In 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of disappearing and presents more risks to health and safety than ever before. New variants like Delta and Omicron are tearing through our community and workplaces. With the risk of workplace transmission ever-increasing, we need strong measures to keep COVID-19 as far as possible from spreading within our university community. As numerous examples have shown, an outbreak at a workplace like ours where there are so many individuals coming and going can have disastrous consequences. Teaching delivery and research can be disrupted or even halted entirely, but the worst effects will be felt by us, the workers. We ask that ACU takes steps to limit the impact by consulting staff and implementing sensible measures. ACU senior management has arbitrarily set February 14 as the date for staff to return to campus. However, they have failed to undertake genuine consultation with staff regarding the potential risks associated with the return to campus and how these risks may be controlled. This has been highlighted by the fact that the University only released its COVID Risk Assessment document for consultation on February 10, just two business days prior to the return to campus.

The TWU has received an alarming number of reports from drivers and transport workers who are isolating because they are symptomatic or have identified as close contacts. In addition, we’ve had similar discussions with employers. These essential workers are unable to access PCR testing stations, or test themselves due to shortages of Rapid Antigen Tests. They remain in isolation and symptomatic for up to seven days without access to testing kits. This has resulted in severe driver and labour shortages, and dwindling stock in supermarkets and throughout the supply chain. With the rising infections, and without priority access to Rapid Antigen Tests, this situation will be catastrophic for the industry, associated industries and the public at large.

The governemnt has given relief packages and tax benefits to businesses to tide over this crisis period. Free food grains are distributed through public distribution systems and a small relief was given to people under poverty line in direct benefit transfer. But what about the workers? The workers in urban areas have no money to pay the rent or school fees for their children. Paid leave for COVID 19 affected workers will ensure that their families do not go hungry during the breadwinners illness. It is important to have proper nourishing food to recover from COVID 19. If the wages during the COVID 19 illness are not paid then not only the worker but his/her family members will be victims of the pandemic. It is to ensure food on the plates for the family that we demand Paid Leave for COVID 19 Affected Workers.

These costs are an additional and wholly unnecessary financial strain on workers who have already been struggling under precarious employment conditions in the midst of a global pandemic. Many staff have made big-ticket purchases of hundreds and even thousands of dollars in order to keep their jobs. Others, with no promise of being reimbursed, have gone without, resulting in many of us working under conditions that cause pain and discomfort and pose risks to our OHS. This has gone on for far too long and it must end now. The COVID-19 pandemic is not an excuse for companies to shift the costs and burdens of employment further onto the individual employee who cannot afford to bear them. Workers have struggled through the past year while the multi-million dollar company we work for has survived and thrived and workload has been higher than ever. This situation is wholly unethical and represents the erosion of our rights as workers and our financial security. Rest assured that call centres around the country are watching what happens now at SRC, and if we sit back and allow them to close our office, make us bear all the costs of our own employment, and not support us or pay us anything, then other workplaces will surely follow suit. It's time to set a strong precedent that we will not be taken advantage of.

MAJOR CUTS PLANNED: Macquarie University's Vice Chancellor and Executive are drawing up plans to restructure the University. The result will be major cuts to course offerings, cuts to casual staff and a large number of redundancies. We are deeply concerned that such major job losses in the middle of a global recession will not only cause significant hardship, but also compromise Macquarie University's ability to provide quality education for students and world-class research for the Australian community. WORST STUDENT-STAFF RATIOS ALREADY: Macquarie University is already one of the most poorly staffed universities in the world: Macquarie's staff to student ratio is the worst in Australia, and ninth worst (of 1,400) in the entire world [1]. WE ARE WORTH PROTECTING: Despite these workloads, Macquarie is remarkable: in recent weeks we just broke through the top 200 on Times Higher Education rankings [2]. WHY NOT SHOW US THE EVIDENCE? While the university declares a financial emergency, they have also refused independent scrutiny of the university's financial position. DON'T RUSH WHEN SO MUCH COULD CHANGE: Moving into 2021, so much could change. Now is not the time to make major, hasty cuts. Slow down! Open the books! Don't put our great institution at risk! [1] The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2020/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/stats_student_staff_ratio/sort_order/desc/cols/stats [2] Macquarie gains highest ever world ranking, 23 Sept 2020. https://www.mq.edu.au/newsroom/2020/09/03/macquarie-gains-highest-ever-world-ranking/

It’s very hard to survive Only aged care workers are targeted There is no new case in South Australia and even in aged care This restriction is only for cares don’t understand the reason why only Carers Mask being mandatory for all personal care workers including the nursing staff so why still the care workers can’t work at multiple site

Clive Palmer wants to overturn state border restrictions that have helped prevent the spread of coronavirus. This is the same billionaire who's mining company went insolvent and left hundreds of workers without jobs or entitlements. This is the same billionaire who spent $60 million during the last federal election trying to buy the outcome he wanted. He must be stopped and the Prime Minister and Australia's Attorney General should use all powers available to stop him.

We have already seen in Victoria and the United States that Meat Processing Facilities and related industries can be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 outbreak. Our working environments are fast paced, indoors and require close contact with other workers, placing us at high risk. As Essential Workers we must continue to do this work in order to provide food to the people of Australia. We need YOUR SUPPORT to lobby our Employers and the Government to provide paid pandemic leave NOW.

Bolt writes one of the widest distributed columns in the nation. He always uses this platform to promote his anti-science agenda. Maybe you can argue that is free speech. But when he is blatantly pedalling falsehoods on public health during a pandemic he must be refused a platform. Mr Weir needs to pull Bolt into line before people die.

The issue of bus driver assaults is not new, it has been going on for years. In Queensland for the past 10 years the issue has been researched, debated and reviewed and the need for public transport buses to be fitted with bus driver safety screens clearly identified in the 2017 Bus Driver Safety Review. Queensland public transport is administered by the government department of Transport and Main Roads under the TransLink banner. TMR/TransLink awards contracts to bus operators and it fully funds the cost of providing these services and provides funds for the purchase of buses used in these contracts. The Bus Driver Safety Review identified the need for bus driver safety screens to be fitted to urban buses under the TransLink banner. All new buses purchased by TransLink contractors must be fitted with bus driver safety screens. It will take another 21 years for the entire fleet of buses under the TransLink banner to be replaced with buses fitted with driver safety screens. Therefore, for another 21 years bus drivers working for contractors under the TransLink banner will be at risk of assault because they will be driving a bus that is not fitted with a driver safety screen. I am asking for your assistance to petition the Queensland Government to fully fund the cost of retrofitting the entire TransLink branded bus fleet.

Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Education Students [LANTITE] and the administration of LANTITE. We can understand your frustration given Education and the COVID-19 pandemic; We believe you can understand and appreciate our frustration in regard to the LANTITE and our inability to graduate. As a result, we implore you for your support in removing the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Education Students (LANTITE) administered by ACER as a graduate requirement. These students have successfully completed the units in their degrees, as well as professional practise in the form of placements. Throughout degrees and placements, the importance of literacy and numeracy is highlighted. We implore you to support the removal of LANTITE as a graduation requirement. In doing so, you will be contributing and assisting Australia’s economic return through this pandemic.

The recent Covid 19 income support package has resulted in an imbalance. A hospital cleaner working full time is earning around $1000 per week before tax, and usually takes home around $750. The worker must meet all personal expenses including housing, transport, food, childcare, education and medical costs. The essential services workforce is being severely affected by the current crisis as many workers are having to stay home to care for families. We are not going to be able to recruit new workers to replace those who are unable to work. Potential employees would be better off on Centrelink benefits, safer and wealthier.