To work in private hospitals nurses and midwives want comparable wages to the public sector. They also want safe staffing levels comparable to the public sector. We are being told by private hospitals that they don’t have the money because the contracts they sign with private health insurers every few years don’t give them enough. In Victoria and NSW nurses and midwives are locked in disputes with their employers for better pay and to include safe staffing ratios in enterprise agreements. They are sick of being treated as second class health workers.     In the year to March 2024 the private health insurers combined profit jumped 34% to a record $2.13 billion (data released by the Aust Prudential Regulatory Agency). At the same time the proportion of premiums they are returning to their customers has fallen from 88.03% in 2019-20 to 82.61% in 2022-23.   In mid-2024 the Commonwealth Department of Health undertook a private hospital financial health check after complaints about ongoing viability of the sector. Minister Butlers own press release on 1 November said: “While parts of the sector have remained strong, there has been a reduction in profitability over time as costs have risen faster than revenue. This shows that there is substantial work for private health insurers and private hospitals to do to ensure the sector’s long-term viability.”   If nurses and midwives start walking away from private hospitals the system will collapse. If private hospitals can’t recruit and retain nurses and midwives then the system becomes unsustainable. If large private hospitals fail because costs outstrip revenue then the pressure is put back on an already overstretched public system. Love them or hate them, private hospitals are too big to fail.  The health insurers need to step up and fund private hospitals better.   Tell the private health insurers that its time to pay their fair share to private hospitals so they can pay decent wages and provide safe staffing. Insurers only care about the profits they reap, not the quality of the care provided for patients (or the working conditions of those who care for them).

Workers have finally begun to see wage rises and new rights after suffering declining real wages under 10 years of Liberal Governments. Liberal Party think-tanks are already planning out Peter Dutton's first 6 months in office - cuts to services and safety-nets, handouts to the already wealthy, and attacks on workers' rights. Australian workers need more progress to improve our wages and conditions – not more right-wing ideology from the Liberal Party.  If this isn't Peter Dutton's plan he should have no problem saying so. Call on Peter Dutton to rule out these outrageous attacks on our rights. 

Young workers still face the same expenses as other workers in rent, groceries, education costs and more. But in our unfair system, an 18-year-old with years of experience could be paid less than their 21-year-old newly hired colleague just because of their age. Sign the petition today if you agree everyone should be paid fairly regardless of their age!

It's just been uncovered that Queanbeyan hospital has formally banned surgical abortions, which were previously available for terminations of cases of feotal abnormalities or other medical reasons requiring surgical abortions. The service was stopped abruptly in August. One woman was turned away on the day of her planned procedure. The Southern NSW Local Health District has stated saying that this is due to a lack of resources to support performing this procedure. In reality, the hospital has claimed it is "conscientiously objecting" to abortion. Cases which require surgical abortions are time sensitive and there can be dire repercussions if this healthcare is not received in time. If these procedures cannot be performed locally it puts women in an already difficult position under more stress and financial strain. Women's healthcare is consistently underfunded and under resourced and this is simply not good enough.  This has happened in the context of moves being made around the country which restrict or threaten to restrict abortion access. Orange hospital recently introduced a now reversed policy banning access to abortions for people with no identified pregnancy complications or medical reasons on the basis of the hospital administration conscientiously objecting to these procedures. The election of Donald Trump in the US and the rise of an emboldened and virulently sexist far right in has its echoes here. In South Australia, an anti-abortion bill was narrowly defeated by just one vote. In Queensland, after the election of the Liberals and Crisafulli, a similar bill is on the table. In this context it is crucial to fight to defend women's access to abortion. We the undersigned demand: • That Queanbeyan Hospital reinstate surgical abortion, and that NSW Health Minister Ryan Park ensures that no other hospitals make similar moves across the state.  • That abortion be available on demand for free, not just in cases deemed medically necessary: it's a woman's right to choose. • That hospitals employ specialists which ensure that abortions are able to be performed at any stage of pregnancy

Survivors of rape and sexual assault participate in the criminal justice system of their own free will. The system would collapse in regards to sexual crimes, without their voluntary involvement. Many do so at great personal cost.  When they take the stand, they do it to keep us, the community safe. Now it’s our turn to take a stand for them and demand a criminal justice system that does not further injure those who enter it.

ACL is offshoring its call centre to Malaysia in order to reduce costs.  Patients deserve better. They deserve to know that their information is secure, that their personal details and medical information remain private. Workers deserve better. A company funded by Australian tax-payer dollars should ensure jobs remain in Australia.  We also deserve better. ACL needs to put patients before profit. 

Employee pharmacists are Australia’s lowest-paid health professionals and are leaving the industry in droves. Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA), the union for employee pharmacists and technicians, has submitted a comprehensive case to the Fair Work Commission calling for a long-overdue minimum Award wage increase for pharmacists of $188.30 per week and a 14% increase for Interns, Pharmacists In Charge and Pharmacy Managers. But the Australian Private Hospitals Industrial Association (APHA) is calling on the Fair Work Commission to block all proposed pay increases. Pharmacists deserve better and are calling on APHA to acknowledge the vital role of pharmacists by amending their submission to the Fair Work Commission to support a fair pay increase.  Sign this petition to demand that APHA stop blocking a pay increase to the minimum award rate. Let’s show APHA that their stance isn’t just unsustainable – it’s deeply unpopular.  Pharmacists deserve better, and with your signature, pharmacists can put pressure on APHA to change their position.  Together, we can demand change. Support Australia’s pharmacists today: 1. Sign the petition to show your support for fair wages for pharmacists. 2. Share this petition with everyone you know – pharmacists, healthcare professionals, and community members who rely on and value pharmacists’ expertise.

If Accolade Wines fails to meet workers’ demands for fair pay, it threatens the future of secure, long-term jobs for the next generation of winery workers in our regions. Accolade profits significantly from South Australia’s rich winemaking heritage, yet without stepping up to provide decent wages, they risk undermining the very communities they rely on. To ensure our regions continue to thrive, Accolade must come to the table and take responsibility for sustaining these essential jobs that drive one of South Australia’s most iconic industries.

Workers at Woolies warehouses have been forced to take strike action. The multi-billion-dollar company is squeezing every last drop out of shoppers and warehouse workers alike. Woolworths' measurement system, "The Framework" sets a universal standard for human movement. It is discriminatory, dangerous and unrealistic to expect people to meet the same universal standard every second of every day.   “"We're human beings, not robots." UWU warehouse worker The Project 24/10/2024” Woolworths' punitive measurement system does not respect workers as human beings. Warehouse workers say that in order to meet the Framework, people must sacrifice their own safety and mental well-being. Workers feel they must cut corners and perform tasks at dangerous speeds to avoid being disciplined or losing their jobs. CEO Amanda Bardwell needs to listen to the union members speaking up - she needs to meet with them and hear their stories. Woolworths needs end the Framework and come to the table with a fair offer. Sign our petition calling on the Woolworths CEO to meet with workers and end "the Framework".

TAFE teachers like me are dealing with unsustainable workloads and massive administrative burdens. Too many of us are burnt out and leaving the sector in droves, contributing to a chronic workforce shortage that must be urgently addressed.  It’s no surprise TAFE teachers are frustrated and feel like they’ve been brushed aside by the same government who promised to save TAFE more than a decade ago. Without TAFE teachers like me and my colleagues, TAFEs cannot deliver the vocational education and training that Victorians need.  The teacher shortage will only get worse and the negative impact on our students and the Victorian community will only get bigger. To make matters worse, instead of saving TAFE the state Labor government has been responsible for vocational education and training in Victoria being the lowest funded in Australia every year for the last 10 years. Premier Allan and Minister Tierney: You need to fix the dispute with TAFE teachers and invest in them and our TAFEs.   Your lack of action shows you believe it is ok for Victorians to not have proper access to high quality TAFE programs delivered by valued and respected TAFE teachers. I am calling on Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister Gayle Tierney to: • Respect TAFE teachers and pay them what they are worth. • Address excessive workloads that lead to too many teachers leaving TAFE. • Create pathways for the next generation of industry experts to become TAFE teachers. • Deliver TAFE funding that covers the actual cost of course delivery.  Please, sign my petition to tell Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister Gayle Tierney that Victorian voters want action to support TAFE teachers! Mark Zelman, Teacher at William Angliss Institute of TAFE

This blatant disregard for Australian jobs is a slap in the face to every skilled worker in our industry. We demand immediate action to protect our livelihoods and ensure that Australian workers are always given priority for these critical roles. If the government fails to act, we will not stay silent. The refusal to fix this issue will be met with escalating resistance, and we will fight relentlessly until Australian jobs are safeguarded for Australian workers—no exceptions, no excuses.

Qantas is currently gripped by a skills shortage of its own making, failing to employ enough apprentices and pay aircraft maintenance engineers in line with industry standards. If Qantas values its safety reputation, it needs to show it values its highly skilled maintenance engineers.