The $10 billion employment services system is one of the biggest and most socially destructive rorts ever perpetuated against a Federal government Every day, private job agencies bully unemployed workers into attending dangerous Work for the Dole sites and other unfair activities in order to make a quick buck. Unemployed workers who refuse to be bullied into one of these unfair activities are penalised. During 2015/16, job agencies imposed a record 2,114,291 million penalties on unemployed workers - up from 311,622 in 2011. Many penalties are unfair - 37.5% of unemployed workers who appealed against a penalty had it overturned by Centrelink. Since 2011, the rate of job agency decisions overturned by Centrelink has increased by 15% - a clear sign the system is broken. The failure of the government to regulate the industry and penalise abusive job agencies has created a culture of fear and intimidation throughout the industry. The suffering endured by the 900,000 unemployed workers participating in this system is incalculable The death of Josh Park Fing at his Work for the Dole site in Toowoomba - one of the 64% of WFTD sites that do not meet basic safety standards - is a product of this punitive and broken system. The punitive job agencies system must be addressed immediately. A Senate inquiry is the first step. The ALP has the power to make this happen.

Jeff Kennett and Crown are planning to game the system and use loopholes in our work laws to cheat these workers of their livelihoods. Kennett is planning to make big money from his political connections and cosy relationship with Crown – the casino he granted a licence to and opened when he was in power. Now he wants to profit from sacking Victorians and cutting the wages of their replacements. Kennett’s company, Amtek, is bidding to take over pokie machine maintenance for Crown. The technicians who have been doing the work for 20 years have been told they can't apply for the new jobs - and their replacements will be on half the pay (just under $38,000).

Dodgy Labour Hire firms are stealing wages, undercutting the fair pay of permanent workers, abusing their staff, ruining communities and escaping punishment and doing it all again. Currently it takes less to start a Labour Hire firm than it does to get your license to drive, and that isn't right. It needs to change. The Labour Hire Licensing Bill 2017 will stop Labour Hire operators who do the wrong thing from doing it again. Click here to read more about the Labour Hire Licensing Bill 2017: https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/Bills/55PDF/2017/B17_0022_Labour_Hire_Licensing_Bill_2017E.pdf

Stealing is wrong and yet every year thousands of workers in Australian are robbed. They are victims of wage theft. Wage theft, where companies deliberately underpay workers or refuse to pay superannuation, is affecting thousands of workers every year. It’s literally big business stealing money from workers’ pockets. The current laws make wage theft too easy and the punishment is too light. Wage theft is now so common that in some places it’s the business model. There are business owners right now in Australia getting rich by stealing from their staff and the current industrial laws make it far too easy. WE NEED TO CHANGE THE RULES Prime Minister, if you are serious about ending wage theft, make wage theft a criminal charge and introduce bigger fines. We need to hold companies to account for their theft. ________________________________________________________________________________ RECENT WAGE THEFT CASES George Calombaris – The MasterChef celebrity was recently caught underpaying staff $2.6 million in overtime across his restaurant empire. Calombaris and his business partners were putting employees on low salaries and then pressuring them to work long hours with no overtime so that their pay would be less than a casual worker being paid on an hourly basis. Calombaris also failed to pay superannuation to workers. 7-Eleven – The international company was systematically underpaying thousands of workers and then, once caught, pretended to pay workers full wages but was actually making employees pay back a portion of their wages in cash. A 7-Eleven internal survey taken in July and August 2015 indicated that 69 per cent of franchisees had payroll issues, including fraud. It was remarked at the time that “the business model will only work for the franchisee if they underpay or overwork employees”. Some franchise owners were accused of physically threatening workers who complained. The amount of stolen wages in 7-Eleven was estimated at over $110 million. Domino’s – Systematically underpaid workers by hundreds of thousands of dollars over years. Pizza Hut – Deliberate underpaying, misclassification and denial of entitlements for delivery drivers. Of the 34 franchisees, 24 were found to be breaching workplace laws, while only two were meeting all of their legal obligations to delivery staff. Some staff were being paid as low as $5.70 an hour. Caltex petrol stations – An audit of franchise stations found that almost 80 per cent were underpaying their staff. Caltex was required to establish a $20 million fund for repayment of workers, but didn’t admit to any wrong-doing. Bakers Delight – by using an outdated EBA, Bakers Delight was paying some staff as little as $8 an hour.

The current structure of the trimester system unfairly affects staff and students. Through institutionalizing the drive to hasten the completion of degrees and rake in profit, the University has thus forgone creating an atmosphere that disrespects the concept of obtaining a comprehensive education in an attempt to establish the university as a degree factory. The trimester model completely ignores the necessity of study breaks for students to catch up on content as well utterly disregarding the students who rely on the end of year break to save essential funds that ultimately sustains them for the following academic year. Already carrying the weight of being at university, this financial and social deficit will place a greater burden on the mental and academic health of Griffith University Students. The implications of this model call in to question the practicality of deadlines and workloads placed on academic staff by creating a third teaching period. This new policy strips the ability of staff to have time to part take in scholastic pursuits, including conferences and undertaking research. This policy will lead to an increase of fatigue and burnt out staff which will ultimately affect Griffith's high standings within research and the quality of the education. At all ends, the trimester model is solely for the university and against the students and staff.

The people who work in South Australia's power industry deserve to be treated equally for equal work. But currently South Australian Power Networks (SAPN) management are trying to break the business in two, using the excuse that they need agreements that comply with the building code. These would force the people who work there onto agreements that: - ban mandatory hiring of apprentices - allow cut-price unskilled labour from labour hire companies - undermine safety and reliability for customers - attack the job security of experienced, reliable South Australians The CEPU/ETU recently successfully campaigned for changes to the building code that would exempt SAPN entirely from it because they perform essential services. Yet SAPN managers have refused to take up the exemption. They want to use the code as an excuse to put the screws on working South Australians. We support quality South Australian work, and the people who perform it. Add your voice below, and tell SAPN to stop playing games and apply for the building code exemptions.

The minister and the government should be standing up for Australian seafarers and denying any temporary licences while there are Australian workers available. Its time to stand up for Australian workers and the shipping industry.

A job you can count on is important to everyone in our community. Every worker should be treated with respect and be able to speak up for union rights and a fair deal. Henare, one of our delegates at Lite n' Easy, has been stood down from work and asked to leave immediately with no written reasons. This happened only 2 days after standing up for a fair pay rise. Members are hard-working, but would struggle to afford the products that the company make without a fair pay rise. As a company focused on family, and healthy living, Lite n' Easy management have put undue stress on Henare and his family. Members' rights to stand up for a fair deal should be respected, and it is unacceptable that workers are intimidated for working collectively. We work so we can plan a life for ourselves and our families, and make contributions to our communities. We all need a job we can count on to do this. Having worked at Lite n' Easy for 5 years, Henare's a valuable member of the team and active NUW Delegate. To restore faith in the pay negotiation process, it's important that Henare is immediately reinstated and that further targeting and attacks on staff for speaking up stop!

These savage job cuts by Aurizon will damage our families, our local businesses, our clubs, our schools, and almost every part of the Gladstone community. Exploiting your workers' rights to fair pay and secure employment just to boost your profits is indefensible. Stand by Gladstone Aurizon - don't cut our jobs!

UPDATE: Norm is now taking on Wilson Security in the Federal Court in Canberra. Show Norm you've got his back on March 8 at 10:00am - more details: http://bit.ly/2Ce2LcK "Together with my union, United Voice, I've tried, over and over again, to get Wilson security to stop stealing from their employees. It is systemic wage theft, from people who really can't afford to lose any money. I'm losing more than three thousand dollars a year - and there are hundreds of people just like me. "Most security guards are on really low wages. The whole industry tends to work on rotating rosters - four days on, four days off. A lot of security companies try to save money by scheduling overtime shifts on Sundays. But Wilson Security has gone a step further - they're picking and choosing when 'overtime' shifts occur - so they can avoid paying overtime. 500 security guards are being ripped off in the ACT alone.

Council-run home care enables those in need to live independently at home for as long possible by providing domestic assistance; personal care; respite care; property maintenance; nursing and allied health and social support. The workforce is stable, well trained and committed to providing quality services. Federal policy changes due to come into effect in 2020 threaten the Victorian home care system. Without local government our home care would be poorer - poorer in quality standards, poorer for lack of skilled and experienced workforce and poorer for the loss of $200 million in funding. It is not too late to make policy changes that will protect our system. FEEDBACK ON THE CURRENT SYSTEM: “I’m not as fit as I used to be and now the council provide a carer to help me out but it is the company we old folk get from the staff that attend. You need just see a friendly face and cheery hello, it makes such a difference, we have no one to talk to most days. So the council staff really work miracles. ” “It has been very difficult for my sister to look after my dad who has dementia in the South Australian HACC system which is decentralized. If anything there has been more cut backs and limited support – unless you have the money to pay. Victoria’s council run services are so much better. People who have home carers are able to stay in their own homes and receive better quality care and the carers have better support networks. Councils are vital in funding and staffing.” “I really think it is so important the Council continue to play a role in home care for our community. I’m concerned that this new model will look like the RESI Youth Care System which failed. Council’s have highly skilled staff to run Home and Community Care.” “The chap Arthur who takes us shopping on Thursday is a very good man, he lifts all the shopping on and off the bus and the young lady Emily is the name, she takes us to a market even sometimes with Arthur. There we stroll around with our friends from the bus and have a cup of tea. Yes these people you have on your staff are really something and this we thank Council for. The bus comes to your door and you see the cheery faces of the helpers, it makes your day.” #PlayFairwithHomeCare

The Rail Workshops in Rockhampton have provided life-long careers for generations, stimulating the regional economy and building a proud legacy in the community. When these jobs are taken out of the community and out sourced to contractors to save Aurizon a few dollars, entire families will be forced to relocate. In their OWN Community Engagement Charter, Aurizon state their “Commitment to the principal of ZEROHarm in the communities Aurizon operates within.” They also talk about how they strive to "Foster supportive long-term positive relationships with the communities in which we operate" and that they "respectfully consider community feedback". Aurizon have failed to meet their own standards & policy in how they have gone about closing these workshops. Stick by your word, don’t desert our community and take vital jobs with you - Keep the Rockhampton Railway Workshops open like you promised!