Welcoming two newly elected delegates to the ranks

 

The Leichhardt depot have elected Leon Barnard to be their union delegate off the back of his years of service as a relief delegate.

Leon has been a member for six years, and joined thanks to a strong union history in his native South Africa.

Since moving to Australia, Leon has been troubled by the “it won’t be the end of the world” attitude that some of his coworkers seem to take in regards to their work conditions.

When asked what he likes about the union movement, Leon replied “people have got to wonder where Australia would be without unions,  would we be doing this job for $5 an hour like in other places and never seeing our families?”

Leon believes that all members should have a strong understanding of their Award so that they can better understand any changes or challenges to their rights and he’s specifically looking forward to keeping management honest and ensuring that his members are well and truly kept in the loop.

Dave Grant, at the Belmont depot has also been recently elected as a delegate, and jokes that he drew the short straw. He’s been a driver for 11 years, in both Sydney and Newcastle.

Dave has always felt that he was well informed by the union, and is very keen to ensure that all the members in Belmont are getting a fair go and understand their rights and responsibilities. He hopes to be a strong representative for the Newcastle region in upcoming EA negotiations and is determined that his members are protected.