There is broad-based community alarm and dissent that Port Kembla is being considered as the East Coast base for nuclear submarines as part of the AUKUS agreement. There has been no consultation undertaken or consent given by our community. Port Kembla, as part of Greater Wollongong, was declared a nuclear-free city more than 30 years ago, and its status as a nuclear-free zone was reaffirmed only last year. If a nuclear submarine facility was based in Port Kembla Harbour it would require the acquisition and alienation of a massive part of the harbour and the land around it. Land which is a valuable and vital asset for our existing manufacturing, steel, land transport and maritime industries whose epicentre is Port Kembla. Delaying a decision would prolong and amplify uncertainty over exclusion zones, access to land and waterways for our emerging industries and threaten billions of dollars of investment in renewables making it a job killer. The presence of nuclear attack class submarines in our Ports would make us a nuclear target and pose an unacceptable risk to the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of people given potential exposure to hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium. If its not safe for the people of New York City to have Nuclear submarines in their midst, it's not safe for the people of any city.

Each year, thousands of Tasmanian workers are seriously injured at work. Sadly, over the last decade, there have been 87 work-related fatalities in Tasmania. We believe this number would be even higher if all work-related deaths, including suicide, were included in the official statistics. Earlier this year, all WHS Ministers from across Australia voted to include an industrial manslaughter offence in our national model WHS laws. To make that a reality for Tasmania, however, requires the Tasmanian Government to legislate for them here. Unions Tasmania is calling on Minister Madeleine Ogilvie, and the Rockliff Government, to commit to industrial manslaughter laws in our state.

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!

Ballarat Council giving money to Pipecon is a slap in the face to all of us as Ballarat ratepayers and Victorians. Councillors must immediately review this decision, award the tender for Tait St road reconstruction to another company, and apologise to the community.

Murdoch staff have been hit hard during the COVID-19 crisis: enduring staffing cuts, taking on more work, keeping the lights on for students and the broader community while management are seemingly making decisions that don't improve staff conditions or well-being. A university is a place of ideas. Murdoch's 'tagline' is "A place for free thinking" but sadly free thinking comes at a cost and it is a cost borne disproportionately by staff. With an already lean Bargaining Agreement and no real cost of living relief in sight, it's time to support Murdoch staff in their entrenched right to bargain for a more robust Bargaining Agreement. You need to send a message to management – this isn’t good enough, we can’t afford to keep going backwards, we are struggling with the lack of support, and we demand that they begin bargaining NOW. Click the link to sign the petition - send the message to management that we're ready to bargain NOW!

During school drop off and pick up times, the road surrounding the school becomes blocked, causing daily traffic jams, causing safety risks to children and others needing to use the road. Access of vehicles in and out of school premises has also been blocked; it would be impossible for emergency service vehicles to enter and exit, creating additional risk, with two aged care facilities potentially affected. It is only a matter of time that a child is injured, or worse. This dangerous situation is long standing, despite numerous attempts to address. We ask Moreland Councillors to explore suitable options to secure the safety of students and community through alternative traffic / road solutions.

Unions of nurses, teachers, paramedics, cleaners, transport workers, child protection workers and many more are saying their jobs and conditions are under immense stress. The NSW Government is ignoring their pleas for help. Workers have been left with little choice but to strike to force the government to listen. So the NSW Government has proposed fines of up to $110,000 for striking. It's unfair and undemocratic - workers will suffer in silence and their unions fined if they take action. But it can be stopped. The Liberals and National Government does not hold a majority in Parliament. If Labor, independents and just 3 minor parties team up they will have a majority to overturn the new fines. The vote is expected in early August - which means we have just a few weeks to act. Add your name to send a clear message to members of the NSW Parliament - you must use your vote to protect essential worker's rights.

For the last two years, the Queensland Rail Shift Roster Team has been made to work in a small unassuming room off the main control room in Queensland Rail's Rail Management Centre located at Bowen Hills. In the original building designs, this room was designed as a storeroom or a meeting room. Senior QR Management thought it appropriate to stick the Shift Roster Team in this room and expect them to work on a rotating 24/7 roster in unsuitable conditions. The room stinks. It is too hot in summer ( it is pretty typical to reach 30+ degrees), it is too small to permit proper social distancing, and in general, it is not exactly comfortable for three people to work in. After two years of trying it alone with Management, the Team have asked the RTBU Office to help them TEAR DOWN THE WALL! For context the wall is non-structural, the office next door is vacant most of the time, and by increasing the space for the Roster Officers they will be able to include an additional Shift Officer in their team to assist with their heavy workloads. But we need your help, we want to make it clear to Queensland Rail that cooping our Members into a tiny, unsafe, and uncomfortable room for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is not good enough. We want the Shift Roster Office Team to know that they have the full support of our Union in this fight and that they have the collective strength of our Union behind them all the way in this fight.

In Victoria, the largely unregulated private rehabilitation services mean that working people are often confronted with re-mortgaging their house, taking out loans, or withdrawing their superannuation to pay for services that can cost up to $30,000 per month. Victoria’s rehabilitation system is mostly inaccessible for working people, as most stays are between 3 months and 12 months. In Australia it takes an average of 20 years for a person to seek assistance for addiction due to shame and stigma and this is a trend that is appearing across all shop floors and all industries across the State It’s clear that the current system of treatment isn’t working and requires fresh ideas and methodologies for providing suitable treatment to working people and their families and funding models that work both for patients, employers and the government. We are proposing a tri-partisan collaboration with Odyssey House for a 28-day inpatient treatment facility funded and owned by the trade union movement after an initial investment from the Andrews’ Labor Government coupled with the establishment of an outreach and outpatient service, inclusive of toolbox talks for delegates, health and safety representatives, organisers and working people from all sectors with the support of trade unions, employers and the government. We need innovative, sophisticated solutions to complex issues such as addiction. We know that we have the most cost-effective, fit-for-purpose model for working Victorians to ease the burden on our already overcrowded healthcare system. Workplace support and early intervention are crucial in supporting workers combating addiction and mental health struggles. The opening of The Crossing will change the lives of workers struggling with addiction — as well as those of their families, their workmates, and their community.

Wage theft and exploitation are facts of life for migrant workers. Many have to make the impossible decision of tolerating abuse or risk losing their visa, which results in many choosing to put up with exploitation to avoid deportation. Employers in Australia have far too much coercive power when dealing with migrant workers which allows abuse to occur. The Migrant Workers Centre has found that 53% of workers surveyed were forced to work overtime, whilst 27% confirmed they could not say no to unsafe work. These statistics are far higher than any other grouping of workers and this needs to change. The incoming Australian Government has a golden opportunity to address this as we welcome migrant workers back to Australia post COVID. Send them a message by signing that you too want greater protection and justice for migrant workers.

There is currently very limited capability to safely perform Specialised Rescue. (this means Trench Rescue, confined space rescue and rope rescue) The rescue capabilities in the Ballarat region need to be addressed as a matter of urgency due to the fact that: • Emergency management in Victoria is unable to safely rescue victims in a timely manner • Firefighters and first responders are being exposed to a Workplace Health and Safety Risks, both physical and mental This has been an issue since at least 2014. Timeline: 2014 United Firefighters Union (UFU) notifies the Napthine Government and all MPs that there is an issue around insufficient specialised rescue capabilities, particularly in the Ballarat Region. Operations were carried out in an extremely ad hoc manner, with equipment (planks etc.) being purchased from hardware stores. There was two Provisional Improvement Notices (PIN) put on the Ballarat City trench rescue operation and WorkSafe got involved. In response, the CFA essentially got rid of their trench rescue operations entirely in Ballarat. They just took it off the list of capabilities, failing to solve the problem. 2018 On 21 March 2018 one man was killed and another seriously injured after a trench collapsed in Ballarat. Tragically the second worker died in hospital the following day. The two men, Charles Howkins and Jack Brownlee, were working constructing sewer at the site when the collapse occurred. 26 March 2018 (2 days later) The UFU sent a letter to the Minister for Emergency Services. The UFU received an email from the Minister acknowledging receipt of correspondence. Nothing further was ever communicated. July 2018 Trench Victim’s Families wrote to the Minister to bring the issue to their attention. 2022 Victim’s Families wrote to State Labour Government Ministers and MPs to inform them that there is still no specialised rescue capability in Ballarat. From 2014 to 2022 - The UFU and FRV Personnel have been raising concerns requesting resolution of this gap in capability. The problem has still not been resolved. Throughout this entire period, first responders have continued to attend to specialised rescues, but without the resourcing they need. It is quite simple what Ballarat needs: 1. Equipment An Appliance for Specialised rescue; there are 2 purpose-built units sitting in Melbourne. They were built 8 years ago and have never been deployed, they just sit around gathering dust. There is space at the Lucas Fire Station to permanently house one of these units. 2. Staff Enough trained firefighters to provide a specialised rescue team on all shifts. (10 Crew to cover all 4 shifts, and a reliever shift) 3. Training Ongoing specialised rescue training. 4. Mapping Mapping of local area resources to see if other agencies and organisations could assist with expertise, equipment and resources through MOUs.

The benefits of implementing a cashless system on WA Buses are not just for drivers, but also the travelling public. Cashless public transport systems around the world provide evidence of increased efficiency and decreased boarding times, decreased timetable delay, and most importantly, a safer system for bus drivers and the travelling public.