United Workers Union (National)

Our union is 150,000 workers across the country from more than 45 industries and all walks of life, standing together to make a difference.
Our work reaches millions of people every single day of their lives – we feed you, educate you, provide care for you, keep your communities safe and get you the goods you need. Without us, everything stops.
New Campaign Campaigns
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Scott Morrison - Commit to Quality in Early Childhood EducationThe National Quality Framework is essential to the ECEC sector as it guides educators to extend and enrich children's learning from birth to five years and the transition to school. The NQF supports professional practice, especially in building and nurturing relationships, curriculum decision making and teaching and learning. The NQF allows the expression of personality and uniqueness as it caters to each individual child whilst acknowledging that educators are professionals, taking them away from the ‘babysitter’ persona. The paperwork allows us to show our parents the professional role we have in educating their child and displays a portion of the knowledge that is being imparted and also learnt by each child each day. By defunding the national partnership this Government is putting at risk our internationally recognised National Quality Framework. The Abbott Government already attempted to wind back our professional standards in 2014. Together, educators fought against it and won! The Turnbull/Morrison Government is now trying the same tactic to undermine our sector. Sign our petition to protect the NQF!1,414 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by United Voice
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No more waitlist for home care!We want to live in a country where everyone has the care they need, when and where they need it, and where care work is valued. 28,000 people have died in the past 2 years while waiting for home care packages. Over 100,000 people are STILL waiting for care. The interim report from the Royal Commission labelled the home care system unfair, discriminatory, and cruel. And home care workers struggle daily - their wages are low, they aren't given enough time to provide care, and they're being pressured onto zero-hour contracts while making themselves available around the clock. As care workers, recipients of care, friends and family, we want better than this!1,682 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by United Workers Union members
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Hands Off Penalty RatesI’m Selina and I work at my local club in Queensland. At the moment I still get penalty rates, which helps pay my rent and put food on the table. But on July 28 Clubs Australia made a submission to the Fair Work commission to axe our Clubs Award and move club workers and managers onto the hospitality award, where penalty rates have already been cut. My husband and I are trying to save for IVF. But penalty rate cuts will make it even harder to put a little bit aside each week so we can reach our dream of starting a family. https://youtu.be/LzSP4EYQz20 Losing penalty rates will make life a lot harder for us. It’s a pay cut I can’t afford and I don't deserve. Keeping the Clubs Award means maintaining weekend rates for clubs workers as well as the safety net of pay and conditions for club managers and staff, from the person pouring your beer, to chefs, waiters, ops and duty managers. Clubs hold a special place in our communities. They provide good local jobs, are run by members, and put profits back into the community. We need to stand together to say “Clubs Australia, we want to keep the Clubs Award and protect the penalty rates, pay and conditions of clubs workers and managers”.6,115 of 7,000 SignaturesCreated by Selina, Club Worker
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Equal Pay For Early Childhood EducatorsI 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/yzVcR4nSWXY15,488 of 20,000 SignaturesCreated by Samantha Leaver
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Tell Wilson to stop ripping off their security guardsUPDATE: Norm is now taking on Wilson Security in the Federal Court in Canberra. Show Norm you've got his back on March 8 at 10:00am - more details: http://bit.ly/2Ce2LcK "Together with my union, United Voice, I've tried, over and over again, to get Wilson security to stop stealing from their employees. It is systemic wage theft, from people who really can't afford to lose any money. I'm losing more than three thousand dollars a year - and there are hundreds of people just like me. "Most security guards are on really low wages. The whole industry tends to work on rotating rosters - four days on, four days off. A lot of security companies try to save money by scheduling overtime shifts on Sundays. But Wilson Security has gone a step further - they're picking and choosing when 'overtime' shifts occur - so they can avoid paying overtime. 500 security guards are being ripped off in the ACT alone.229 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Norm, United Voice member
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Prime Minister: it's educators who need a pay rise. Not your staffers.Early childhood educators are paid just half the national average wage. Our work is undervalued for one reason: 97% of educators are women. Our job is seen as “women’s work”. We’re told we should do it for the love of it, but love doesn’t pay the bills. Educating children is one of the most important jobs imaginable, we are setting children up for their future. We deserve respect and fair pay. It’s time to value every child by valuing every educator. We are DONE with asking nicely. Malcolm Turnbull has until Thursday 1 February to support equal pay, or we will escalate our campaign with nation-wide walk offs.780 of 800 SignaturesCreated by Sam Leaver
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Save our hospital jobsMy name is Ron and I am a hospital orderly at Royal Perth Hospital. Colin Barnett has recently made a decision to cut 1,500 jobs from our hospitals and my job is one of the ones that could go. A first class health system relies on having enough skilled professionals like myself and my colleagues to ensure all Western Australians receive the best possible healthcare. Cutting jobs in our hospitals puts patients at risk. Western Australians deserve better.244 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Ron Greene