The Liberal Government has announced that from 28 September the coronavirus supplement for JobSeeker recipients will be cut from $550 per fortnight to $250. This will leave at least 1.3 million unemployed workers surviving on as little as $815 a fortnight. This rate is only guaranteed til December when further cuts are expected. Young people on Youth Allowance will be forced to survive on even less. The Liberal government will also reduce JobKeeper to $1200 per fortnight in October, and to $750 per fortnight for people working less than 20 hours per week or who work multiple part time jobs. From next year, it will drop again to $1000, and $650 for those working less than 20 hours per week. An estimated 1.2 million people will no longer be on JobKeeper after September. Many will be forced onto JobSeeker. This will increase the number of people living below the poverty line in Australia. Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg have tried to pitch this announcement as the government continuing to support workers in this crisis. It’s a lie. These measures will hugely exacerbate the economic crisis facing millions of Australian families. Many workers who are already struggling to survive on a payment roughly equivalent to the minimum wage. With these cuts many will be unable to meet rent or mortgage payments, or repayments on the substantial debt that many have built up over the course of this crisis.

International Students alongside domestic students at Flinders University matter as we continue contributing to enriching the cultural environment, academic fields and economic development of Australia and the world. By supporting International students and standing in solidarity with us, Flinders University not only demonstrates to the State, the country and the world its pioneer and leading responsibility for International communities, but the university will also continue sustaining academically and socially its reputation as the most desirable destination for international students in the world. As an International Students Collective, we need immediate actions to support our fellows and we can do it!

The Liberal Government has announced that from 28 September the coronavirus supplement for JobSeeker recipients will be cut from $550 per fortnight to $250. This will leave at least 1.3 million unemployed workers surviving on as little as $815 a fortnight. This rate is only guaranteed til December when further cuts are expected. Young people on Youth Allowance will be forced to survive on even less. The Liberal government will also reduce JobKeeper to $1200 per fortnight in October, and to $750 per fortnight for people working less than 20 hours per week or who work multiple part time jobs. From next year, it will drop again to $1000, and $650 for those working less than 20 hours per week. An estimated 1.2 million people will no longer be on JobKeeper after September. This will increase the number of people living below the poverty line in Australia. Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg have tried to pitch this announcement as the government continuing to support workers in this crisis. It’s a lie. These measures will hugely exacerbate the economic crisis facing millions of Australian families. Many workers who are already struggling to survive on a payment roughly equivalent to the minimum wage. With these cuts many will be unable to meet rent or mortgage payments, or repayments on the substantial debt that many have built up over the course of this crisis.

I am a union member and believe in economic justice. The workers of Australia are facing an unprecedented global economic downturn not of their making which is leading to job losses. The more job losses we have the more the economy shrinks. We need more jobs to fight off the recession and reducing the working week will create jobs. The New Economics Foundation (NEF) in Sweden, argue there are at least 10 good reasons to reduce the working week and it doesn't harm the economy, in fact it has a positive effect by creating; 1. A smaller carbon footprint 2. A stronger economy 3. Better employees 4. Lower unemployment 5. Improved wellbeing 6. More equality between men and women 7. Higher quality, affordable childcare 8. More time for families, friends and neighbours 9. Making more of later life 10. A stronger democracy Unemployment is one of the greatest crimes for a society, it creates untold misery and poverty. Our communities deserve better, fight for a reduced working week.

The University has made clear that it intends to carry out restructuring which will see workers across the University made redundant, and has made no promises to retain casual and fixed-term staff, hundreds of whom have already lost their jobs. Senior management have not made the case that any of these job cuts are necessary and should open up their books so that the university community can see the real extent of the financial crisis. This is key information that staff and union representatives need in order to fully assess any change plans proposed by the University.

Will you join the fight to save hospitality jobs before it’s too late? Join us today and add your voice as we call on the Morrison Government to protect hospo jobs and provide a secure income by: 1. Immediately extending JobKeeper until hospitality gets back on its feet 2. Expanding JobKeeper to ALL hospitality workers regardless of employment or visa status. 3. Lifting the rate of JobSeeker so that those that who lose their jobs aren’t forced into poverty while finding another job JOIN YOUR CAMPAIGN TODAY TO PROTECT & REBUILD HOSPO!

For years the Liberal Government has been cosy with the banks and their super funds. Scott Morrison voted against a Banking Royal Commission 26 times. But when we finally got one, it showed the truth: bank-owned corporate super funds gouge the life savings of working people to line their executives’ pockets. They charged fees to the dead, duped people into whittling away their life savings, and broke the law thousands of times. Now, the Morrison Government has just passed new super laws that will leave many workers and their families significantly worse off in retirement. The proposals are called Your Future, Your Super. We’re calling it Your Future, Bank Super. Because these laws are designed to funnel as much money as possible to corporate bank-aligned super funds. The laws will: - Pin three million workers to dud funds, potentially for life - Make it harder for workers in high-risk industries to get adequate insurance - Exclude a whole bunch of poor performing corporate products from performance testing, and - Put profits paid out to bank shareholders on the same level as your financial interests. In effect, these laws will be a free-kick to the banks. Let the Morrison Government know that they will not get away with this attack on your retirement.

The Social and Community Services sector is growing and will be vital to supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our community in the COVID recovery and as we enter a recession. The sector relies on a pipeline of Social Work and related degree graduates to fill critical roles in its workforce. The workforce is predominantly a female workforce and low-paid. Already, there are workforce shortages in this essential sector. The Government’s proposed fee increases in Social Work and related fields will only further exacerbate these workforce shortages – in both recruitment and retention – that exist in this critical sector. It will disproportionately impact women who work in this sector, creating barriers for both entry and career advancement. The Government’s proposed fee increases for these degrees also overlooks recent State and Commonwealth Government initiatives or inquiries that have set or recommended minimum degree standards for employment in the social assistance sector.

Affected workers desperately need adequate financial support from the Government, particularly those who work in the hardest hit sectors of hospitality, retail and aviation. These lockdowns are a direct result of the failures of the Morrison Government, and while the vaccine rollout continues to flounder there will be millions of workers who will need support. Without proper financial support, workers are left without money to get by, and they won't be able to spend in their local communities. Denying workers JobKeeper isn't just cruel, it's also bad economics. Scott Morrison must urgently reinstate JobKeeper. Workers need financial support they can rely on.

The Australian Education Union understands the importance of TAFE and the education services it offers. TAFE can provide not only education but also opportunity and purpose. TAFE has helped countless apprentices learn their trade, helped immigrants settle into new communities, helped locals advance their careers, helped school leavers find a pathway to employment or further education and offered a fresh start to people who have lost their job. As Victoria looks to rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, TAFE can play a crucial role in helping those that have lost their job to upskill or learn a new craft so they can move into new roles. Unfortunately, the current financial state of TAFEs means these important institutions and the passionate educators that drive them face an uncertain future. We need the Victorian Government to step in and guarantee that TAFEs will survive the pandemic. We need to save TAFE once and for all.

The billion-dollar pub empire run by Justin Hemmes uses a sophisticated system that records every single hour of unpaid work and stolen wages. These records have been provided to media and the courts. Workers have told of the toll this took on their lives, with one saying he “felt like a slave”. Another chef became so physically unwell from the long hours that his doctor ordered him to stop working. Chefs, kitchen hands, waiters, and many others have been ripped off. But with the economy in recession, Liberal Government Treasurers turned to Justin Hemmes for advice. Justin hemmes - the man who got rich from wage theft - should be kicked off the Government's business advisory board immediately.

After 12 months of drought, floods, fires and pandemic our community services are needed more than ever. We cannot afford a cut to our sector, we cannot go backwards. We are busier and working harder than ever. The sector has been agile, resourceful, and dedicated. Our services support the most vulnerable members of the community – and in extremely challenging times we have been there for the community. If services do not receive sufficient funding indexation urgently it will have a detrimental impact on their ability to deliver services to the community. We can't afford to be overlooked again.