Hi Everyone,
Here’s a short video by the ETU, on behalf of Tommy Sebasio.
Tommy, an Aboriginal electrician and key figure in his community of Bamaga, worked for Ergon Energy for 20 years, running the power and electricy network for the whole Northern Peninsula.
Tommy and ETU played a key role in highlighting the Safety and Enviroment issues in the Far North QLD, most of which are still outstanding.
Tommy was playing a team leader role for Ergon in the Far North that he was appointed for no extra pay. He performed this role because of his dedication to his community, despite not recieving the pay or resources that he would have recieved had he worked in Cairns.
Ergon fired Tommy after a role performance review FOR A JOB HE WAS NOT GETTING PAID FOR, and brought in contract labour with no cultural sensitivity training and no ties to the community (Ergon still refuses to provide cultural sensitivity to its workers in remote communities).
Check it out:
tommy sebasio,
my name is tommy clarke and am a sparky and indigenous as well.
i too have needed help with racism and pay issues and keeping up with fees to have the etu do nothing as iam unfinancial.
i am unfinancial as i have a default or something wrong with my account.
well enough of that crap with union reps (non existant)
and brother i live in victoria.
due to circumstances i have to take over a position on our native title and possibly live on our land .
this causes conflict between my work and people who i love to .
i never wanted to leave home but feel forced as well bro.
i wanna go home but no work to support my family there cant get stawell mine job, constructionjob at ararat just all doors are shut but they will employ me as a farm worker or a council labourer , other brothers dont even get that.
so brother i fully support you electrical companies are culturally insensitive to us hard working honest indigenous trades peoples airrrr till then brother
all the best
fleetwood clarke