Across the country, students are increasingly facing struggles which impact on their ability to participate in and succeed at university including: -financial difficulties -health problems and -familial responsibilities. These struggles are even more pronounced for disadvantaged students including women students, lgbtiqa students, aboriginal and torres strait islander students, ethno-culturally diverse students, students with disabilities and students from regional and rural areas. At most universities, student organisations help to address these issue through the provision of a range of student services including student counseling, financial support, and autonomous departments which provide an independent voice for students. However, while these services are essential, they are almost entirely reliant on the funding their receive through the Student Services Amenities Fee (SSAF); which is often not sufficient or ongoing This is largely due to the fact that loopholes in the SSAF legislation allow universities to bypass recognising the most pressing needs of students in their SSAF distribution. While the federal SSAF legislation dictates that Universities are required to consult with student organisations about the distribution of their SSAF revenue; many Universities do so in a way that is superficial, and does not ensure the adequate resourcing of essential student services. Further more the SSAF is at risk under the current Liberal government, which has had a longstanding opposition to its existence. 
In order to ensure that all students receive the support they need at university, it is essential that the SSAF is supported, and that student representatives are given more control over student affairs.

My name is Rafael and until Friday I worked into the night cleaning Myer Melbourne. In just 3 months I was underpaid by at least $7000. I spoke out. And a few weeks later I was sacked. When I started, a Myer subcontractor made me work on an ABN number on a flat rate of $20 an hour - that's below the award. We got no sick leave, no super, no weekend rates and we had no job security. It was only when I spoke to my union, United Voice, that I realised I was being underpaid by almost $20 an hour on some days. In three months I missed out on $5000 in wages and $2000 in super. That’s a huge amount of money for me! I asked if I could be employed directly and if I could be paid the Award. But they refused. I rely on my job to pay my rent and my bills, and buy my food. I don’t know what I’ll do now. I have no income. I may need to return to Colombia without completing my studies. I can’t believe I lost my job simply for asking to be paid the legal rate. What’s worse is the other cleaners who’ve been ripped off at Myer are now too scared to try and claim the back-pay they’re owed. I thought workers had rights in Australia. Myer should know better. Just six months ago another Myer subcontractor was exposed for ripping off cleaners. I want my job back. I want all Myer cleaners to have secure jobs with fair pay and for our right to be union members and speak out to be respected. Can you tell Myer to respect its cleaners and make sure I get my job back?

While most nurses are assumed to have a safe working environment, those nurses who undertake hazardous service should receive Commonwealth Honours exactly equal with those received by other State public servants offering similar service. Nurses in psychiatric intensive care units manage the same violent criminals that police and prison staff manage, but while the police and prison guards do receive medals, nurses do not. Virtually all Psychiatric Nurses manage patients deemed to be a "danger to others". Therefore they should have their hazardous service recognised. Nurses who voluntarily surrender their right to a safe working environment by serving as Violence Managers; by joining Epidemic Community Response Teams; or working in dangerous locations such as Casualty Wards should have their hazardous service recognised. Nurses whose work exposes them to the risk of violent assault should receive the National Medal, and those who voluntarily surrender their right to a safe working environment, for whatever reason, are offering service "above and beyond", and so should be eligible to receive the Public Service Medal. Please sign this petition to demand that State Health Ministers submit the necessary applications to Canberra, back-dated to 1987 in accordance with Commonwealth regulations, so that all nurses, whether working or retired, can receive the recognition that their service, and all too often their sacrifice, justly entitles them to receive. At the end of the day, this campaign is an equal work for equal pay, equal recognition for equal service demand.

This will force vulnerable low paid workers to come into work for a shift that could pay less than $10. For many it will cost more to get to and from work than they'll get paid. If they don't show they may not get any more shifts. It's completely unfair.

The MV Wyuna is one of Australia’s most historically valuable examples of early post war shipping. This ship is invaluable, there are no more, she is the last of her line. Similar ships to the Wyuna have long since made their final journey to the breakers yard. Unless steps are taken to ensure Wyuna is preserved then the same fate may very well await the Wyuna.. We all have a responsibility to our future generations to preserve our maritime history.

Our health workers are the backbone of our hospital system but changes to staff parking at RPA is making it harder for employees to get to work every day to provide the excellent service we are all used to. NSW Health has caused chaos for staff by implementing changes to car parks that are already heavily used by hospital users, university students and those who use local businesses. It’s bad enough that NSW Health is slugging the public with exorbitant parking fees, but now they want to push staff out so they can raise even more revenue. Instead of trying to rip off the public with huge parking fees, Jillian Skinner should be finding ways to support long-suffering employees. We are calling on the Baird Government to instruct the Local Health District to reverse its unfair parking decision. It is clear that this is another mean decision from a government that puts dollars and budgets before patients and staff.

40 Victorian families have been let down by the Federal Government. The product carried by the MV Portland between Portland, Victoria and Kwinana, Western Australia is: - Mined in Australia - Refined in Australia - Transported exclusively in Australia This is AUSTRALIAN COASTAL TRADE pure and simple. If these jobs aren't safeguarded, what job in Australia is safe? We need to back in our people and our skills, and ensure companies that profit from Australian wealth also support Aussie communities and people.

The recent re-opening of the Grafton jail was a welcome announcement by the Baird Government following its sudden closure in 2012 that resulted in 100 local job losses. While the influx of new and previous workers will be a much needed boost to the local economy at a time of high unemployment, there remains serious concerns over plans for the new facility. When built it will be privately operated. Private prisons are bad for public safety, bad for the economy, and bad for the communities in which they are based. Myriad of American research has proven that private prisons are unsafe, have significantly lower staffing levels than publicly operated prisons and a higher rate of assaults on staff and inmates. The same logic that motivates companies to operate prisons more efficiently also encourages them to cut corners at the expense of workers, prisoners and the public. Every cent they do not spend on food, health care or training for guards is a cent they can pocket. It is not desirable or appropriate for parts of the justice system to be outsourced to private companies. Stop the Americanisation of our justice system by ensuring no more privatisation of our gaols.

Youth unemployment is on the rise all around the country, with one in eight youngsters in NSW currently jobless. In the Shoalhaven, like many places around Australia, industries are disappearing, leaving locals with little to no jobs. And now with the decimation of TAFE colleges in NSW the prospect of a bright future for our children is eroding before our eyes. Our world class TAFE system provides an important pathway to skills and employment but government cuts mean our ability to gain the skills needed in today’s workforce are being ripped away. Couple this with the prospect of 100k degrees and what chance do the next generation have? Education should be a right. It is the responsibility of government to ensure that it is accessible to everyone. With the looming influx of overseas workers brought on by the new ChAFTA agreement we are staring down the barrel of a youth unemployment crisis. Now is the time to act.

Health care is a universal right and should be about patient care, not profit. The Ministers' survey is a smokescreen designed to push for further privatisation and erosion of Medicare. We will all suffer if health care becomes a race to the bottom only focused on the bottom line.

The Turnbull Government is proposing a GST hike to as high as 15%. This will hurt ordinary working people with families - particularly those on lower and middle incomes. The GST is a "regressive" tax - that is, it taxes a pensioner at the same rate as a multi-millionaire. That just doesn't make sense with inequality on the rise. Meanwhile, Malcolm Turnbull is delivering huge tax-breaks to venture capitalists and wealthy investors. We need a tax system where everyone, including big business pay their fair share. A hike on GST is not the solution!

Under a policy that had been in place for five years, all Federal government departments and agencies were required to start using 100% recycled paper this year. This policy was cancelled in the weeks before Tony Abbott was replaced as Prime Minister. Over the last few years, Australian Paper have invested in new recycling technology that allows 100% recycled paper to be made locally in Australia. This policy decision will cost thousands of jobs, will be bad for the industry, and will be harmful to the environment. We call on Malcolm Turnbull to reverse this decision and ensure all Government paper is 100% recycled.