Council-run in-home aged care and NDIS services provide a lifeline for our vulnerable elderly relatives, friends, and neighbors, enabling them to live independently in the comfort of their own homes. The importance of retaining a sense of independence cannot be overstated, as it plays a crucial role in maintaining one's mental and emotional wellbeing. The highly trained council workers who deliver this vital community service are second to none, and their permanent jobs and livable wages ensure that clients receive the continuity of care they deserve. Victoria's local government has a proud history of leading the country in delivering quality in-home services, and this must be maintained. Privatising this service would have disastrous consequences, including reduced provision, lower quality, and consistency of care for clients, as well as displacement of workers from secure and well-paid jobs within our local community. In addition, vulnerable clients may be forced to allow potentially untrained providers into their homes, leaving them significantly vulnerable to abuse. There would be a loss of holistic assessment of client needs and coordinated or escalated service delivery, which may result in inadequate care for those in need. Furthermore, integrated services would suffer due to a lack of participation of private providers in local partnerships, networks, and alliances. We cannot allow our elderly community members to suffer due to a lack of funding or support. We must demand that Council maintains its existing home care services, which are critical to ensuring the wellbeing of our most vulnerable community members.

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.

Financial stress means many aspiring teachers struggle to manage their living expenses while undertaking unpaid teaching placements. Some ask family and friends for financial assistance, and others take on personal loans. The impact of unpaid placements is particularly severe for those with families or caring responsibilities, regional and rural students, and students from marginalised communities. Too many pre-service teachers are unable to complete their studies, making Victoria's teacher shortage even worse. Without enough teachers in our schools and kindergartens, students are denied access to the full range of learning and support programs they need.

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.

Council-run in-home aged care and NDIS services enables those in need to live independently at home. Being able to retain a sense of independence is so important for mental and emotional health. Our vulnerable relatives, friends and neighbours deserve to retain the quality care they get from highly trained council workers. In-home aged care delivered by local government is a hugely valued service. These workers are highly trained, on permanent jobs and liveable wages, who provide care second to none. Their employment conditions mean clients get the kind of continuity of care they asked for during the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality & Safety. Council’s direct delivery of this vital community service protects our vulnerable and older residents in their homes. Victorian local government has a proud history of leading the country in delivering quality services into homes in this area and it must be maintained. Any moves to cease direct delivery of this service and allow a private provider/s to deliver the service would have the following consequences: ▪ Reduced provision, lower quality and consistency of care to clients; ▪ Displacement of workers in secure, well paid, well supervised work within your local community; ▪ No minimum qualification requirements, where vulnerable clients will be forced to allow potentially untrained providers into their homes, leaving them significantly vulnerable to abuse; ▪ Loss of a holistic assessment client needs and coordinated or escalated service delivery or referral to match the changing needs of clients; ▪ Loss of integrated services due to lack of participation of private providers in local partnerships, networks and alliances.

If these services are outsourced, the Sutherland Shire community will lose out. These quality early education places will be lost, and families will suffer dramatic increases to fees and their cost of living. The hard-working early childhood educators will also lose their secure Council jobs and conditions. These Council-run services also set the standard against greedy for-profit childcare centres, what will happen without them? The General Manager and Councillors have refused to come clean and let Shire residents know what they are doing. What is Council secretly planning? The USU says these council services must not be lost to the community. As signatories we say: DON'T SELL OFF OUR PUBLIC CHILDCARE CENTRES!

We are in a cost-of-living crisis. Big businesses are making record profits while wages continue to flat-line. Everyday essentials like groceries, petrol, and bills are going up but our wages are not. Every worker should be able to rely on their job to provide wages that will keep up with the cost of living and allow them to save for the future. This year the Australian Services Union is campaigning for a wage increase that keeps up with the cost of living. The Annual Wage Review is the ONLY guaranteed wage increase in the economy. Your pay rise only comes about from union members getting together to win what we need and deserve. The Australian Services Union is your voice for a pay rise. Without a real pay rise delivered now, wages will continue to go backwards. Sign the petition for a 7% pay rise now!

Staff working conditions are student learning conditions. When staff go on strike to get a better deal, they also strike to improve the learning conditions for students. Students should stand in solidarity with staff, and join them in calling on University management for a better deal.

Caleb’s story is a classic case of a client and employer using the labour-hire relationship to trash a worker’s rights. Caleb has now filed an unfair dismissal application in the Fair Work Commission and is being assisted by his union.

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!

“I have a neurodiverse child with multiple diagnoses. He’s been on a waiting list since before Kindy. We’ve only just been able to start seeing a specialist – but not in Tasmania. We’re seeing a private specialist interstate, via Zoom. We desperately need more Allied Health Professionals to support kids who are doing it tough.” – Thirza, Parent, Secretary (CPSU Tasmania) Allied Health professionals in schools are essential to give kids with learning and developmental disabilities the best start in life. Getting access to quality care early in life gives kids the best chance to adjust, succeed and flourish. An estimated 1 in 20 Australian children struggles with an anxiety disorder¹; 15-20% of Australians has a language-based learning disability². Early years are our first and best chance to give kids dignity and support to succeed. Tasmania also has the third highest rate of children and young people in Out-of-Home Care. Only a fraction of those we miss will ever seek help later in life. They go on struggling, in silence. Getting access to a Social Worker, Speechie or Psychologist early on can make all the difference in the world. “1 in 8 Australian primary school students has a communication disorder of some kind. We have 31 speech pathologists to service every public primary school and support school in the state. That makes our ratio 116 to 1, at best. We’re not talking about a little bit of understaffing - we’re talking about chronic, long-term vacancies.” - Sarah, Advanced Skills Speech & Language Pathologist, Tasmania Please sign our petition to call on Premier Rockliff to ensure Allied Health Professionals in schools, child safety and youth justice aren’t left behind. ¹ https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/health/children-with-mental-illness ² https://dyslexiaassociation.org.au/frequently-asked-questions-2/

Housing and homelessness services are at a crisis point. Services across Australia are already struggling to respond to everyone who needs help. Right now, 288 people are turned away every day. Rising rents and an inadequate supply of affordable homes is putting enormous pressure on the frontline staff and services who respond to people in need. These cuts will directly impact highly vulnerable people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including women and children escaping domestic and family violence and young people without homes. We call on the Albanese Government to properly fund homelessness services so people in urgent need can get help, and workers can be paid properly to provide a critical service. Don’t close the door on homelessness services!