Page 1794 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 May 2013
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The rally is partly about taking a stand for secure work. Currently, there are about 40 per cent of workers nationwide in part-time or non-ongoing employment, and that affects both the private and public sectors.
The rally also encourages workers to stand up to threats from the federal coalition to cut public service jobs. We were told on the day that those cuts will have a knock-on effect for over 12,000 families, many within the ACT. The rally also denounced the use of Canberra bashing, towards the city and its workers, by politicians and those living outside the capital.
May Day is a significant and international trade union movement event and continues to remain very relevant in this day and age.
New fights are arising all the time. In Australia the new fights were junior wages, and the SDA has moved to remove junior wages from people aged 18 to 21, and penalty rates, which are always being challenged, currently by Mr Xenophon. And at the AHA awards the other night, we did hear penalty rates being challenged by some groups there.
As I said, I think it is a day that will always be relevant to anyone who cares about workers. It serves as a significant day to fight to achieve what we now have and will have, and I believe it to be very important for workers across Australia.
I would like to acknowledge a number of people: Humphrey McQueen for his really energetic speech at the May Day toast and his continuing support for May Day; and Ben Halliday from the CPSU for his organisation of the event. I am very pleased to be part of the labour movement and to be part of the rallies that encourage support for workers, saving jobs and helping them support their families.
Hospitality industry—awards
MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.40): On 22 April I was pleased to attend the 2013 AHA ACT hospitality awards at the Hotel Realm. The theme of this year’s awards was 100 years of hospitality in Canberra. I would like to place on the record my congratulations to the award winners. The John Press award went to Mike Kadinski from Kremlin Bar. Member of the year was Matthew Shelton from the Hotel Realm. The centenary of Canberra award went to the Hyatt Hotel Canberra and King O’Malley’s Irish Pub. Best tourism initiative went to the human brochure, Australian Capital Tourism.
Best restaurant service employee, accommodation division, went to Pablo Nicolas Caiafa from Hotel Realm. Best restaurant service employee, general division, went to Abel Bariller of Sage Dining Rooms. Best restaurant cookery employee, accommodation and general division, went to Nathan Bamford of Belconnen Premier Inn and Damian Grey from the Sage Dining Rooms. Best apprentice chef went to Amanda Polsen from the Hyatt Hotel Canberra. Best front of house employee, accommodation division, went to Dixie Addison-Rolfe from the Diamant Hotel and Maureen Ocampo from the Hyatt Hotel Canberra. Best bar service employee, accommodation and general division, went to Sam Carlini from the Kremlin Bar.
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