Period poverty is the struggle people with a period face in affording menstrual products and describes the larger economic vulnerability faced due to the increasing financial burden of period supplies. Across the world, 1 in 5 people with a period experience period poverty. Period poverty affects student’s ability to attend university and can cause people to use improvised menstrual hygiene materials that can lead to infection. This causes increased risk of infection, decreased productivity and participation, reduces education outcomes, and affects the mental health of those experiencing period poverty. We want to end period poverty at JCU and remove the barriers to education that period poverty imposes on our students. Currently we do not have up to date statistics regarding abortion in Queensland, however, it is known that between 1/4 to 1/3 of Australian women will have an abortion in their lifetime. Abortion services in Townsville have only recently been made accessible to the public after previous closure. Medical terminations of pregnancy are available via GPs or a private provider up to 9 weeks gestation and after that, Townsville University Hospital offers a surgical termination service from 9-14 weeks gestation. Women further along in their pregnancy will need to travel to Brisbane to access a surgical abortion service. Abortion still carries a lot of stigma and can cause a range of emotions for those who have had to make that decision as well as a financial and time burden. We want JCU to show support to those who access abortion and provide them with appropriate leave processes and counselling services to ensure students feel supported and can have equitable access to education following an abortion. Sexual assault and harassment effects students across Australia, including students at JCU. In a national student safety survey of JCU students it was found that 22.2% of students have been sexually harassed since starting university and 9.5% have been sexually assaulted since starting university. The numbers disproportionately effect people of minority groups, including queer students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and those with a disability. We are aiming to eradicate sexual assault and harassment on campus to make JCU a safer place for everyone.

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 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.

Each year, thousands of Tasmanian workers are seriously injured at work. Sadly, over the last decade, there have been 87 work-related fatalities in Tasmania. We believe this number would be even higher if all work-related deaths, including suicide, were included in the official statistics. Earlier this year, all WHS Ministers from across Australia voted to include an industrial manslaughter offence in our national model WHS laws. To make that a reality for Tasmania, however, requires the Tasmanian Government to legislate for them here. Unions Tasmania is calling on Minister Madeleine Ogilvie, and the Rockliff Government, to commit to industrial manslaughter laws in our state.

The Federal Parliament report released today shows that the Labor Government is not acting in the best interest of young Australians, choosing to exacerbate the growing generational wealth gap. The Federal Labor Government must freeze Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) indexation to ease the burden of student debt and have the courage to take on the intergenerational wealth crisis in Australia. NUS is disappointed that the committee report has palmed off the student debt crisis to the Universities Accord process, with no guarantee that HECS indexation will be addressed. “We are already looking at becoming the most indebted generation in Australia's history and now the Federal Government is looking to profit from young Australians during a cost of living crisis,” NUS National President Bailey Riley said. “The government keeps telling students to wait for these accords. The time to act is now, not years into the future once students are thousands of dollars further in HECS debts,” Ms Riley said. The total value of HECS loans will increase by $4.5 billion on 1st June with the average debt projected to increase by $1,700. Indexation at an estimated 7% means that individual HECS debts will increase even if a student or graduate doesn’t earn enough to pay it down. The NUS argues that this indexation is unfair, with the government expected to profit $2.5 billion from students and graduates this year. “Ballooning student loans are pushing young Australians deeper into poverty in the midst of an escalating cost of living crisis," NUS General Secretary Sheldon Gait said. "We know that skyrocketing student debt is causing incredible financial stress and mental health problems for students and young graduates. We are calling on the Federal Government to end this unfair practice which punishes young people already struggling to put food on the table,” Mr Gait said. We urge the Government to listen to the voices of students and graduates and take action to end the unfair practice of HECS indexation.

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!

DEVONSHIRE STREET IS THE ONLY COUNCIL-RUN CHILDCARE IN WILLOUGHBY COUNCIL. DON’T SELL IT OFF!

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.

The cost of living crisis is far from over. Wage growth is less than half the rate of inflation and prices for essential items continue to soar. And the RBA’s approach to fixing inflation has almost pushed Australian workers and the economy off a cliff. The RBA has delivered 10 consecutive interest rate rises in a row, to 3.6% as of March 2023. That means that a worker with a $500,000 mortgage has to find an extra $1,100 per month to cover their repayments. And it's not just homeowners that are having to cough up – people who are renting are feeling the flow-on effect in the form of staggering rent increases and widespread housing availability shortages. Meanwhile, big business profits are going through the roof, and in some cases, outstripping even pre-pandemic levels. This greed-price spiral is what's really driving inflation. Between the RBA and big companies, average Australians are bearing all the pain of a situation they did not cause and have little control over. The RBA has already warned us to brace for more interest rate rises. But we say: Enough. Stop hurting workers.