When CPSU member Peter Rizzo suffered a serious injury on his way to work, his union membership provided the coverage he needed while he went through recovery.

The CPSU's journey insurance automatically covers members in the case of injury to or from work and is just one of the many benefits that comes when you join the CPSU.

Peter was travelling to work when a small rock flicked up by a passing truck's wheels hit him in his right eye.

While doctors were thankfully able to save Peter's eye, he needed to take three months off work to undergo seven operations. When his sick leave credits ran out shortly after the accident, Peter relied on the CPSU's journey cover insurance to cover his wages.

"I was lucky that I was a CPSU member because it meant I didn't need to worry about my wages while I was at home recovering," said Peter.

"You think these kinds of things will never happen to you, but when they do it's really important to have the protection of insurance."

A number of Peter's colleagues have since joined the CPSU, after seeing the practical example of this additional benefit of membership.

Peter said, "after seeing what happened to me, others have seen the value in having coverage as part of CPSU membership and it's prompted some of those who hadn't already been members to join."