise, 723, initiated, releases, responses, elsewhere, stopped, counting, 687, policy, opinions, neither, opinion, reflect, official, position, thirty, professionals, elite, saves, wouldn, yours, straight, prudent, necessary, key, resource, designed, comes, falls, bit, deal, fifteen, stable, stage, simultaneous, traumas, accident, dealt, integral, outcome, 22nd, affect, host, anaesthetic, consultant, kevin, follows, initial, pathway, flight, paramedics, roadside, initiation, radiology, preliminary, transfer, nights, sbs, broadcast, looking, leading, filmed, focused, internationally, renown, its, treat, presentations, each, happens, unit, intensive, decades, belonging, percentage, impermanent, kids, qualify, card, alone, loan, couldn, find, living, unreasonable, assume, different, tiny, granted, hardship, real, americans, workforces, indicative, dominant, attitude, prioritised, whole, realist, appreciate, owners, fiscally, minded, fairness, operating, model, temporary, experiential, workplace, culture, invest, necessarily, repaid, productivity, slower, workplaces, bigger, errors, participate, projects, bring, innovate, ideas, come, rapport, base, admit, idealist, injustice, motivating, factor, bills, drown, harm, doctor, brickie, farm, hand, educator, pursuit, harms, harmed, families, hurts, earn, alongside, miss, injust, previously, shocked, newly, contracts, liberal, slashed, burned, either, mine, tafe, finishing, sixth, permanent, tertiary, qualification, certificate, diploma, apprenticeship, main, occupations, professional, technician, trade, source, manual, fruit, picking, according, census, record, spain, closely, sounds, possible, actively, stood, season, interim, accrued, reliable, super, hopefully, temporarily, forthcoming, travel, laws, generalities, negative, big, achieve, profitability, untenable, companies, address, perils, briefly, national, fluro, event, actu, wider, evident, title, hired, muse, implications, non, disclosure, exchange, emphasise, describe, seriously, except, diary, look, disparity, front, verbiage, unsupported, actions, seasonally, incident, certification, ended, article, joseph, conducting, burn, offs, fuel, performing, badly, damage, organs, rib, fractures, survive, considered, ineligible, summer, resist, such, appeal, mrs, clair, awesome, clairzilla, grief, onto, auspol, link, taranipe, inspired, anything, shortage, particular, order, intend, electorate, china, message, repeating, facty, facts, prioritising, hips, inhumane, wasteful, devastation, 680, indebted, bringing, patiently, walking, points, thank, threatening, threat, burning, approximately, unresolved, fell, failures, protect, finding, roughly, relating, seek, put, protections, principally, peak, websites, nearly, seeking, assistance, respondents, difficulties, sought, outside, volunteered, sic, interesting, requirement, adjustments, want, vicarious, liability, held, accountable, discriminatory, behaviour, interestingly, specifying, exemption, precautions, prevent, occurring, employs, weasel, words, chiefly, unlawful, discriminate, club, grounds, certain, circumstances, applying, published, looks, glance, revised, replaced, provides, comprehensive, communicated, informant, pre, existing, 1995, dealing, engaged, perform, remuneration, partly, includes, added, personal, assumed, characteristics, religious, race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, ethnic, origin, pregnancy, breastfeeding, political, physical, features, carer, marital, anonymous, request, brought, anti, provisions, sole, sex, gender, identity, opportunities, salary, infrastructure, enable, type, standby, turn, manning, phones, roadways, removing, fallen, trees, rescuing, fires, rely, heavily, greet, arrivals, massage, sympathetic, ear, man, stalls, facilities, activities, chaplaincy, outings, listen, schools, librarians, cafeterias, wrangle, field, trips, shops, wheels, clean, teach, english, migrants, compile, packages, armed, forces, deployment, animals, fund, raise, contacted, pick, combating, blazes, impetus, highlight, thing, course, fluctuate, shearing, round, etc, mutual, grievously, aiming, fairwork, earliest, questions, answered, bedsides, unprotected, list, ordered, side, fielded, talented, lawyer, body, represent, negotiations, expensive, suspicion, insider, court, resulting, bankrupt, tight, backs, helped, keep, single, elected, officials, teams, best, psychologists, mental, ama, hasn, officially, 3rd, fellow, protest, combined, barbeque, entertainment, red, once, welfare, citizens, concerned, contacting, talkback, radio, use, concerns, journalists, communication, expressing, concern, friends, neighbours, attack, educators, resilient, cooperative, die, natural, death, slow, aggressive, strangulation, insulated, defended, 2001, 2004, 20011, patent, workloads, team, lower, junior, severe, sustainable, rarely, reapply, organisational, redesign, anywhere, drop, lesser, werribee, mercy, closed, yet, abandoned, colac, shut, closest, hour, geelong, frankston, ramped, bite, presenter, neil, mitchell, called, bickering, monash, surgeon, alan, saunders, described, dissent, referred, seem, somebody, guidance, obscene, frenetic, unloaded, insufficient, crews, units, road, ramping, manifold, serve, emaciated, 616, treating, effectively, lowering, rate, preventable, andhospital, associated, events, aging, occasionally, wonder, protracted, dogged, resistance, eba, contributed, economise, merit, culpability, accounting, reduction, scramble, recoup, funds, allocated, downsize, intended, provided, retrospective, fairly, comprehensively, press, conference, abbreviated, debate, plibersek, read, separately, interviews, unaired, footage, abc, 7pm, usually, precipitated, iconic, institutions, maccallum, cancer, sadly, misses, affected, scanning, mri, ordinary, rays, officers, unload, nobody, ceasing, 7th, wednesday, 675, truth, somewhere, spread, word, downsizing, measures, parliament, attend, anyone, end, discharged, early, stretchers, flown, helicopters, attendance, attractive, projected, shortfall, transform, 2020, crisis, catastrophe, theatres, true, sub, psychiatric, preventative, headline, mac, moral, right, ability, subject, inequity, mentally, ill, peoples, unemployed, disadvantaged, ideology, fiscal, sustainability, victorias, tired, energised, empowered, seen, sight, importance, goals, historic, meeting, 16th, fray, council, planning, machiavellian, machinations, retired, popped, rolled, flags, thought, argument, gained, incalculable, demonstrated, bureaucrats, finally, claim, drawn, nastier, recruited, reps, activists, came, insignificant, energy, distress, difficult, decisions, resignation, greater, borne, unequivocal, unhelpful, critics, chief, aims, loss, credibility, shown, duplicitous, intention, faith, cabinet, confidence, detail, respected, appreciated, shudder, intractability, fees, extravagant, representation, embarrassing, counter, aired, handed, educate, midwife, efficiency, smooth, improved, retention, satisfaction, paul, gilbert, secreatry, pip, carew, pictured, delivering, david, did, text, wearing, relay, dozen, remaining, petition, collectors, latest, self, organised, rotation, moved, security, traffic, area, heath, minster, coming, fed, restaurant, demanded, answers, nothing, sold, collected, meant, missed, stopping, play, approach, stands, talking, throw, rest, game, playing, commitment, bandana, wrapped, crown, straw, open, behind, salmon, wonderful, organiser, played, role, surprise, attendee, apprehensive, introverted, facebook, reluctant, ridiculous, fan, girl, writing, hawthorn, recognise, kulin, beyond, bailiwick, wiser, knowledgeable, wurundjeri, willam, commemorates, landing, fleet, 1788, aboriginal, torres, strait, islander, marks, beginning, invasion, combination, deliberate, neglect, policies, racism, superiority, populations, cultures, decimated, torn, parents, destroyed, inequities, significantly, poorer, expectancies, qualities, distressingly, rates, alcohol, drug, misuse, incarceration, poverty, lifestyle, 672, monthly, periodic, matters, occasional, random, rant, background,

Text of the page (random words):
we can win and we ve never lost sight of the importance of our goals this is not an industrial fight for me it is a fight rooted in ideology fiscal responsibility and sustainability i believe that the public have a moral right to receive timely quality care from our public health system that health access should not be determined by your ability to pay and that those who are already subject to health inequity including the poor the elderly the mentally ill indigenous peoples and the unemployed ought not be further disadvantaged i believe that the short term financial gain of closing theatres beds and emergency departments costs us far more in the mid and long term this is as true for sub acute psychiatric community and preventative health services as it is for the headline effects on hospitals like the royal children s peter mac the royal melbourne and the alfred i believe that making health a less attractive option for students now means that our projected shortfall of nurses and midwives will transform 2020 from a crisis to a catastrophe and i believe that this is an issue that affects us all anyone can end up needing public health care don t wait until it s you or someone you love discharged too early or on one of those stretchers or flown in on one of those helicopters or waiting for ambulance attendance before you act show your support for victoria s public health system attend the rally next sunday write to the age the herald sun and your local paper contact your state and federal members of parliament not sure who your federal member is try here email s good face to face is better be informed new closures staff downsizing and other measures are still being announced and spread the word information is power 675 days and the truth is out there somewhere 23 wednesday jan 2013 posted by tara nipe in uncategorized leave a comment hospital funding cuts have been making the victorian news for the past couple of weeks usually precipitated by closures at iconic institutions like the royal children s hospital announced january 7th and peter maccallum victoria s cancer hospital announced two days ago the emphasis is often on elective surgery which sadly misses the system wide impact also affected are emergency surgery scanning like mri ct and ordinary x rays emergency admissions waiting times in emergency departments far longer care by ambulance officers because they re unable to unload patients if nobody can care for them and longer transport times because of emergency departments ceasing night time service last night s melbourne news fairly comprehensively covered how premier baillieu s press conference on victorian health funding turned into an abbreviated debate with federal health minister plibersek you can watch the abc s 7pm coverage the age s coverage some unaired footage read the australian s account hear interviews with the two politicians separately on 3aw there are as there always are at least two sides i m sure that both sides have a degree of merit and a degree of culpability the federal cuts are smaller accounting for only 15 of the total budget reduction for public health funding since the premier took office in 2010 but they ve been made mid year and include retrospective cuts for the 2011 12 financial year which means services have to scramble to recoup funds already allocated downsize services intended to cover another six months and cover services that have already been provided those budgets were already emaciated thanks to 616 million already taken from a service that is treating more patients more effectively every year and lowering the rate of preventable andhospital associated events despite an aging population with increasing co morbidities i do occasionally wonder just how much the protracted dogged resistance to the anf s public sector eba contributed to the baillieu government s need to economise what s more important is that both the state and federal governments also have responsibility one of the manifold roles of government is to serve the needs of the people not just today but in the long term people don t stop needing care because there are fewer beds they just spend more time in increasingly frenetic emergency departments or in the back of ambulances because they can t be unloaded when there are insufficient staff to care for them in the department and that means more crews tied up and fewer units on the road see here for a longer discussion on ambulance ramping 3aw presenter neil mitchell has called this bickering obscene monash medical centre surgeon mr alan saunders described the dissent as squabbling while anf vic branch secretary lisa fitzpatrick referred to the politicians as squabbling children it would seem and i think somebody needs to show some parental guidance we re only just feeling the bite and it s going to get worse in just the last three days colleagues across the state have told me that frankston had four ambulances ramped for most of one night that colac will shut out of hours service and six surgical beds leaving the closest emergency department over an hour away in geelong and they re closing 26 beds that werribee mercy s closed a ward among other job losses are six graduate nurses who weren t yet contracted and are now abandoned that nurses at the royal melbourne have been asked to drop their hours though there s no lesser need for care and that there are few jobs anywhere in the system i ve also been told about nurses who ve lost their jobs and others who have to reapply for positions they ve help for years because of organisational redesign i was a very junior nurse during the kennett years but experienced enough to know that the severe cuts weren t sustainable twenty years on patients are far sicker than they were then and patients are rarely in hospital unless there s no recourse victorian public sector nurses and midwives are a little insulated thanks to the now inadequate ratios we fought for in 2000 and defended in 2001 2004 2007 and 20011 12 we can t legally work with higher patent workloads this is not the case for any other member of the health care team allied health numbers can be cut hospitals can hire fewer doctors and support staff like cleaners are already employed in lower numbers with less coverage like the baillieu government s attack on education at every level on educators at every level this is an issue that affects all victorians we can not stand by and let a public health system that is strong effective resilient and cooperative die not a natural death but a slow and aggressive strangulation so how can you help let the media know you re concerned by contacting the editors of the herald sun the age and or your local paper editors call talkback radio if you use social media then post and tweet about your concerns including journalists in your communication write to your state and federal mp s expressing your concern talk about this issue with your friends your neighbours and your colleagues and on sunday february 3rd join your fellow victorians at a family protest rally activism combined with a barbeque and children s entertainment i ll be there with hundreds of red clad nurses and midwives fighting once more for the health and welfare of our citizens by our sides will be members of the teams who help us deliver some of australia s best care cleaners psychologists medical technicians orderlies pathology technicians mental health staff allied health staff and though the ama hasn t officially endorsed the rally doctors at our backs will be members of the other unions that have helped keep victoria and victorian workers strong because union values and family values and human values and because every single one of us will need access to quality effective skilled safe and timely health care if only our elected officials will let us i went to a fairwork hearing in the earliest days of the strike action there were two questions to be answered were anf members taking industrial action yes we were leaving patients bedsides and was the action unprotected yes it wasn t on the list of protected activity and in any case we d be ordered to stop all industrial action there was no way that the anf side could win we fielded one very talented lawyer the victorian hospitals industry association the body used to represent the government in negotiations had seven and at least two of those were very expensive my suspicion based on no insider knowledge or discussion is that they hoped anf would go to court and be required to pay costs the resulting bill might not bankrupt the union but it would make things very tight important information for victorian volunteers 19 saturday jan 2013 posted by tara nipe in uncategorized leave a comment yesterday i wrote about joe brown a cfa volunteer turned seasonal fire fighter who was grievously injured on the job 9 months ago and has now not only lost the career he d be aiming toward but is currently homeless the impetus of my post was to highlight the growing shift toward insecure work and why that s not just a bad thing for workers but also for employers and for our country there is of course a need for some seasonal and casual work needs fluctuate some roles like shearing aren t year round etc but increasingly these roles aren t contracted by mutual agreement but because all the flexibility and all the power is the employers i was contacted last night about another aspect of joe s case which i didn t pick up on and which is particularly significant to many australians particularly as fire fighters in a number of states are combating significant blazes we rely heavily on volunteers in hospitals they greet and direct arrivals massage patients hands provide a sympathetic ear and man stalls in aged care facilities they run activities provide chaplaincy services assist during outings and often listen when the employed staff are too busy in schools they assist teachers and librarians run cafeterias and help wrangle students on field trips volunteers run our op shops visit the elderly in their homes deliver meals on wheels clean up australia teach english to migrants compile care packages for our armed forces on deployment take in and care for lost and injured animals fund raise and that s just off the top of my head and as i type hundreds of australian volunteers are working unpaid for our emergency services and there are thousands more on standby or waiting their turn they re manning phones making roadways safe removing fallen trees from homes rescuing people and they re fighting fires volunteers do this not only for no salary but often at a cost not just their time but transport training and infrastructure they provide services that enable the state to function more smoothly at no cost what the anonymous by request contact brought to my attention was the fact that volunteers are specifically excluded from most of the anti discrimination provisions under victoria s equal opportunities act the sole clear exception is sexual harassment but protection from discrimination based on age disability and sex gender identity the three areas of discrimination most often reported see p 8 to victoria s equal opportunity and human rights commission as well as marital status parental or carer status physical features political belief or activity pregnancy or breastfeeding race including colour nationality ethnicity and ethnic origin religious belief or activity industrial activity personal association with someone who has or is assumed to have one of these characteristics is specifically excluded for volunteers under section 4 of the victorian equal opportunity act 2010 d a person who is engaged to perform any work the remuneration for which is based wholly or partly on commission and in part 6 includes but does not otherwise in this act include an unpaid worker or volunteer emphasis added part 6 is the section dealing with sexual harassment the issues paper published by the commission in may 2011 looks at first glance as though the revised act which replaced the equal opportunity act 1995 provides more comprehensive discrimination protection for volunteers indeed after reading through it i communicated to my informant that the pre existing issue was no longer a problem but the issues paper employs a number of weasel words chiefly may on page 5 in victoria it may be unlawful to discriminate against volunteers on page 6 where volunteers who are members of the club or organisation with which they volunteer are protected from discrimination on these grounds but in certain circumstances volunteers who are not members of the organisation with which they volunteer only may also be protected under the equal opportunity act 2010 when applying for volunteer roles and while volunteering the section discussing vicarious liability where employers can be held accountable for sexual harassment and discriminatory behaviour of their employees does include volunteers with employees interestingly specifying an exemption only if the organisation or employer can show that they have taken reasonable precautions to prevent sexual harassment from occurring and on p 7 we return to may unlike for paid employees there is no requirement that an employer make reasonable adjustments for disability though they may if they want to what i found most interesting was that though the commission found see p 10 that just under a quarter of the respondents who identified difficulties in volunteering sought help from outside the organisation in which they volunteered to try and sic resolve their issues principally through peak bodies local government and state government bodies websites nearly two thirds of volunteers who reported seeking assistance for a volunteering related issue identified that they were unable to resolve it so though finding that roughly a quarter of victoria s volunteer community had problems relating to their volunteering problems significant enough to seek help for and though some 66 of them found these avenues inadequate to resolve the problem the new act has not put in place any of the legal protections that paid employees have with the exception of protection from sexual discrimination joe s case isn t one of the approximately 16 of those unresolved he fell victim to the legislative failures to protect insecure workers instead if you re a volunteer thank you and think about this if joe who received life threatening injuries while protecting victoria from the threat of fire through contracted controlled burning and while employed by the state government through parks victoria wasn t protected how protected are you i m indebted to x for bringing this to my attention and then patiently walking me though a couple of the legislative fine points 680 days and it s insecure work again 18 friday jan 2013 posted by tara nipe in uncategorized 1 comment it s been a few days since i ve written anything here though not because there s been a shortage of things ab...