Member Contributions resource the HSUWA’s activities and achievements. Members are the HSUWA. The New Member Support Policy applies to all new and returning Members of the HSUWA.
New Member Support Policy
With the current challenges across Health as well as navigating changing employment laws and practices, the need for unity and strength has never been greater. It is in this context that we aim to always provide quality advice and representation to Members.
People who are not HSUWA Members are not entitled to advice or services. Support, advice or service is for our Members. The union encourages new Members to join and we understand sometimes new Members need guidance on a workplace issue soon after joining.
In the interests of fairness, HSUWA has clear processes to manage how Member resources will be extended to assist people who have recently become financial Members. New Members are able to access assistance for a pre-existing workplace issue as set out in this New Member Support Policy.
It is the goal of HSUWA for all workers who contact the union to become long-term committed union Members. Part of this is explaining clearly and in detail why it is very important for union resources to be used wisely and prioritised for existing Members.
If you are reading this and have let your Membership lapse or have not yet joined, now is the time to do something about it!
What workplace assistance does HSUWA provide to Members?
Every day, Members contact HSUWA for advice and assistance with a wide range of employment and industrial matters.
New Members will have access to our referral pathways and insurance coverage upon joining.
Most of all, new Members join over 8000 other Members in Western Australia who are all fighting to improve wages, conditions and the way people are treated at work. You can read more about our campaigns here and how this union works for better pay and conditions here.
New Members who have a pre-existing workplace issue
Once the joining process is complete, new Members can contact the union for guidance to access Member benefits and to seek advice about workplace issues in accordance with this New Member Support Policy.
Please note that if you are a new Member[1] seeking support about a workplace issue who has recently joined or you are seeking support about a pre-existing workplace issue[2], the scope of the union’s assistance will follow the process below.
You can discuss your pre-existing issue with one of our Enquiries Officers in a telephone conversation of up to 20 minutes. The time of up to 20 minutes is only available once. If you’re a new Member, please contact us to request an appointment, and we will arrange a time with you.
In this consultation, new Members will get the opportunity to speak to an experienced team member and receive advice, guidance, and feedback about the issue. Please note that for the reasons set out above, this is the extent of assistance on pre-existing individual issues for new Members. This means that industrial advocacy, including representation in meetings with the employer, letters to the employer and tribunal advocacy, are generally reserved for Members whose request falls outside of this New Member Support Policy.[3]
Preparing for your consultation
Providing sufficient information on your workplace issue and supporting documentation allows our union Enquiries Team to provide new Members who have a pre-existing issue with advice and assistance that is both timely and accurate.
So that the Enquiries Team member can provide you with the best advice during your 20-minute consultation, you should prepare by:
- making some notes about the issue you would like guidance on.
- Ensuring you are clear about the problem you would like addressed. It is hard to provide guidance if the problem is unclear.
- If there are multiple matters you would like to discuss, please prioritise (or rank) them so the most important matters are discussed first.
- If there are any documents that are key to your issue, please have them on hand and in order for discussion.
If the workplace issue for which advice is sought affects multiple Members at a workplace, it might be a collective issue that one of our experienced Industrial Organisers can guide you in. The Enquiries Officer will let you know if support from an Industrial Organiser is more appropriate.
Definitions
[1] A new Member who has recently joined is someone who has become a Member in the previous 3 months. This also applies to returning Members.
[2] A pre-existing workplace issue is a workplace issue where the circumstances giving rise to the issue occur before the Member joined the union. Please note, the union’s decision on what is a pre-existing workplace issue is final.
[3] The scope of assistance which is available to Members, including new Members who have recently joined, is at the discretion of the union.