• Let's Fix Long Service
    Sam's story: "I’m a disability worker and I have been employed in the sector for 15 years. I currently work across three services as a permanent and casual employee. "There is a lot of burnout in the sector and workers suffer from traumatic events due to the nature of the people we support." Matt's story: "I have supported people with disabilities for over 20 years in nine casual positions. If I received long service leave and I added all my years together, I'd have six months off. Instead I've had five unpaid holidays in 20 years." Andrea's story: "I have worked in the mental health sector for over 26 years, and I have worked two jobs for the last 8 years. I have been focused on getting to the 10 year mark, now to find that it’s at the discretion of my employer and 15 years is the benchmark – who makes it through 15 years at one front line service?" Kim's story: "I’m a Pre-School Field Officer and have been employed in the sector for 28 years. In this time I have gained several qualifications and taught in a range of workplaces, but my hard work has not been rewarded with long service leave at any time. " Sign our petition to show your support for better, fair long service leave. Let’s fix long service leave.
    1,125 of 2,000 Signatures
    Created by Victorian Trades Hall Council
  • Stop the public housing transfer
    Handing over the titles to public housing properties to the non-government sector doesn't benefit public housing tenants or the community who has invested in public housing over decades. Such fundamental change should only proceed where clear benefits can be demonstrated and after a full community debate. The CPSU represents workers at Housing Tasmania who strive everyday to find suitable accommodation for vulnerable and disadvantaged Tasmanians. We believe this is one of the most important responsibilities of a government. The Hodgman government has been unable to explain why the titles to these properties need to be handed over in fact the responsible Minister previously acknowledged doing so could negatively impact tenants. In the 1980s the UK government sold off much of its public housing and now is having to buy back property for public housing in a million dollar market. Tasmania should learn from this experience.
    109 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Community & Public Sector Union (SPSFT)
  • Hog's breath Cafe: stop using workchoices to underpay your workers!
    In February, staff at Hog's Breath Cafe Kelmscott applied to the Fair Work Commission to terminate their 2007 agreement, which puts us in a position where we are worse off than what we would be under the award. Under this agreement, we are denied penalty rates, and are on average $59 worse off each week as a result. In addition to this we can be sent home from a shift after one hour of paid work, we do not get paid extra for working overtime and have to pay for our uniforms. For many of us, $59 a week can be the difference between whether or not we can afford textbooks for uni, can pay the week's rent and bills and sometimes whether or not we can get by without skipping meals or running out of petrol. Being sent home after an hour of work can mean it cost you more to get to work than the amount you get paid for that hour. We've since found out that a number of Hog's Breath Cafe franchisees have tried to get away with the same thing, and have retained dodgy, unfair agreements that were pushed through when the Howard government's anti- worker WorkChoices laws were still in place. WorkChoices was meant to be abolished after Labor won the 2007 election, however these antiquated laws are still dictating the wages and conditions of many workers in Hog’s Breath Cafes around the country. Hogs Breath Café workers deserve better than this. We deserve the at the very least the basic legal minimums set out under the Award, and staff should be compensated for having to miss out on important time with family and friends when they work weekends.
    586 of 600 Signatures
    Created by Melinda Joseph
  • Equal Pay For Early Childhood Educators
    I am an early childhood educator. Every day I help shape the future chances and choices of every child I educate. But today, on International Women’s Day, my colleagues and I did something quite different — and a little scary: we chained ourselves to Malcolm Turnbull's office. Why? I was born in 1968. One year later, a brave woman called Zelda D’Aprano shocked the nation by chaining herself to Melbourne’s Commonwealth Building to protest against women being paid substantially less than men. That was almost 50 years ago, yet my colleagues and I are paid one third less than those educating children just a few years older – for one reason: 94 per cent of us are female. I have been waiting my whole life to have my work valued the same as a man. Educators are fed up. We won’t die waiting for equal pay. We want Malcolm Turnbull to fix this. Please stand with us and tell him it’s time to value our work by funding wages that befits our essential and invaluable profession. https://youtu.be/yzVcR4nSWXY
    15,485 of 20,000 Signatures
    Created by Samantha Leaver
  • Fund Trove!
    Trove is a phenomenal resource for anyone looking for information in Australia. It is a free and democratic portal to content from all of Australia's public libraries and archives as well as universities. Trove provides a gateway to old newspapers, video clips, archived records, sound and pictures. It is the digital age dividend for all our prior investment in information management. Read more: http://theconversation.com/treasure-trove-why-defunding-trove-leaves-australia-poorer-55217 Mr Turnbull, we need Trove and we need our public libraries.
    4,477 of 5,000 Signatures
    Created by Edwina Byrne
  • Support Zerella workers
    Workers at Zerella work hard in tough conditions to produce the 250 tons of carrots plus other vegetables that go straight to Woolworths every week. Workers joined the union after finally getting rid of labour hire contractors that were paying them less than the minimum wage. Now Zerella workers want to negotiate a union workplace agreement, and have signed up to say so. Workers are taking their legal right to join a union and collectively bargain for a workplace agreement. People around Australia, many who shop at Woolworths every week, will not stand for intimidation. People around Australia will stand for human rights and decent workplaces.
    650 of 800 Signatures
    Created by National Union of Workers Picture
  • Support the Safe Schools Program - no review needed!
    Bullying is a real issue that can seriously hurt young people. A majority of young LGBTI people report bullying and 80 per cent of those say that it happens at school. All young people should be able to feel safe and supported at school, and this program is helping to do this. Despite scare campaigns around the program, schools make decisions about their level of involvement with Safe Schools, how much of the program they use and what is appropriate for particular age groups. Schools need to have the freedom to run these kinds of programs if they believe it is necessary to help create a safe environment within the school for all students.
    3,644 of 10,000 Signatures
    Created by Meredith Peace, AEU Victorian President Picture
  • Save Aussie Meatworker Jobs
    We need your voice to tell all levels of government that meatworker jobs are disappearing in north Queensland because of increasing live cattle exports. Record numbers of cattle are heading overseas for processing, while Aussie meatworkers look for work. Sign this petition so Prime Minister Turnbull understands the importance of positive action to save decent and vital jobs in regional Australia.
    1,050 of 2,000 Signatures
    Created by Queensland Council of Unions
  • Mater Enterprise Agreement Negotiations for nurses and midwives
    Mater has made it clear that many of the current employment conditions aligned with those nurses and midwives from Queensland Health will be removed or reduced. Examples include removal of Nurse/Midwifery Unit Managers from the classification/generic level statements, restrictions around the payment of continuing Professional Development allowance, pro-rata access to Long Service Leave after 7 years and reduction of payment for working on public holidays. The proposed rate of pay for work performed on public holidays is below the Nurses Award 2010 and Nurses and Midwives (Queensland Health) Certified Agreement (EB8). As an organisation that is funded by the State in a way that is consistent with the funding of public sector health services for the delivery of health services to Queenslanders, it is our view that Mater should preserve working conditions aligned with those of Queensland Health. Mater nurses and midwives have not received a wage increase for almost 2 years and the organisation has refused QNU’s request to pass on a pay increase by way of an administrative increase while the negotiations are finalised. Furthermore, the organisation has threatened its nurses and midwives that if the agreement is rejected by them at ballot, the Mater will remove the back payment offer from the table. As the Mater continues to receive funding from Queensland tax payers for the delivery of public health services, the organisation should be held accountable to pass on those taxpayer funds to the nurses and midwives providing the care.
    176 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Queensland Nurses and Midwives' Union (QNMU)
  • Keep Baby Asha Safe
    Queensland Unions stands in solidarity with the doctors, nurses and health care professionals of Lady Cilento Children's Hospital who are refusing to release Baby Asha without a safe environment for her to return "home" to. Nauru, and Manus, are not safe places. The Australian union movement says ... #LetThemStay
    1,159 of 2,000 Signatures
    Created by QUEENSLAND UNIONS Picture
  • Solar hot water for public housing!
    Support a #justtransition for the Latrobe Valley The Latrobe Valley community has powered Victoria for almost 100 years, and deserves to be supported through the inevitable transition of our energy system. This means new employment opportunities as the inevitable closure of Hazelwood Power Station looms closer. Help avert a manufacturing crisis #supportmanufacturing At the same time, Victoria is facing a manufacturing jobs crisis, especially as the car industry closes over the next two years. Make sure no-one is left behind in the #energytransition It should not just be the rich who are able to benefit from energy efficiency and clean energy technology. #equality. Households who can benefit the most from lower energy bills should be supported to access these options. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions #climatechange The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transform our economy so that it is sustainable is growing more pressing every day. The State Government’s own operations make a significant contribution to carbon pollution, and the government can lead by example in reducing emissions from its own buildings. This would also have a long-term benefit for tenants of public housing, whose energy bills would be reduced, giving a tangible boost to their disposable income. Encourage the cooperative economy and more secure work #securework Earthworker is a community initiative established by unionists and environmental activists to help Victorians work their way out of the climate crisis. It is committed to providing decent, secure work in factories owned by workers to manufacture the renewable energy technologies that we so badly need to transform our future. More information can be found at: http://earthworkercooperative.com.au/ In the UK, the Labour Party is pushing for the right for workers to buy out enterprises, and States in the US are legislating to support worker co-ops. The worker cooperative model can be the basis of new jobs and a just transition in places like the Latrobe Valley and Geelong, where old energy-intensive industries are under threat. Earthworker already has all the required factory machinery in a factory site in Morwell, Latrobe Valley. The project has the intellectual property, experience and skills in manufacturing and installing solar hot water systems across Australia, and is in the process of setting up the Morwell factory. With a sizable order of solar hot water systems for public housing, this first cooperative factory could be up and running quickly, with this kick-start, building itself into a long-term and community-sustaining cooperative business – the first of many across Australia. The Victorian government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring local content in Government Projects, and growing employment opportunities in renewable technologies can be achieved in partnerships with organisations like Earthworker
    738 of 800 Signatures
    Created by Earth Worker Picture
  • Reinstate the 7/11 employee attacked at work then sacked
    After three masked men stormed the store with a knife and a hammer, stealing cash and cigarettes, the employee was made to finish his 8 hour shift. He received no compensation for his two weeks recovering from the ordeal and when he tried to return to work, was told he no longer had a job. 7/11 have show once again that they are in contention for Australia's most disgusting employer. Video from Channel 7 here: https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/30646183/store-worker-held-up-during-armed-robbery-fired/#page1
    950 of 1,000 Signatures
    Created by Victorian Trades Hall Council Picture