Workers at Pampas have been languishing on labour-hire contracts, working full time, for 10, 15 and up to 20 years whilst being overlooked for permanent positions. Migrant workers like those at Pampas are the backbone of our food manufacturing industry. Workers across Australia are doing it tough, they need fair wages and secure jobs to survive. Pampas needs to come to the table and offer these workers a fair deal now.

There is a high population of students from a variety of ethnic, migrant, and linguistic backgrounds who deserve a safe space to feel supported and welcomed in their time at UWA. Currently, UWA has 23,944 students enrolled and of those students, 46% were born outside of Australia and 25% of students spoke languages other than English at home. Experiences of racial discrimination are common among students of colour, however, many are overlooked and regarded as a 'slight comment' rather than an issue which deserves to be investigated. It is important for the plight of racial justice to extend beyond merely celebrating diversity. For an authentic sense of inclusion to be fostered, it is required of institutions to implement systems of support for CaLD students. The introduction of a safe space for the Ethnocultural Department would allow students of colour and all CaLD students the chance and space to discuss, dissect and reflect on their experiences by connecting with other students who face similar barriers and difficulties. This would also allow space for CaLD students to raise awareness among students and pointing them towards processes of resolve in the face of discrimination and utilise the UWA's complaint system that is currently existent, but not particularly accessible. Urging the need for an allocated room and therefore Ethnocultural safe space, is a necessity for UWA to be regarded as an inclusive campus for all. With the reactivation and reopening of campus, comes the obligation of the Guild President and Tenancy Chair to fast-track the bureaucratic process, and align the Ethnocultural safe space’s establishment with the increased return of students to campus. An Ethnocultural safe space would improve the campus experience for CaLD students by firstly cultivating a diverse and inclusive campus; but also filling the gaps that the University’s formal complaints processes are not able to address for CaLD students. Ultimately, a safe space would give students an outlet to express frustrations and anxieties of systemic and interpersonal racism, resulting in improved student well-being.

Hutchison Ports Australia have disgracefully sacked respected Indigenous worker Kevin “Bones” Kelly from their Port Botany terminal. Hutchison has never accused Kevin of any wrongdoing. They say Kevin is not fit to perform his duties, but they have no medical evidence to support this claim. Kevin’s own doctor cleared him for work after a few weeks on workers’ compensation. After he was cleared, he carried out full duties without issue for 11 shifts before he was stood down and then sacked. Kevin is one of many workers recently sacked by Hutchison’s at Port Botany, including a high number of Indigenous workers. Hutchinson’s poor record of Indigenous worker promotion and retention indicates that it is a company rife with systemic racism. Thomas Mayor, National Indigenous Officer of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) said: "There was no genuine reason for sacking Kevin and Hutchison have a record of disproportionately sacking Indigenous workers. There can only be one word to describe the company's management, and everyone should learn the truth of it. Hutchison Ports is racist." Kevin was a world champion boxer. He is respected across the maritime industry and across the community. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Maritime Union of Australia until he is reinstated – We call on Hutchinson’s to reinstate Kevin “Bones” Kelly, end the sackings and end the systemic racism in the company’s management! Paul Keating, Sydney Branch Secretary of the MUA said: "I have known Kevin for many years. He is a good friend and greatly respected by his comrades on the waterfront and across the MUA. This sacking is utterly unjust. In all my years as a union official, I have never seen the treatment of a worker by an employer in this way. The MUA will not stand for this from Hutchison or any employer. The MUA expects reinstatement immediately."

The Covid-19 situation in NSW is extremely concerning. Once again, the failure to build proper, dedicated quarantine facilities has resulted in a serious local outbreak, this time of the incredibly contagious Delta strain. Vaccination rates remain woefully low. The NSW Government has acted far too slowly and half-heartedly in relation to the current outbreak. Nobody enjoys lockdowns, but the failure to enact a serious lockdown soon enough has let this outbreak grow, and now means that the lockdown must be extended and strengthened. Allowing the virus to spread would be a health disaster, not just for NSW but for all Australia.

All workers, regardless of where they’re from, deserve to earn a living wage and work in safe conditions. But the Migrant Workers Centre and Unions NSW’s latest survey of more than 1300 backpackers reveals the majority of farm managers are engaging in rampant wage theft and outright abuse. Workers from 54 countries were surveyed about their rates of pay, entitlements and conditions. Key findings ● 78% of survey respondents reported being underpaid at some point. ● 80% were underpaid while on piece rates, and 61% were underpaid on hourly rates. ● Some piece-rate workers reported earning less than $1 an hour. ● Only 2% earned $26 or more an hour. ● The lowest daily wages were reported by piece-rate workers employed on grape and zucchini farms, earning an average $9 per day, followed by blueberry farm workers who averaged $10 per day.

Scott Morrison’s visa system favours big businesses at the expense of working people. There are workers who have lived in this country for years, who have families and communities here, and every day do the work that keeps our country running - but who are stuck in limbo from temporary visa to temporary visa. Meanwhile, the government has enabled exploitative employers to churn through a vulnerable temporary migrant workforce with limited rights. We need a fair visa system that puts workers over profit, and that gives every worker a fair chance - no matter where we come from.

Rape culture in parliament threatens our involvement in the political process. Parliament, in its current state, lacks representation of oppressed gender groups. First Nations women, trans and gender diverse people are particularly underrepresented in our legal system. The endemic sexual abuse that is perpetrated in parliament threatens the paltry representation that oppressed gender groups have ascertained thusfar and makes it difficult for those marginalised groups to speak up against gendered violence and support victim surviours for fear of receiving their own workplace bullying, relocation or loss of livelihood. For too long we have worked within the system and compromised with the state on our bodily autonomy, our rights and our safety. We say enough. It’s time to End the Silence on Sexual Violence.

For months Pete Evans has been sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories and pro-Donald Trump content. It's well known that Evans has been drifting further to the extreme right, and this drift was epitomised on Sunday when he shared an image implying it was normal and natural for Trump supporters to evolve into Neo-Nazis. Given Pete Evans is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, it has to be asked, why would he believe it is natural for Trump supporters to become Neo-Nazis? The image contained a butterfly bearing the Black Sun insignia, a Nazi image that was popularised in post-Nazi Germany. It was worn by the Christchurch shooter when he open-fired on a Mosque, killing 51 people. In the lead up to Christmas, there will be a rush of people buying gifts for friends and family. We've all grabbed a cookbook from Kmart as a last minute gift for a hard to buy for family member. The community would expect that this simple act of rushed gift buying wouldn't result in them funding a Neo-Nazi conspiracy theorist.

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 Morrison government's announcement that it will double fees for a series of humanities degrees is one of the worst attacks on students in recent times. Law, economics, management and commerce subjects will face fee hikes that means students could be charged up to $72,500 for a 5 year degree such as Law. The cost of a humanities or communication degree will be more than doubled - increasing by 113% to $14,500 a year. A three year arts degree will now cost approx. $45,000. This is essentially an attempt to abolish the humanities as a serious discipline, and instead restrict its accessibility to only wealthy students. This fee increase deliberately prioritises economically profitable degrees, while decreasing the accessibility of degrees designed to encourage critical thinking about society. Our education should not be subordinate to the needs of industry. The government wants to divide us by granting fee reductions to other students. We reject a two-tiered fee system that attempts to force students into studying what the government deems more important. Students should have the right to study what they want. Cost should never be a barrier when deciding what to study at university, or even if you want to study at all. We need free, fully funded public education, not a user pay model that prioritises particular disciplines or degrees. We are demanding that the government to scrap the proposed fee increases for university degrees. Written by Jazz Breen & Jack Mansell, Sydney University SRC Education Officers

As COVID-19 changes the way we live and work, it’s essential that everyone has access to safe healthcare. Yet there are tens of thousands of people living in Australia without access to Medicare. People who have to make the choice between risking deportation or seeking urgent medical help. They know that hospitals and doctors can report them to the Department of Home Affairs if questions are raised about their visa status. With borders around the world closed and international flights costing upwards of $5000 per person, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers are forced to face impossible choices. The Morrison Government’s cruel directive that temporary migrants should just ‘go home’ forces thousands of people to make impossible choices, through no fault of their own. In the midst of a global pandemic, people must be able to access essential healthcare without fear of deportation and family separation.

Glady Berejiklian and the NSW Liberal Party have not provided any relief to international students and temporary workers during the COVID-19 crisis. Most temporary workers have now lost their jobs and cannot return home. They are trapped here. Many other international workers work in essential services, supporting the whole community - but they have no support extended to them in a time of crisis. NSW is the only state to provide no support.