I'm a single mum - working the unusual hours that I do means I miss out on precious time with my kids. Penalty rates help to compensate me for the sacrifices I make. My story isn't unusual - every team member at the Star has missed out on friends' weddings, parents' birthdays, or tucking their kid in at night because of the hours we work. There's no doubt we deserve our penalty rates - so please sign to help show the Star Sydney that we want them protected in our upcoming EA!

Women at university are worse off under a Liberal government. Health The Liberal Government has scrapped bulk-billing incentives for pathology services and diagnostic imaging. This means that women may have to pay up-front $30 for a Pap smear, blood or urine test, and from January 2017 as much as $173 for x-ray or ultrasound imaging. Women regularly rely upon these tests for the prevention or early detection of pregnancy, obstetric complications, cancers, STIs and UTIs The Liberal Government freeze on indexation of the rebate for GP consultations under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) until 2020 has already seen hundreds of practitioners around the country cease to offer bulk billing as they are forced to transfer increased costs onto patients. Most women students can not afford these increased costs of healthcare, and are forced to forgo necessary doctors visits, diagnostic testing and treatment. This poses critical risks for women’s health. Without early diagnosis and treatment, risk of poorer prognosis is high and the burden of disease, personal and financial costs on patients are increased. Education- cuts to funding The 2016-2017 budget revealed that Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals want to decrease funding to tertiary institutions by 20% as well as lower the tax repayment threshold by 10%. It was also strongly indicated that the Liberals will bring back fee deregulation. Universities are unlikely to put their hands in their own pockets to make up for funding cuts, choosing rather to cut vital student support services than risk jeopardising ‘important’ business projects Cuts to higher education will mean that women who are already disproportionately affected but a lack of funding will take longer to pay off their HECS debt and face a greater pay gap in the workforce. Cuts to services Severe lack of funding available for women’s services on university campuses. When the federal government make cuts to the higher education sector, often basic services relied on by women are the first to go. Universities across Australia do not prioritise the welfare of students, this consequently has a greater effect on women due to structural barriers which make it difficult women to go to university and study. As revealed in the results of the 2016 ‘Talk about it’ survey women students are likely to face harassment and sexual violence on university campuses. Due to a number of factors, including inadequate help services, women are strongly deterred from seeking help from university. Women should be able to balance university life as well as home life, and should not be forced to choose between the two. Services focused on assisting students who are also mothers have been neglected for too long. Many universities are lacking parent rooms, for mothers to comfortably breastfeed. Underfunded services have a detrimental effect on those who use them most, women are already limited by a culture of misogyny on campus and an initial lack of policies and services to protect them. Due to the lack of services and policies, many universities do not adequately address incidents of harassment on campus, making university an unsafe place for women. Universities receive funding from the student services and amenities fee annually, a small portion of which is usually allocated to the student union on campus. The rest of the SSAF is allocated to funding university projects, a funding increase to women's services could be done through this avenue. When the Liberal government make cuts to higher education universities will make cuts to student services. The Solution In order to address the stark difficulties of women accessing higher education the NUS women's department is running an O week and semester one campaign which will encourage women to support, promote and attend the National Day of Action on March 22nd. This NUS women’s department campaign will aim to put pressure on universities to start addressing the specific concerns of women, through more funding to services that women access. The campaign will produce a petition and towards the end of the semester the NUS Women’s Department will be submitting a government submission. The campaign will Lobby federal parliamentary representatives for accessible health care and education for women in the lead up to the federal budget. Lobby universities to provide more funding for student services, especially services that women frequently use, e.g childcare services and parenting rooms. Encourage and promote the March 22nd National Day of Action Focus on supporting women in higher education in the face of an aggressive conservative federal government. Highlight the challenges that women face in higher education specifically around education and health. Produce a petition pushing universities to commit more funding to student services Produce a government submission detailing the need to adequately fund the higher education sector, and how funding cuts hurt women the most, particularly women from marginalised backgrounds. Get Involved Promote and sign the NUS Womens petition! Sign up to the email list to receive updates on the campaign! Attend and promote the March 22nd National Day of Action. Sign a letter on behalf of your student organisation, pushing federal MPs to commit to not supporting cuts to higher education and health. Sign a letter on behalf of your student organisation, pushing universities to provide more funding for student services, especially services that women frequently use, e.g childcare services and parenting rooms. Like the NUS Women’s Department page for updates Change your cover photo, like and share posts about the campaign.

Read some more #Liberallogic here: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/coalition-mp-tasked-with-improving-housing-affordability-says-highly-paid-job-is-first-step-to-home-ownership-20170220-guhboc.html See the disaster interview here: http://www.smh.com.au/video/video-news/video-nsw-news/sukkar-get-a-highly-paid-job-20170220-4qt8i.html

Underpaying workers is wage theft pure and simple and it’s happening to hundreds of thousands of Australian workers every single day. Lawlessness is rampant in industries like fashion modelling, fast food, retail, hospitality, transport and aged care - where workers are being exploited and robbed of wages on a mass scale. These traditional industries are also facing cut-throat competition from the growing ‘gig economy’ which is driving down wages and smashing the concept of a permanent job into fragments. As a society we cannot sit back and watch as our world of work is atomised and our rights scattered to the wind. We want a royal commission now to expose wrongdoing and provide solutions on how to regulate and organise work in the future.

Honey Birdette and CEO Eloise Monaghan have repeatedly tried to ignore hundreds of claims by Honey Birdette workers of the bullying, harassment, abuse, and wage theft that goes in in their boutiques - but we won't be silenced. Eloise Monaghan and Honey Birdette need to know that if they don't take the abuse and harassment of workers in their boutiques seriously, we'll support lingerie companies that do! For more information, check out: https://www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/honey-birdette-workers-need-safe-workplaces

At present the University administration believes the presence of a "safe space" would suggest that university campuses are not in fact safe. This is a ridiculous assumption. We believe that all students should be free from discrimination and vilification and at present the University Executive will not support the provision of a permanent and designated room for LGBTIQA+ students. Spaces such as these are found right across the nation in universities of all sizes from Tasmania to the Northern Territory. They are imperative for the wellbeing of all LGBTIQA+ students no matter where they fit under the umbrella. The successful continuation of a safe space will ensure that Griffith stays in line with the Group of Eight and all progressive and inclusive universities across Australia.

Fixing the mess that is Centrelink will improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our society, giving them the best leg-up to start and in many cases, rebuild, their lives. It’s time to: SCRAP THE CENTRELINK AUTOMATED SYSTEM The automated system is flawed. The system is a debt recovery scheme that cross-references employment data through the ATO and Centrelink, which has created large room for error and is falsely attributing debt to vulnerable Australians. Although Labor has called for a national audit of the system, we believe enough is enough and it needs to be scrapped. The recovery of legitimate debt is important and should be done by paid staff at the Department of Human Services, not a machine! Links to relevant articles: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/students-accused-of-welfare-fraud-say-centrelink-is-wrong/8127550 http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/centrelink-faces-sustained-criticism-over-its-new-automated-debt-recovery-system-20170102-gtkpq8.html STOP THE CENTRELINK PAY DELAYS In 2016 it was reported that up to 90,000 new applicants were left waiting months for income support, resulting in many being unable to afford necessities like rent and food. Centrelink is designed to be a safety-net, and leaving thousands with support at the start of the year needs to end. According to data collected by our Student Wellbeing Survey, run in 2016, 32% of students on Centrelink have experienced delayed payments, forcing them to borrow money from family, friends and in some cases, take out loans to make ends meet. Last year, when the delays were reported in the media, it was also reported that this had gone on for several years due to a lack of staff at the Department of Human Services, enough is enough! Links to relevant articles: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/students-waiting-four-months-centrelink-payments-delayed/7346960 http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/centrelink-backlog-to-be-solved-in-two-weeks/7360760 LOWER THE CENTRELINK AGE OF INDEPENDENCE TO 18 The Centrelink Age of Independence for Youth Allowance sits at 22, making income support inaccessible to the majority of university students, particularly those starting their degrees who may have moved out of home to attend university. According to data collected by the 2016 Student Wellbeing Survey, 62% of respondents were unable to receive financial assistance from Centrelink due to the Age of Independence being set at 22. Regardless of living out of home, many students are still assessed on the basis of their parent’s income because they are under the age of 22. Young people who decide to attend university do so in the hope of educating themselves for future careers, they are the future of this country and deserve to be financially supported regardless of their age! DITCH CASHLESS WELFARE CARDS Cash welfare cards are not a new policy from the Federal Government, they have been used for years to police the spending of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on income support. The scheme is already in use, acting as a form of compulsory income management that is policing the expenditure of those in receipt of Centrelink, blocking them from spending their payments at particular stores. If introduced for students, cashless welfare cards will not effectively stop addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling, but will instead police the behaviours of vulnerable people! Links to relevant articles: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-alan-tudge-flag-national-rollout-of-cashless-welfare-card-met-by-protests-at-cashless-debit-card-trial-20161030-gsdytb.html https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/09/ration-days-again-cashless-welfare-card-ignites-shame STOP CALL CHARGES AND IMPROVE CALL WAITING TIMES Due to funding cuts to the Department of Human Services, call-waiting times are longer than ever, which only exacerbates call charges as calls to Centrelink are charged at timed rates. According to data collected by the Student Wellbeing Survey, run in 2016, 57% of students in receipt of Centrelink have been left waiting on the phone for excessively long periods of time. Students trying to do the right thing by reporting changes in their circumstances or seeking assistance are being priced out of chasing up Centrelink and are left to the whims of an automated system! Links to relevant articles: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/centrelink-call-waiting-racks-up-costs-for-poor/news-story/e0a01674c64da6dc605c58d45a139005 AND ALLOW MORE DISCRETION IN CENTRELINK POLICIES For many students on income support, the policies Centrelink is governed by often make their lives much more difficult if something goes wrong. If there is a personal or medical situation and a student needs to shift from full-time to part-time study, their payments can be lowered and in many cases cut entirely. This lack of flexibility can exacerbate an already difficult situation, putting further unnecessary pressure on individuals. We must not criminalise unemployment or mental health and the lack of flexibility with Centrelink does just that! - If you believe it’s time to #FixCentrelinkNow, sign our petition to demand the Australian Government reform the system that is putting already vulnerable Australians into more unstable times and condemn Social Services Minister Christian Porter for attacking our lowest income earners whilst the Federal Government allows corporate giants go tax free! Contact: NUS National Welfare Officer, Jill Molloy Email: [email protected] Phone: 0423 507 010

Everyday the CFMEU fights for the rights of workers. The union is committed to ensuring the safety of its members and ensuring that its members receive fair pay and conditions. The Union is committed to ensuring that all workers have equal access to rights and entitlements in accordance with the law. Craig and Cameron Zammit are committed dads and between them have 5 children, some at primary school. For the last eight years they have been picking up their children after school. Now, as a result of new management at Liverpool Hospital, they're being told that painters finishing at 2:30pm is incompatible with their job, despite working under these arrangements for eight years. This isn't fair. Family is everyone's responsibility and Craig and Cameron just want the opportunity to be there for their children.

The government proposal to bring Safe Schools 'in house' and to abandon the team that have worked on the program since 2010 is a clear capitulation to a right wing campaign that has been running this year, driven by the right of the Liberal Party and the Australian Christian Lobby. There has been no consultation with the workers on this program about the proposed changes, and no thought given to the relationships that have been developed with 286 schools in Victoria, and the dozens of families supported by these workers. This move will not stop the right wing attacks from the bigots, it is just using Roz Ward and the three other workers who have continued to work in the face of ongoing attacks as scapegoats. To be clear, any proposed 'expansion' of the program in this move is deceptive. No new funding has been announced and the commitment to roll out to every government secondary school has been a commitment that has been progressed by the current team since the last state election. Show your support for the team and the work by signing this petition and writing to your local MP, the Minister for Education and the Premier. http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/supporting-lgbti-students-in-victorian-schools/

I study at Murdoch University and the actions taken by Vice Chancellor Eeva Leinonen are shameful. The Vice Chancellor has seen fit to attack the work and pay conditions of the Murdoch University staff, this is especially raw as Murdoch senior officers are taking greater employee benefits and expecting staff to take pay cuts. This is a shameful act, and as a student of Murdoch University, I stand with the teaching and service staff. I stand with them because learning at an institution that has great employment conditions fosters a learning environment that benefits the students. As a student I also refuse to be part of an institution that so ruthlessly takes an axe to the workers terms and conditions. Not only is Murdoch's management trying to remove the conditions fought for by their staff, but they have also tried to put a gag order on the union to stop it communicating with its members. This is not a Vice chancellor that negotiates in good faith, this is someone who wants to employ snake tactics in order to gut what makes Murdoch a great university... Its staff! Murdoch claims it is the university of innovation, but there is nothing innovative about its underhanded tactics. Think Murdoch, Think Shame!

Another week and another assault on one of our bus drivers. Following the tragic death of one bus driver in October, attacks on bus drivers have not stopped. 29-year-old bus driver Manmeet Alisher was killed when he was set alight by a 48-year-old man in an unprovoked attack: https://goo.gl/g4ADeH A bus driver, just doing his job, supporting the community, had his life taken from him in what is a senseless and needless act. His parents have lost a son, and siblings lost a brother. Right now, police are searching for a male cyclist after a 60-year-old bus driver was repeatedly punched in the face just for doing their job: https://goo.gl/dSIqlP These aren't isolated incidents. Bus drivers are being assaulted every week. Enough is enough. It has to stop.

Right now 46 workers from the German Creek coal mine have been made redundant just before Christmas. Many are even facing a new year without homes. They need your help. The workers were fighting for increased job security in a town that is experiencing an unemployment crisis. In order to show who is boss — their employer Anglo American made 46 union members redundant. For 100 days these workers have been involved in legal industrial action fighting for steady jobs and improved mine safety. But Anglo decided to sack 46 of these workers — all union members — and replace them with labour hire workers on far reduced pay and conditions. Many of the sacked miners have not only lost their jobs but have lost their homes as well. Anglo owns the houses they have called home for years and now wants them out two days after Christmas. Many of these families have their kids enrolled in the local schools for next year! Central Queensland is undergoing an unemployment crisis and this will make things worse. The way Anglo American is behaving is unAustralian. You can also visit the Steady Jobs website of the CFMEU- Mining and Energy union who are campaigning to protect mining jobs from this increased insecurity. http://steadyjobs.com.au/