Water & Ports

We Talk With Belinda Bennett

Details

Published on Wednesday, 27 February, 2008

Brief description of your job
I am currently working as a Catchment Education Leader at the Sydney Catchment Authority. It’s a busy and enjoyable role that coordinates and delivers education programs to stakeholders in the SCA’s catchments to give them the tools to protect water and catchment health. I’ve taken that job on in the last couple of months after a stint at Department of Environment and Climate Change in water policy in 2007.

Why do you think it is important to have strong union membership?
The union is simply us, as individuals, getting together to have a stronger voice in both the day-to-day and the big picture management of our workplaces and our livelihood. The union provides us with support and advocacy and the power to make changes for the better, or even to keep our existing conditions. The stronger the union, the bigger our voice.

Why do you think it is important to have union delegates?
When I first wanted to find out about the union, I was disappointed that it didn’t have much of a profile in my workplace. When I became more active, I realised why – because the union is us. If I wanted there to be more union presence, I needed to be that presence. Ever since I became a delegate, I’ve been busy. Workplaces are constantly changing you know – award and enterprise agreement negotiations, restructures, policy shifts - and there is a constant need for delegates to support members through these changes.

Why do you think it is important for women to have a voice in the union movement?
It’s quite simple. We’re about half the world’s population and we have lots to offer! Plus, we’re everywhere and we’re members. We need to be represented and have a big role in that representation. Unions still have a reputation for being bastions of blokes. In my experience at the ASU, that’s not the case at all! But the stronger women’s voices, the more that stereotype will break down. And perhaps with that shift, more people who reject unions because of stereotypes will be drawn to join the union. Let’s get women involved as much as they can!

How has the union supported you?
The union has been very supportive in many of the conditions I enjoy now, you know – my pay level, my part-time entitlements, the opportunities I have had to apply for positions across the SCA, and many others.
And, of course, there was the time my team was restructured out of existence while I was on maternity leave – and the union worked to make sure we still have jobs in the organisation.

What would you say to encourage more people to join the union?
We do our best to support you. We have a good union – because of the quality of our organisers and our team of delegates. There are may times that staff need the support and advocacy of someone with more influence than they have. The need can arise any time. Joining the union doesn’t mean relying on a bunch of people you’ve never met – it’s colleagues working together with the help of the ASU’s organisers.

What do you see as the challenges facing the union movement in 2008?
It’s an interesting time. A Labor government that’s not very supportive of unions; declining union membership; global economic instability. But the outlook is good for IR in Australia and let’s hope times will be easier for us all! But unions will always be relevant in working for our conditions and advocating for members – just maybe not as desperately needed as they might have been under another government.