Since 1997 there have been more than 40 inquiries into child protection. The time for inquiries is over. In light of abuse, neglect, and cost-gouging of these private providers, state governments can no longer outsource their responsibility to provide safety for these children.

In Sydney and wondering “Where’s my bus”? It’s probably scheduled to be cancelled by the Liberals and the NSW Government’s Bus Franchising programme. Bus franchising will mean fewer bus stops, less buses, and longer journey times as inefficient routes and stops are cut and buses consolidated to save money. The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that bus companies are pushing for bus franchising so that they can extract savings out of bus operations. As Sydney grows, our government should be improving bus services for the community, so that we can get to work and get around Sydney faster, not reduce bus stops, reduce bus numbers and make journey times longer.

I work at a Grill'd store in Melbourne. It's company-owned, and they're STILL using traineeships to commit wage theft. They sign up young workers to complete hospitality certificates, but prevent them from completing their qualifications by refusing to schedule training sessions. This strategy is a scam. It rips us off, denying us fair pay and the training we're promised. Grill'd have shown time and time again they will do whatever it takes to make a profit from exploiting workers. This strategy means no qualification, no bonus, no career progression - it's a scam. It's not the first time Grill'd have been caught out ripping off young workers. A year ago they were exposed by workers for using WorkChoices era collective agreements to commit wage theft. Since then, Grill'd have been grilled (pun intended) by the media and instituted a new collective agreement. Problem solved, right? Wrong. Grill'd reckon they're "good for the community" - they should start acting like it.

Three years ago I walked into a company that promised me a future of female positivity. I was painted a world of inclusiveness and feminine glamour that I was assured came from the truest intentions of the appreciation of their uniquely selected staff members. I felt the pride of this identity and pledged myself to this company, ran by women, as a job that honoured me equally in my beliefs and work ethic. Honey Birdette promised a dream. They delivered a nightmare. I saw women mocked for daring to apply for a job at Honey Birdette. I saw workers humiliated and threatened by management because they weren't wearing perfectly applied lipstick all day, their heels weren't high enough, and because they didn't "talk the way a Honey should talk". I saw workers sexually harassed and intimidated by customers - and when these women spoke up, management told them to suck it up. In addition, the hours and hours of unpaid overtime we were expected to do - from starting early and finishing late, to skipping lunch breaks and toilet breaks due to the pressure of missing a sale. Honey Birdette's management pretend they're all about empowering women, but they've sacrificed their values and put their workers in physical danger just to make a profit. It's disgraceful and it needs to end. Workers at Honey Birdette boutiques have a right to feel safe and respected at work.

C&K (Creche & Kindergarten Association), Queensland’s largest early childhood education provider, claims to be an employer of choice for women. So why are they trying to strip women employees of conditions key to their financial future? C&K’s plan to cut superannuation entitlements for its Branch Centre staff is particularly insidious. The current provision provides critical extra dollars into employees’ superannuation – something which was hard fought for and won by employees in the sector. C&K wants to take this provision away from its workforce, the majority of who are women, despite Industry Super Australia data showing that the average gap in super balances at retirement for women versus men will grow to around $170,000 by 2030. As members of the Independent Education Union of Australia – Queensland and Northern Territory (IEUA-QNT) Branch, we urge you to join with us to tell C&K that we will not stand by as they attempt to strip women employees of conditions key to their financial future. Help us tell C&K, it’s time to cut the cuts!

Every state and territory in Australia has dedicated the Christmas public holidays as Sunday 25th of December, Monday 26th of December for Boxing Day and Tuesday 27th of December as an additional day. Victoria is the only state not to make Christmas Day a public holiday. Victoria’s work force will be hurt by this decision - retail assistants, petrol station attendants, pharmacy assistants, public transport workers, hospital staff and our emergency services staff. This decision needs to be immediately reversed so that people can plan their budgets for the holiday period and be compensated for missing out on their families' Christmas celebrations.

Bus driver Lucy said she feared being killed for doing nothing more than her job. Now more then 74 per cent feel unsafe at work at work. At 11pm on 12 October Lucy was driving the 902 orbital Chelsea to Airport West service down Main Road, Eltham, when some coward approached her from behind and launched an unprovoked, sustained and frenzied attack on the 57-year-old as she sat defenceless behind-the-wheel. Despite receiving blow after blow, being spat on and unable to defend herself, Lucy was able to stop the bus from ploughing into innocent pedestrians and oncoming or other traffic. A passenger was eventually able to distract the assailant for long enough for Lucy to gain control of the bus and the attacker simply walked off into the night. A TWU survey of more than 500 Victorian bus drivers has shown , since first starting their jobs, more then 90 per cent of drivers now believe it has become more unsafe and dangerous because of physical assaults and verbal abuse. Since 2011 there have been 102 officially recorded physical assaults and 33 verbal attacks on drivers. The TWU and our members know the true figures are much higher. Our survey results show more then 80 per cent of respondents to the Transport Workers Union survey have said they have stopped reporting physical and verbal assault because they believe nothing gets done. Bus drivers deserve respect and protection. The TWU have made much progress over many years driving up safety and conditions and we will not stop fighting. Now we want your help as we demand Public Transport Victoria act now to introduce the highest industry standards of safety for drivers!

At the direction of CUB, the 55 workers were called to a meeting and informed without prior notice that they were terminated. The workers were then ‘invited’ to reapply for their jobs with a company called Catalyst Recruitment, which is in the Programmed/Skilled Group. The invitation to apply for a job: - came with no guarantees; - would be on individual contracts; - would be covered by a barely compliant non-union EBA; - would result in in a massive loss of terms and conditions, including an approximate 65% reduction in monetary entitlements. CUB knew that their greedy money grab actions would not go down well with the workers or the ETU, so it had sneakily pre-organised the engagement of a company called "5 Star Electrical Services" to provide replacement workers, at rates that severely undercut the sacked workers. So CUB, just like Patricks during the Waterfront dispute, have rid itself of its committed union workers and the hard fought terms and conditions, and have replaced it with a temporary cheap non-union labour force. CUB and Programmed/Skilled are now trying to force the sacked workers to forego their work/life balance and existing hard fought terms and conditions, in order to “maybe” get some form of their job back. The 55 long-time and loyal CUB workers are holding firm against this unprovoked attack on their jobs and rights - and the ETU will stand with them all the way. Having had their livelihoods ripped away from them overnight, these workers have been left with no way to support their families or meet their commitments. We're looking to other union members to step up and lend these workers a hand, to help get them through these tough times so they can continue to stand strong against CUB's deceitful and malicious conduct. There is an important principle at stake in this fight, one that affects the security of all our jobs. Please help support these workers as they resist this attack on their rights - and on your rights.

Most charities contract with private companies to raise funds over the phone or face to face in the streets. Oftentimes, these private companies engage workers as sham contractors as a way of avoiding the legal responsibilities they owe to their employees. This means fundraising workers can end up working full-time hours while taking home nothing or next to nothing in pay at the end of a week. This isn’t fair. The charities who engage these private fundraising companies have the power to fix this problem. They have the power to fix up their contracting chain and make sure their fundraising workers are paid legally.

Health care is a universal right and should be about patient care. A private operator will have to generate profit. That can only be achieved by underpaying or reducing staff and scrimping on services. Ultimately it’s the patients that suffer. If it's the choice between treating a private patient or one on Medicare we all know who misses out. We want to ensure our hospitals remain in public hands for the benefit of everyone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFTflWk8h5Q

Southport Sharks club prides itself on being a leader within the Queensland Clubs Industry, the same industry that is calling for the slashing of penalty rates. Clubs Australia, the UNION for club employers, made a public submission to the Fair Work Commission calling for weekend and public holiday penalty rates to be slashed by up to half of the current rates. This could see employees’ lose up to $110 a week from their pay packets - a cut they can’t afford and don’t deserve. Southport Sharks wants you to believe it’s a community club that cares about locals – sadly for the locals they hire that’s not the case. Southport Sharks claims to be one of the largest and most successful Queensland clubs with over 50,000 members. Such a successful club can surely afford to stand up for its staff when their rights are under attack?!

Trucking laws in NSW, known as 'Chapter 6', have been in operation since 1984 to ensure owner drivers and contractors are supported by minimum conditions that provide for cost recovery and basic safety standards. Not only must these conditions be preserved, but they should be extended to support 30-day payments so these small trucking businesses can maintain cash flow, and help hold powerful industry clients to account for rates and conditions in the transport industry.