Greyhound racing in NSW has changed, and we as participants need to change to get our voice heard.

There are many people who are ignorant of all things greyhound racing, our motivations, the care we put into our greyhounds and the needs of the greyhounds themselves.

Unfortunately, the most ignorant of these people are making themselves heard. Through the current GRNSW authority and undoubtedly with the new Integrity and welfare commission, their ideas are put into practice with the unscrupulous profiting on the changes with reckless disregard to their consequences.

Take the issue of placing a bond on either puppies or litters of puppies. With breeding levels cut in half, why would anyone be placing a fee on breeders for any other reason than to raise a few dollars?

Or the idea that trainers understand so little of their greyhounds they are enforcing mandatory rules like the water bowl in kennels, rather than make it optional for trainers.

Or the unhealthy obsession with finding anyone who has exported a greyhound to another country at some point in time in the distant past, regardless of what the rules were at the time.

As far as the ignorant are concerned, they saw some people do some bad things on TV, therefore were all bad, and this is the attitude that governs greyhound participants in NSW.

The relationship between us, the participants, and the governing body has changed, and we need to unite or else the enjoyment of the sport will be wrecked, no greyhounds will be bred in the state and the money will have disappeared. Dont wait until youre the one getting the rough deal from the governing body, and theres no-one to turn to.

We must unite, and to unite we need strength in numbers, people with experience in strong representation, a seat at the table of political dialogue and access to greater resources for our members than we currently have.

Thats why you should join the Australian Workers Union.
Whatever your politics, the business of a union is to protect their members. Its to give them representation in formal political institutions.

It is to bargain to get the best deals for their members and manage the relationship between those that do the hard yards to earn the money, us the participants, and they that make the rules and profit handsomely.

For $600 a year each or only $12 a week, with enough members we can have the benefits the union can provide. Travel insurance policies, access to legal advice when youre in trouble and that all-important representation in the dialogue between us and the governing body.

When we stood together and overturned the ban, we saw the benefits of strength in numbers, of what happens when we stand together for a common cause. What we also had was the experience of the conservative media, people like Alan Jones and Ray Hadley, that knew the tricks of the shifty inhabitants of Macquarie Street.

But in the long haul, we need to stand together with the experience of the Unions, who know how the shifty bosses take the money off the hard and honest workers. Someone is experienced in refuting the lies we continuously have to endure.

Thats why Ive joined the AWU, and thats why you need to as well.

There is also an add running all the time on a country radio station 94,1 FM get on and have a listen they get plenty of air time as they are a sponsor of the station,Guess who it is,GOOD OLD ANIMALS AUSTRALIA

Unions have been one of the dominant driving forces behind the destruction of industry in this country. They don't care about their members. They only care about money and power.......which is why they now control the Labor party.

Each to their own, but I will NEVER join a Union. A professional association maybe.....but not a Union.

What Award would participants be under in the first place ? Would it be State and Federal ?

I applaud your enthusiasm and sympathise with any administrative mismanagement that has affected you.

But you have to put together a better story.

First, objecting to export rules is futile, partly because you will never get them changed, partly because they make sense, partly because all administrations are involved, not just NSW.

Second, a trainer is already on the GRNSW board so you are criticising your own. (I don't think he should be there - due to conflict of interest - but he is).

Third, as others have mentioned, putting your trust in the AWU is, at best, hopeful. It has a very checquered history and will divert a good slice of your $600 to the Shorten Labor party without asking you. Besides, I doubt you will pull in many followers and the Libs/Nats have possibly a 60/40 chance of getting back in next election. (I doubt Foley has the firepower). Gladys is getting knocked from all directions at the moment but, in a year or so, she will be able to list a long string of things she has built.

Fourth, your objections to the current administrations could just as easily have been applied to the previous dozen or so. It's not past or present boards, or the people, it's the system that is stopping progress; essentially it's the workings of a bureaucracy and management-by-committee that are the barriers. They lack accountability.

Fifth, to enlist support via the Recorder is to talk to trainers alone. It's the public we need to influence.

So, yes, we need a united voice. How you get that is being explored on other threads (with difficulty). But you have Buckley's chance of getting it via a militant union.

Incidentally, your talk about "ignorant" people is a poor choice of words. They are mostly people who have never been educated about greyhounds or greyhound racing. Whose fault is that? And why is it not being addressed?

Carly, could you please ask your rep this and let us know the answer, please?
I don't think it's unreasonable...it's only a request for professionalism and transparency.
Cheers.

Jodie
Have you joined the SFF Party yet,these people have been with us from day dot,they just need the chance to go all in for US PARTICIPANTS,and YES THEY WILL and it will HAPPEN,a NO BULLSHIT PARTY,EVERYONE GET ON BOARD

ps,if we were ALL fairdinkum we would PULL THE PIN ON ALL MEETINGS AUSTRALIA WIDE UNTIL WE WERE LISTENED TO,The bullshit IMO is all the GREEDY TRAINERS WITH NO BACK BONES to stand up for their RIGHTS,AS an old union member its one in ALL in

Lets Rock n Roll !

I have put your previous post to them but it seems to me a Catch 22. You won't join the AWU unless it proves to you it will make a difference. However, without industry members how can it have the credibility within our industry to be able to make a difference.

For everyone if you don't want to join that is fine. But as others have said don't have a go at those of us who are willing to try something that might save us. Because one thing is for sure, if we do not change what is happening we will not have an industry left.