Farm workers at Perfection Fresh worked around the clock during the pandemic to ensure our fresh produce supply during Australia's lockdown.  Now, the job security of these same workers is being sacrificed in the name of Australia's national tomato supply.  The Federal Government owes it to these hard-working people to provide them with real income support and assistance in returning to secure work when the lockdown ends.  

Big business is funding "astroturf" (fake grassroots) lobby groups intent on starving our social institutions of the funding they need.  They accuse scientists, universities, public media and artists of representing "woke elites" - trying to turn us against the workers in those fields who are just doing their jobs. Instead, they reckon "real" Australian voices are represented by Gina Rinehart, Clive Palmer, Rupert Murdoch and career politicians!  ​Groups like ​Advance​ spend millions of dollars to get their ads in front of your eyes. They exist to stir up outrage and division about migrants, unemployed people, trans kids and others. They import culture wars from the United States, inventing controversies to divide us from one another - to divide the working class.​ The purpose of all this division and noise is to make democracy seem hopeless. If we fear and suspect each other, we can't join together to win campaigns for the things we all need - great working conditions and wages, good schools and healthcare, honesty in media. The big business funders of ​Advance​ know that workers deserve more of the wealth we create - and their biggest fear is that we'll stand together to demand it. ​ We know Advance is funded by billionaire business owners - but half of their funding is kept secret.

We are community members in the seven target regions identified by Peter Dutton’s Liberal National Coalition as locations for nuclear reactors. We stand united in our stance against being bullied into accepting nuclear reactors with community consent. We demand nothing but genuine consultation with First Nations communities and Traditional Owners and consultation with communities, councils and site owners.  We need to verify the facts about nuclear reactors and hear directly from recognised experts about safety, economics and the implications for health and well-being in our communities. Our communities are already involved in the transition of energy.    Projects are well underway and locals already have jobs constructing our sustainable energy future, our renewable energy future. We seek clarity on the implications of this announcement for the existing employment and planned projects across our regions.  We urge the broader Australian community to support us in demanding  Transparency, fairness and accountability from the federal Coalition. 

1. Removal of RISSB from the Act: The Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) must be removed from the Act to eliminate conflicts of interest and ensure unbiased regulatory oversight. The presence of RISSB within the Act compromises the integrity of safety regulations and undermines the safety of rail workers. 2. Establishment of a Ministerial Tripartite Body: A Ministerial Tripartite Body should be established to facilitate balanced representation and decision-making involving the government, employers, and unions. This body is essential for ensuring that all stakeholders have an equal voice in shaping safety standards and policies. 3. Adoption of Risk Management Mode, per Part 3.1 of WHS Regulation: We advocate for the adoption of a risk management approach as outlined in Part 3.1 of the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulation. Implementing this approach will enhance workplace safety protocols and help prevent accidents and injuries. 4. Introduction of a Caveat for ‘Prescribed Drugs’ s128: A caveat should be introduced for ‘prescribed drugs’ under section 128 to ensure that workers are not unfairly penalised for medically necessary treatments. Workers' health and well-being must be protected, and they should not face punitive measures for following medical advice. 5. Union Involvement in Development or Review of Classification Structures and Competencies: Unions must be a central component of any development or review of classification structures and competencies. This involvement ensures that worker perspectives and expertise are adequately represented, leading to more effective and fair policies. 6. Adoption of s273 WHS Act, Workers Not to Bear Cost:  Section 273 of the WHS Act must be adopted to ensure that workers do not bear the cost of compliance with safety regulations. It is essential to maintain equitable and safe working conditions, and the financial burden of compliance should not fall on the shoulders of the workers. These issues are non-negotiable for protecting rail workers' rights and safety. We need prompt and crucial action, not only for us but also our communities. The safety and well-being of everyday Aussies working in rail is in your hands. Your commitment to these critical concerns is essential to move forward and make sure we can come home to our families, friends and communities safe and sound.

We need to send a message to South East Water that we will not stand by and let them outsource public sector jobs.

NTEU members at RMIT have lost confidence in Vice Chancellor, Alec Cameron and in his ability to administer his role and responsibilities in accordance with the interests of staff at RMIT through the enterprise bargaining process. Under the stewardship of Alec Cameron and Mish Eastman, DVC vocational education, RMIT management have employed aggressive and unprecedented tactics such as non-union ballots and using the provisions of the Fair Work Act in an attempt to thwart the bargaining process and silence the voice of staff, the NTEU and RMIT students.

United Workers Union (UWU) members at MSS work in security and screening and have been bargaining with the company since 2022. MSS, which is wholly owned by an Indian-based firm SIS Ltd, has offered a four percent pay rise to workers this year. This is despite Hobart security officers being on little more than the minimum wage. Both MSS and Hobart Airport are extremely profitable entities and if they're serious about safety and security they need to show that by offering a more respectful wage increase.

The joint decision by Whitehaven & BHP to undermine workers entitlements at retirement is a major risk to all workers in the mining industry. Industry Awards reflects decades of agreed upon conditions of employment for workers, and are designed to provide the minimum foundations of any workplace arrangement. Without the foundation of the Award, workers that sign over as part of this deal will lose the right to basic fairness. Specifically, they will no longer be able to challenge shift changes, changes to working hours or have the right to seek assistance from the independent umpire. These common agreed upon conditions and significant retirement outcomes can be lost at a stroke of a pen by exploiting the loopholes in the Fair Work Act. A worker should not have their minimum foundation entitlements stripped away from them under the threat of unemployment just so major mining companies can save a few dollars. Accrued entitlements are entitlements owed to a worker, they are not bargaining chips to be used by executives in backroom deals. If major employers like Whitehaven and BHP utilised these provisions to undermine Award conditions, there will be significant impacts on the retirements of workers in the mining sector.

TasTAFE workers need the Tasmanian community to stand with them to prevent further slashing of their conditions by TasTAFE Management. Join us in calling on Premier Rockliff to keep his promises.

Financial elder abuse is on the rise and this is in part due to people without internet access or skills relying on others to help them with banking and finances. Fawkner has higher than average people without internet access (24.7%), people who speak a language other than english, people with disability and people over 80. It also has lower than average car ownership and household income and being able to do ones own banking in their local community is important to many people. The Commonwealth Bank is planning to close the Fawkner Branch on the 26th May. Please sign this petition to oppose this, and the local job losses and ask the Commonwealth to prioritise the needs of their customers over their profits.

Locked out of government support during the pandemic, such as the JobKeeper, we were told to go home if we did not have any more funds, while most of us lost our jobs. Later on, after worker shortages was realised, we were the first in line to fill the gap. Thankful for the opportunity to work unrestricted hours in the last year, we have shown that we can sustain the required “satisfactory course attendance” and “satisfactory course progress” while working more than 20 hours a week. Despite all that, we choose to stay in Australia because we believe that we make a positive contribution to the Australian society and economy. We believe in the promise of the Australian education, the very same democratic foundation that taught us the idea of a fair-go in life. We are not asking for a hand-out, but we believe that we deserve the freedom of choice on our work hours. Thus, we loudly say, SCRAP the CAP! The Support Network for International Students (SNIS) is a coalition of organisations and individuals—including current international students and allies—who work collectively to advance the rights and welfare of all international students through various methods and initiatives. Current SNIS members and supporters: Migrante Melbourne, Philippine Studies Network in Australia (PINAS), UFIS (United Filipino International Students), Migrant Workers Centre, Gabriela Australia, PISO (Pinoy International Students Organisation), Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH), Advanced League of People’s Artists (ALPA Melbourne), Filipino Community Council of Victoria Incorporated (FCCVI), Renters and Housing Union (RAHU), Anakbayan Melbourne, Malaya Melbourne, Filipino-Australian Association of Ballarat Inc, Westjustice/Western Community Legal Centre, Living Incomes for Everyone (LIFE), Centre for Migrant Workers’ Concerns (CMWC), United Workers Union (UWU), Colour Code, Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), Sydney Alliance, South Asians For Inclusiveness (SAFI), ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans), Philippine Australia Solidarity Association (PASA), Social Justice and Community Ministries of Dandenong Trinity Uniting Church, Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN), Tamil Refugee Council, FEGTA (Filipino Elderly Get Together Association), Five Fifty Myth Band, Spirit of Eureka, Victorian Multicultural Commission, International League of Peoples’ Struggles Australia (ILPS), Philippine Caucus for Peace, Global Vision Migration,The Entrée.Pinay, Migrante NSW, Sydney Community Forum, SBS Filipino, Democracy in Colour, Migrante WA, Arlan Fajardo of Pinoy Ako Pinoy Tayo, Walter Villagonzalo, MP BronwynHalfpenny, Sanmati Verma, Christina Borromeo, Stef Ocampo, Carol Que, Cal Field, Steff Vasil, Wing Kuang, Orlan Tina, Cathy Weiss

On February 15, the Australian Catholic University issued the ‘Professional Services Draft Change Management Plan'which announced the loss of 110 equivalent full-time (EFT) professional staff positions - including 90 EFT positions being made redundant. We are opposed to these job cuts and believe that they are unnecessary. As well as the impacts on staff affected directly, we believe that these cuts will negatively impact the quality of teaching, research, and services. We demand that management demonstrate that all alternative savings measures have been canvassed; and explored all voluntary measures to ensure involuntary redundancy is a last resort.