Health, aged care, and disability support workers cannot socially distance from the people they work with and are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Many of these frontline heroes are in low paid and insecure work and cannot afford to take time off. Saying no to a shift can mean the difference between putting food on the table or going hungry. Paid pandemic leave for health, aged care and disability support workers is not just the right thing to do, it is a critical public health measure. We see the growing evidence coming from Victoria. As at 23rd July: - The Victorian Government figures state there are 447 COVID cases linked to 35 aged care sites. - 529 healthcare workers have been infected so far. - 80% of COVID transmissions in Victoria have been in workplaces. - Of 3,810 cases between 7-21 July, nearly 90% (3,400) did not isolate between feeling sick and getting a test. And the rest of Australia is not immune. We cannot have Australian workers going to work with a runny nose or mild symptoms because they are worried about how they will pay for the groceries at week’s end. We cannot wait until the situation gets worse. Stop stalling - fund paid pandemic leave for health, aged care, and disability support workers.

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!

Our people need this Centre reopened. We need skills and lifestyle programs and social engagement opportunities for our diverse group of residents. I am asking for your support by signing this petition to Kingston Council to get Patterson Lakes Community Centre reopened.

Security Officers deal with violence and aggression at work every day. They put themselves on the line to protect health workers so they can provide essential services to the people of WA. Security Officers working on a casual basis in the NMHS sites have been treated differently to every other group of public sector workers across the state. Some of these officers have been working 'casually' for up to a decade - and we say 'enough is enough! Security officers get hurt at work protecting others and face the stresses of dealing with aggression and violence on every shift. Continuing to employ them casually is just not good enough. Security Officers deserve the protection of permanent employment so they can do their best to protect WA Health workers and the community.

The Sunshine Coast waste contract is going up for tender this year and our local garbo's are at risk of being forced to do the same job for significantly reduced pay and conditions. Our Garbos work hard and are fellow rate payers with families to support. Our Garbos have been essential workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping our streets and our communities clean at a time when that has never been more critical. They should not be punished due to an administrative decision by Council.

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.

As the town has grown the park is no longer only used by children to play on the play equipment. Many residents currently use the area for outdoor exercise and social sporting activity, often bringing their own equipment to compensate for the lack of facility. A full sized multi-purpose court and other outdoor exercise equipment will enable residents of all ages a more active community space.

Universities have become more and more like corporations than education institutes because of consistent ideological attacks on education under liberal governments. Due to that, there has been an over reliance on international students funding the tertiary education sector. With the COVID19 Crisis shutting down borders, universities are in a significantly difficult place when it comes to running them. The Tertiary education sector is the third largest sector in the country, however we are on the verge of losing hundreds of jobs, just before a major recession, unless the government commits supporting these institutions. We are calling on all of the Liberal/National government, as well as ministers Dan Tehan and Josh Frydenberg to commit to supporting this sector, and supporting Australian Jobs.

The ABC provides crucial bushfire alerts, community events, weather reports, sports news and local news in urban and rural areas across the country. The ABC has been a lifeline of information and education for Australians throughout the bushfire crisis, coronavirus pandemic and more. And cutting the ABC Life program will stop our national broadcaster from telling important, diverse stories. The proposed cuts of Radio National flagship 7.45am news will reduce public scrutiny of government of the day. Paul Fletcher, Scott Morrison and the Liberals must stop attempting to undermine the ABC and the role it plays in independently holding the government and corporations to account. To stop these cuts will take a huge amount of public pressure. Please sign and share this petition to let Paul Fletcher know Australians love our ABC!

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.

1. OUR SKILLS ARE EMPLOYABLE: The government’s assumption that studying arts degrees and subjects does not lead to any ‘employable skills’ is factually wrong. These subjects provide highly transferable skills, such as critical reading, research and analysis skills, problem solving, and writing persuasively for different audiences. 2. OUR SKILLS ARE THE FUTURE: The World Economic Forum says the top three skills for 2020 The Future of Jobs are Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Creativity. These are the skills that a broad, liberal education teaches. 3. LIBERAL EDUCATION IS A FOUNDATION OF DEMOCRACY: Healthy democracies need a strong and liberal education system. It’s good for both society and for maintaining a productive, dynamic workforce. A liberal education helps us understand ourselves as a nation, how to navigate our current world as well as how we can learn from our shared human history. 4. STUDYING HISTORY, CULTURE, AND SOCIETY IS A RIGHT OF ALL, REGARDLESS OF WEALTH: Australia has long had a proudly egalitarian tertiary sector, which has allowed students from less advantaged households to benefit from higher education. Why should an arts, social sciences, or legal education or career be only available to the very wealthy? 5. LET'S NOT LEAVE DISADVANTAGED AND DIVERSE COMMUNITIES BEHIND: Less funding is likely to have a particularly damaging effect on teaching programs and the careers of many disadvantaged and diverse communities, including Indigenous communities, regional communities, and women. FOR MORE INFORMATION: News article from The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/fee-cuts-for-nursing-and-teaching-but-big-hikes-for-law-and-humanities-in-package-expanding-university-places-141064 World Economic Forum here: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-10-skills-you-need-to-thrive-in-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/ And word from the British Academy on arts and social science graduates: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/arts-humanities-and-social-science-graduates-resilient-economic-downturns/

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