SA Unions

Case Study 1

A young male casual worker arrives at his new workplace, a building site, a little apprehensive about his first job, but keen and willing.

It’s a pretty “blokey” place, and a couple of the other young guys who’ve been working there for a while decide that some sort of initiation is warranted to “get him into the swing of things”.

This takes the form of several “dares” which involve the lad placing himself in physical danger. Although he is afraid, he goes along with this because he wants to fit in, to prove himself up to the task, and most of all he needs this job. And despite his gut instincts he thinks what is happening must be OK because the boss is obviously aware of what’s going on and has done nothing to stop it.

After a week or so of this, one day he finds himself hiding in the tea room fighting back tears. He feels that there is nowhere to turn.

So he leaves the site and heads home. He is unable to face returning to the workplace.

He is then presented a number of options:

1. Contact an on or offsite union or the HSR at his worksite. This could result in him getting appropriate help and the bullying behaviour to cease.
   
2. Contact could be made with SafeWork SA and other agencies that can help change the unhealthy and unlawful work culture to prevent this type of behaviour continuing on the worksite.
   
3. He simply walks away and another lamb to the slaughter is employed.

Case Study 2

A woman in her mid-fifties finds herself excess to staff requirements at her public sector worksite. She can’t get a permanent transfer and as a result, works at several other sites of the same employer over a couple of years, replacing people on leave.

To start with she is philosophical about it, confident that she will soon find another permanent place to finish her up-to-now very successful career on a high note. But despite her best efforts, after several years this still hasn’t happened.

By constantly being on the move every few months, she misses the continuity of association with clients and colleagues, and always seems to miss out on training in the latest initiatives and up to date work practices.

One January, after spending the Christmas period not knowing where she will be working next, she is sent to a new worksite, now in an even more temporary way, not knowing how long she will be there or what she will be doing.

The site manager sets her to work performing tasks which are completely inappropriate given her professional qualifications and classification. Further, despite the fact that this train of events had been through no fault of her own, the manager, in introducing her to the staff at morning tea, tells a little of her history (without consulting her and with numerous factual errors) and then states “Let this be a lesson to all of you, not to end up like this”.

At this, the woman, who has somehow managed to retain a positive attitude and had, earlier that day, been planning to discuss with her boss what support he could give her to bring her up to date with recently changed expectations of the employer, finds herself starting to weep, and hurries from the room.

By the time she contacted the union, she had already decided that she would never again risk exposing herself to this behaviour, and that her only option was to retire early.

But she was given support and persuaded to take the matter up. She was reassured that this manager’s behaviour was completely unacceptable. She was unable to return to work for some time, but had a claim for make-up pay and medical expenses accepted. Her return to work plan specified that she be placed in a supportive environment, which she was. She is still working. The site manager was counselled.

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