These changes to WorkCover are designed to make it more difficult for injured workers to claim compensation, and that is unacceptable. The Government must listen to injured workers - not accountants - to make WorkCover work for everyone.

Wages are going backwards and have been for 10 years. Workers’ wages are now worth less than they were 10 years ago. Add to this the cost of living and the housing crisis and many people are really struggling. Too many jobs have been contracted out or made insecure. Big companies like Qantas have used loopholes in workplace laws to drive down wages, contract out work, and take away working conditions. It's time to update Australia's workplace laws to protect workers and keep wages moving.

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.

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!

Postal workers carried our communities through the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic along with all of our essential workers. Working harder than ever to cope with the endless stream of care packages, online shopping and letters to loved ones in lockdown. Posties are burning out from the increased workload. Being a postie used to be a job you could rely on - but now many are stressed and overworked and are feeling pressured to risk their own safety on our roads to complete their rounds within time constraints. 10 years ago no one wanted to leave, now many do not want to stay! Posties say they are skipping their breaks and are forced to go faster to meet their increased work loads and long hours in an already dangerous job. As more and more posties burn out - and fewer are being recruited (the above proposal would see current vacancies not filled) - posties are facing a workload crisis that Australia Post refuses to acknowledge.

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.

Working people are absorbing price increases on everything they buy and spending more of their wages on bills. Meanwhile, company gross operating profits rose 10.6% seasonally adjusted for Dec 2022. The Reserve Bank continues to increase interest rates to tackle inflation, but excess corporate profits account for 69% of additional inflation beyond the RBA’s target. Rising unit labour costs account for just 18% of that inflation. It's time that struggling Australians got their fair share of these massive corporate profits. Pay UP!