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.

Cost of living keeps going up while wages and conditions are continually eroded away, people receiving government support are trying to get by with just $42 a day and living in poverty. The gap between wages for men and women is still around 22.8%. The dream of owning your own home has become out of reach for too many people with rentals also becoming more unaffordable, meaning the demand for public housing is increasing.

These nurses and carers love caring for their residents, but they have been stretched to breaking point by heavy workloads, poor wages and tough working conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic they have gone above and beyond to keep their residents safe, working double shifts of up to 16 hours, working through their lunch breaks, and often working short staffed. We care about the quality of aged care in Queensland and we call on Arcare management to give their hard-working nurses and carers a fair pay rise.

The NSW Government has the power to change Section 146C of the NSW Industrial Relations Act and end the wages policy that restricts your pay and superannuation increases up to 2.5 per cent. This is a policy that condemns Public Sector workers to falling wages as the cost of living goes up. By cutting your real wages, this destructive policy reduces your discretionary spending, pulling money from local businesses at a time when the NSW is trying to rebuild after two tumultuous years. By signing our petition, you are letting MPs know a wages policy that effectively cuts your wages and damages local economies must go.

You should join this campaign if you love Australian music. It has been totally defunded. If you love Australia content on TV and Film then the $70 million cut must be reversed. If you live in the country you want the $10 million back. If you enjoy this festival, the Fringe Festival Rising, music festivals, the opera, theatre, museums, art galleries; any of these events you should demand Morrison puts the hundreds of millions back in the budget. Less submarines; more gigs.

We deserve a decent pay rise for the work we continue to do. We are essential workers – keeping our communities strong, loved ones safe and doing critical work to support our most vulnerable. We support people with disabilities to actively participate in our community and support those in our community who have been hit hard in recent times. We deserve a pay rise. Only by joining together through the Australian Services Union can we win the wage increases we need and deserve. The Annual Wage Review is the ONLY guaranteed wage increase anywhere in the economy. Sign our petition and join our campaign to win the pay increase we need and deserve.

Cost of living keeps going up and it is getting harder to support our families, pay the bills that keep on rising and plan for the future. Sign this petition to tell management that you deserve a fair pay increase. Only by joining together through the Australian Services Union can we win the wage increases we need and deserve. Forward this petition to a colleague – every Slater and Gordon team member who adds their voice builds momentum and makes it more likely to win a pay rise together.

The NSW Government and rail workers have been in negotiations for 9 months. But in a dramatic escalation on Monday, the NSW Government cancelled all train services and locked out its own workers from doing their jobs. Rail workers turned up ready to work on Monday. But the NSW Government is using an aggressive and unnecessary negotiation tactic - cancelling all train services and blaming the workers. This doesn’t just hurt rail workers; it hurts every commuter and causes gridlock and chaos. Rail workers are negotiating to stop the privatisation of services, and to ensure a safe and clean rail network. The government could address these simple requests. Instead they decided to use this dangerous tactic to try turn the public against rail workers. Sign the petition to send the NSW Premier a message: his attempt to manipulate public opinion by cancelling train services has failed.

The proposed operating model will kill commuters, it will traumatise Drivers, Guards, Station Staff and other commuters unnecessarily when we have a good current operating model that relies on teamwork as per the Kembla Grange derailment where the Guard excelled in his duties. This will increase culpability on the rail operators and result in more lost time injuries to staff.

Almost 40% of women report being sexual harassed at their workplace. And only 17% of women feel they are able to report this harassment. The Sex Discrimination Commissioner's Respect@Work recommendations made clear what needed to be done. She recommended that the Sex Discrimination Act be amended to include a positive duty on employers to take reasonable measures to eliminate sexual harassment at work. Tragically, an average of one woman each week is murdered by a current or ex-partner. Access to paid leave is a real barrier to women being able to escape family and domestic violence. There is only one way to make sure all women have this workplace right. Morrison could act today to legislate for 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave for all Australian workers, but once again he has walked away from doing so. Women deserve better. Australia deserves better. Tell Morrison he can’t walk away from women.

Workers at Honey Birdette deserve a workplace that’s free from bullying, harassment and sexist standards. In 2015, Honey Birdette workers launched the Not Your Honey campaign and won a WorkSafe investigation into the sexual harassment and bullying at Honey Birdette. Seven years later, harassment and bullying at Honey Birdette boutiques is as bad as it has ever been. Employers have a duty to provide a workplace free from sexual harassment and gendered violence but clearly Honey Birdette’s Directors are providing an environment that enables sexual harassment.

These proposed laws seek to entrench discrimination and vilification of LGBTQ people, as well as women, people with disabilities, and single parents, on the pretext of religious freedom. The bill will: 1. Override state laws to allow any person making a ‘statement of belief’ to discriminate against queer people, women, and people with disabilities. 2. Allow religious schools to discriminate at the point of enrolment against queer students, and continue to discipline and fire queer teachers - under the guise of 'religious freedom'. 3. Prevent public health services from ensuring patients aren’t discriminated against by health practitioners exercising ‘religious freedom’. 4. Prevent universities from requiring students to meet professional standards if they object to them on religious grounds Federal Labor has made only the mildest of technical recommendations to reform the current draft of the bill, failing to address some of the most damaging aspects of the legislation. As Labor members, we are asked to finance, volunteer for, and otherwise fight with our MPs for our rights as working people. Our party is failing to stand up for our values, and for vulnerable communities, by supporting this bill.