The Australian Universities Accord Final Report (2024) recommended “that to reduce the long-term financial costs of studying for students, the Australian Government make student contributions fairer and better reflective of the lifetime benefits that students will gain from studying, and reduce the burden of HELP loans, by introducing fairer and simpler indexation and repayment arrangements”. The Federal Labor Government must freeze Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) indexation to ease the burden of student debt and have the courage to take on the intergenerational wealth crisis in Australia, while these changes are occurring. “We are already looking at becoming the most indebted generation in Australia's history and now the Federal Government is profiting from young Australians during a cost of living crisis,” NUS National President Ngaire Bogemann said. The total value of HECS-HELP loans increased by $4.5 billion on 1st June with the average debt projected to increase by $1,700. Indexation at an estimated 7% means that individual HECS debts will increase even if a student or graduate doesn’t earn enough to pay it down. The NUS argues that this indexation is unfair, with the government expected to profit $2.5 billion from students and graduates this year. “In the middle of a cost of living crisis, increasing student debts are pushing Australian students deeper into poverty," NUS Education Officer Grace Franco said. “Students are even having to withdraw from their studies to be able to work to afford basic living necessities.” We urge the Government to listen to the voices of students and graduates and take action to end the unfair practice of student loan indexation.

Postal workers carried our communities through the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic along with all of our essential workers. Working harder than ever to cope with the endless stream of care packages, online shopping and letters to loved ones in lockdown. Posties are burning out from the increased workload. Being a postie used to be a job you could rely on - but now many are stressed and overworked and are feeling pressured to risk their own safety on our roads to complete their rounds within time constraints. 10 years ago no one wanted to leave, now many do not want to stay! Posties say they are skipping their breaks and are forced to go faster to meet their increased work loads and long hours in an already dangerous job. As more and more posties burn out - and fewer are being recruited (the above proposal would see current vacancies not filled) - posties are facing a workload crisis that Australia Post refuses to acknowledge.

On 1 June 2023, thousands of young workers’ HECS, HELP and VET student debts will increase by up to $4,000 as we face the biggest hike in decades. This is unfair. Young workers have the highest rates of student debt and the lowest incomes. We need as much money as possible to counter the cost-of-living crisis, buy a home or start a family. We don't have a deep pool of wealth or investment properties to draw on and we’re already losing a huge chunk of our income in student loan repayments. With the budget around the corner, now is the time to put pressure on Treasurer Jim Chalmers to make things fairer for young workers. Long-term, if we want young workers to be able to pay off student debts fairly, we need to index them to wage growth, not inflation. This is a conversation we should be having. But right now, Treasurer Jim Chalmers can stop the squeeze by freezing student debt repayments until the cost of living crisis is over.

Working people are absorbing price increases on everything they buy and spending more of their wages on bills. Meanwhile, company gross operating profits rose 10.6% seasonally adjusted for Dec 2022. The Reserve Bank continues to increase interest rates to tackle inflation, but excess corporate profits account for 69% of additional inflation beyond the RBA’s target. Rising unit labour costs account for just 18% of that inflation. It's time that struggling Australians got their fair share of these massive corporate profits. Pay UP!

The waterways in and around Sydney, as well as the water we drink, are kept safe, clean and affordable by Sydney Water, which operates for the public. Making our harbour, coastline and drinking water a source of profit puts this at risk. If Dominic Perrottet and the Liberals privatise Sydney Water: • Water rates will go up by $264 a year; • Thousands of jobs will be lost; • Our pristine beaches and waterways are at risk. Don’t risk our water. Add your name to send a clear message to the NSW Premier – hands off Sydney Water!

Housing and homelessness services are at a crisis point. Services across Australia are already struggling to respond to everyone who needs help. Right now, 288 people are turned away every day. Rising rents and an inadequate supply of affordable homes is putting enormous pressure on the frontline staff and services who respond to people in need. These cuts will directly impact highly vulnerable people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including women and children escaping domestic and family violence and young people without homes. We call on the Albanese Government to properly fund homelessness services so people in urgent need can get help, and workers can be paid properly to provide a critical service. Don’t close the door on homelessness services!

Your collective employment agreement (EBA) has expired meaning you're in an effective pay freeze until a new agreement is negotiated. We want improvments to pay and conditions for all VU members and staff and need you to sign this petition and let VU management know it's time to make a fair deal.

We the undersigned call on the Australian Government to address the failure to maintain the Age Pension at a level that aligns to acceptable community living standards. Age pensioners are now living at or below the poverty line, because of obsolete statutory methods of calculating the six-monthly increases. This is significantly contributing to the rise in homelessness, malnutrition, isolation, and physical/mental health issues.

The COVID-19 pandemic-related social distancing and healthcare necessities became a challenge in Sri Lanka. We have been subject to numerous hardships and health-related risks in working on the frontlines supporting the community to continue the ordinary life and providing them with their day-to-day needs. Our hard labour, commitment and loyal services to the supermarkets helped the businesses to continue uninterruptedly retaining customers and recording remarkable turnover for the companies. In the current economic situation and the unrestrained price increases in the necessities, it has become challenging for us to meet our daily life, and our families, too, are struggling to cope with the hardships. Petition addressed to • Dr. Sena Yaddehige – Group Chairman, Richard Pieris Group of Companies • Mr. V Ranjit Page – Deputy Chairman and CEO of Cargills Ceylon Plc • Mr. Krishan Balendra – Chairman John Kells Holdings • Mr. W K H Wegapitiya – Chairman Laugf Holdings Petition in Sinhala & Tamil: http://bit.ly/3GYM2u2

We, members of VAHPA the union for Allied Health Professionals, believe that Monash Health's propsed PAYG model fails to provide adequate parking for staff nor promotes more sustainable transport options. We want a model that is affordable and restricted to reserved staff use only to ensure we can all find a park that is safe and with minimal inconvenience. As a reminder, Monash Health's parking fee proposal is as follows: • $3 for first 4 hours, then 35c per half hour blocks up to 24 hours • No charge if user leaves car park within 15 minutes • Employees will not be disadvantaged if they leave and come back in the 24 hour period or if they travel between sites. • Employees and the general public will also have the option of paying directly via their credit card.

Executives at iCare, the NSW Government agency responsible for supporting injured workers, will each be awarded an average $30,000 pay rise with the CEO receiving a $246,508 pay rise to put his salary at over $1 million. This is the reward executives at one of the worst performing government agencies in history get after underpaying 53,000 injured workers a total of $38 million and leaking the private details of almost 200,000 workers. Meanwhile, the Perrottet Government is capping the wages of essential workers below the cost of living after supporting our state through the COVID pandemic. Under the NSW Government, executives and politicians continue to enjoy massive pay rises over and above exhausted essential workers. Essential Workers Deserve Better. Add your name to tell the Perrottet Government to scrap the obscene wage increase and pay essential workers what they’re worth.

There are thousands of people nationwide whose lives are stuck in limbo while they await a visa decision from the Department of Home Affairs. Many have been waiting for years with no response from government. Key points on the 887 visa: · The 887 visa is a pathway to permanent residency for temporary visa holders who have lived and worked in areas of regional Australia. · These temporary visas leave migrants vulnerable to employment, housing, family and financial instability. · 887 visa applicants are forced to live in limbo while they experience endless visa processing delays and backlogs. · The average wait time for the 887 visa is now over two years