In June this year, the ANU decided on the increase in accommodation fees for on-campus residences for 2024 as follows: Bruce: $500 → $528 Burton & Garran: $260 → $287 Fenner: $330 → $357 Toad Hall: $265 → $282 Wamburun: $330 → $342 Wright: $470 → $497 Yukeembruk: $369 → $382 This comes in the face of years of massive hikes to accommodation fees at residences. In 2020 Fenner Hall was $295 and will be $357 in 2024. This isn’t to mention the large number of fees residents are slapped with during their time at college. Res com fees, room changeover fees, cleaning fees, bonds, and more. Residents are also faced with horrible conditions at colleges. Rat infestations, wasp nests, not enough cooking and storage space, consistently broken washing machines, just to name a few. Meanwhile, the positive experiences that residents have while in a res hall are conjured almost entirely by extremely underpaid student representatives. In 2016, the ANU sold off on-campus accommodation to an investment company, AMP Capital for 30 years and now AMP Capital are in charge and decides how much money to charge students while they are living and studying on campus. This has led to tariff increases (yes, residents pay ‘tariffs’ not rent) that are consistently above inflation. To top it all off, residents are forced to sign an ‘occupancy agreement’ when they move into their residence. This agreement restricts the rights residents have (such as being unable to terminate their contract fairly) and prescribes extremely punitive punishments for even the smallest of actions. Residents are extremely exploited and it's shameful the lack of duty of care the ANU has shown to students. It’s important for students to mobilise and fight back against the ANU in this regard. With consultation with the Housing Action Collective, presidents of residential committees at halls, and ordinary students, a petition has been created to mobilise students with the following demands: An immediate freeze on accommodation tariffs for 2024. A commitment from the ANU to stop privatising on-campus accommodation in perpetuity. Establishing a new occupancy agreement in consultation with students that affords students basic rights. Increase consultation with students regarding the functions of residential colleges and increase transparency about how the university manages residential colleges. These demands came out of the experiences of students unable to afford to live, who felt insecure about whether or not they could remain on campus, and who have received no information or transparency about how the colleges are run.

Self ID refers to an individual's ability to self-identify or define their own identity, particularly in the context of gender identity and sexual orientation. It is an important concept in discussions surrounding gender identity and LGBTQ+ rights. Self-ID is most commonly associated with gender identity, allowing individuals to identify and express their gender in a way that feels authentic to them. For transgender and non-binary individuals, self-ID means they have the right to identify and present themselves as the gender with which they identify, rather than being constrained by societal expectations based on their assigned gender at birth. Self-ID is considered important for respecting an individual's dignity and autonomy. It acknowledges that each person is the best authority on their own gender identity and that their self-identification should be honored and respected by others. This isn't a new concept either. Canada passed Self ID legislation in 2017, Ireland passed the Gender Recognition Act in 2015 for everyone over 18, New Zealand modified existing legislation to allow self ID in 2020, and Victoria passed self ID legislation in 2019. Most of South America and several US states have also passed self ID legislation. In summary, self-ID is the concept that individuals have the right to define and express their own gender identity and sexual orientation, and it is seen as a way to respect their autonomy and protect them from discrimination. It is an important concept in the ongoing discussions surrounding LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality.

Right now, only 1.3% of public schools are funded at the benchmark set by governments. Just imagine if public schools were fully resourced. That would provide more teachers, smaller class sizes and more specialist support for children needing extra help, and the PM's promise could become reality.

The Federal budget is just weeks away – we have the momentum to ensure the end of unpaid placements so that students are supported throughout their education and into their careers. Work placements or internships are currently a requirement for many degrees in Australia. These placements provide essential on-the-job learning, however, students studying for Community Services Degrees are required to work excessive hours unpaid. Students studying social work are required to complete 1,000 hours of unpaid placements. That’s almost a third of a year, working full-time. These hours are compulsory and yet this work is not paid. This situation is causing dropout rates to increase, with over 1 in 5 studying a Community Service degree withdrawing from study due to financial stress. Many community services workers undertake social work or other degrees to boost their qualifications, but right now they are being forced to choose between doing unpaid work placements or having enough money to pay the bills. No one should have to choose between feeding their families or not to complete their studies. Additionally, both students and employers would benefit by building an employment relationship to help with career opportunities down the track.

Bus drivers are fighting for: 1. Resourcing of mobile security units 2. Improved communication between depots and security support. 3. Improved enforcement for security and power to detain or arrest. 4. Safety screens for drivers. 5. Cashless travel. 6. Conflict resolution training for bus drivers. 7. Improvement of amenities for drivers for both depot and on the road. 8. Increased recovery times between runs.

Metro mechanics have been paid well below the industry standard for years, are receiving less training, and are quitting due to poor working conditions. That means fewer buses on the road and service cuts that leave passengers high and dry. The Tasmanian Premier, Transport Minister and Metro CEO Katie Cooper must commit to paying an industry rate for Metro mechanics. All Metro workers deserve decent pay and secure jobs – and Metro passengers deserve a bus service they can rely on. The only way to fix Metro is to fund ALL of Metro. Anything less won’t see cancelled routes restored.

We believe that everyone should have a say in the issues that affect our communities. We know that when we take advice from other people with different perspectives, we can often find better solutions. Australians will all benefit from hearing the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and sharing in First Nations contributions to our national identity.

Repeated studies have shown that migrant workers are being systemically paid less than their minimum entitlements. There is ample evidence that fear of visa cancellation is one of the key factors that prevents temporary visa-holders from acting on their rights at work, even if they know they are being mistreated. Only by removing the threat of visa cancellation can migrant workers enjoy the same rights and protections as everyone else who works in Australia. As part of its migration review, the Federal Government should introduce a strong, predictable, and clear guarantee that a worker's visa will not be cancelled where the worker has been subjected to workplace exploitation.

Providing truly flexible work arrangements engenders staff goodwill and loyalty by: a) trusting us to make conscientious, responsible decisions about when it is more productive to work remotely and; b) acknowledging that some of us may find it more productive to work fewer days on campus at different times, for example during school terms, over semester breaks, according to our health status or cultural commitments and/or depending on the type of work we are doing at the time. By enabling less commuting, more flexible remote working options also enhances our sustainability strategy and improves work/life balance. Whereas, the VC’s proposal to work more days from campus than from home contradicts The University’s: • commitment to “support flexible working arrangements where reasonably possible” in the latest EBA (Clause 215) and explicit commitment to “providing flexible working options for all staff”; • aspiration to be an “employer of choice for people with disability”; • commitment to “equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the University”. We, the undersigned University of Sydney employees reject the Vice Chancellor’s “general expectation… that colleagues will spend more of their time on campus than working remotely.” We instead demand that management honours its commitment in the clause 215 of the Enterprise Agreement to allow professional staff to work remotely where “the staff member is able to satisfactorily complete the requirements of the role” and to also trust academic staff to choose when and how often to work on campus, thus ensuring an inclusive, progressive, supportive and productive working environment for all of The University of Sydney’s highly diverse workforce.

For too long LGBTQIA+ and Gender Diverse Students have been hidden away, given a space with a lack of accessibility and pushed a position of shared sentiment in regards to marginalisation. By not having a location where their community can come together in safety these issues are being perpetuated.

Too many Australian workers exposed to welding fumes are suffering from avoidable diseases such as lung cancer, occupational asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, manganese poisoning and deafness – just for doing their job. This includes both people who weld and those who work around welding. Every worker has the right to be safe at work, but we know that most workers affected feel that not enough is being done to reduce their exposure to welding fumes. SafeWork Australia can help change that by immediately lowering the limit for welding fumes exposure – but it's going to take a show of support to make that happen.

Renters shouldn't be left at the mercy of landlords gouging them when lease renewal time comes up. The Victorian government must take further steps to ensure tenants aren't subjected to unfair rent increases, and that renters have the power to exercise their tenancy rights. Owning property is not a service to the community and it's not a job. Renters don't owe landlords a profit on their investment - but we are owed reasonable standards for the rent we pay! Landlords must stop treating renters like a cash piñata. We deserve affordable, quality housing.