Successful Campaigns

We won

Newcastle bus drivers have ended their industrial action after reaching an in-principle agreement with Keolis Downer. RTBU was successful in its request for a seven percent increase over two years, effective from November 2022 and November 2023. Drivers will also be back-paid a three percent rise from November 2021.

Thanks to your support, cleaners have won back jobs before Christmas! Yesterday we had a meeting with the City of Melbourne CEO. In that meeting, we were given an undertaking that they will work with the us and their network of contractors, to assist affected workers to secure employment. We want to thank you, the Lord Mayor Sally Capp and Councillors for helping to get this outcome! In unity, United Workers Union

PAY RISES, JOB SECURITY AND A FAIR OUTCOME FOR WHARFIES SECURED AT PATRICK TERMINALS The Maritime Union of Australia is pleased to advise that at the 11th hour, an in-principle agreement with Patrick Terminals’ management has been struck for a new Enterprise Agreement. The new Enterprise Agreement that has been agreed upon will deliver pay increases above industry standard, job security assurances as well as fairness and dignity for hard working members at Patrick’s four terminals around Australia. Despite aggressive employer-militancy throughout the bargaining process, the MUA has always made clear its willingness to negotiate in good faith with management for a fair and reasonable deal. Despite a political campaign of misinformation and interference by the ACCC, the Productivity Commission and even Scott Morrison, the Union has always sought to work cooperatively with Patrick Terminals’ management on continuous business improvement to ensure job security, safety, and productivity at Patrick Terminals’ four ports. While the MUA has brokered peace with Patrick Terminals’ management, the lies and opportunism of Scott Morrison must not be forgotten. The Prime Minister sought to insert himself into the legitimate bargaining process in a disgraceful attempt to ignite an industrial dispute on the waterfront as a distraction from his negligence, dishonesty and failure. By negotiating in good faith throughout this process, the MUA has sought to improve certainty and ensure 24/7 operations at Patrick Terminals’ ports during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and for our frontline workforce to continue working cooperatively and efficiently in the national interest. This has delivered a well-deserved annual pay increase pegged to CPI or 2.5% per annum, whichever is greater, to guarantee waterfront workers’ pay won’t fall behind the out-of-control growth of the cost of living. Importantly, this outcome means that Patrick Terminals’ planned court action to terminate the company’s existing Employment Agreement with over 1000 MUA members will no longer proceed subject to members endorsing the new agreement.

The Yakult workers reached an agreement with management on Wednesday 28 March. They successfully won all of their demands, including a 3% annual wage increase!

Metro North management reversed their decision to co-locate the wards.

We did it comrades! The Maribyrnong Council was the 2nd Victorian council and the 12th nationally to support our calls for a $177 increase to the Newstart payment. The motion was carried unanimously (!)

In August 2019, having won a court order with direct legal support provided by the #LetHerSpeak campaign, Jane Doe was finally able to reveal her real identity as Grace Tame. Since then multiple other rape survivors in Tasmania and the Northern Territory have won court orders with legal support provided through the campaign. In April 2020 the Tasmanian victim gag law (Section 194K of the Evidence Act) was overhauled, in direct response to the #LetHerSpeak campaign and this petition. In July 2020 the Northern Territory victim gag law (the Sexual Offences Evidence and Procedure Act) was also reformed in response to the campaign. Tasmanian and NT survivors are now able to self identify in media provided they are over 18, consent to be named in writing, do not reveal another victim's identity, and all proceedings are completed. In August 2020, the #LetHerSpeak campaign creator, Nina Funnell, and partner organisations revealed that Victoria had recently introduced its own separate victim gag-law prohibiting many rape and sexual assault survivors from self-identifying in media. Nina and the partners have launched a sibling campaign, #LetUsSpeak, to challenge the Victorian legislation. To learn more about that campaign or donate visit: https://au.gofundme.com/f/stop-silencing-survivors

On 16th June 2021 the Fair Work Commission announced an increase of 2.5% to the minimum wage. For hospo workers this wage will be delivered on 1st November rather than 1st July as usual. This is not the win we were fighting for. But increasing our wages in this climate is still an important win. Hospo bosses wanted to freeze our pay for the whole year. They failed. Union members stopped them in their tracks. Instead the increase will be delayed until November 1st. This delay is bad for workers, business and our economy. However the decision to increase wages shows that our movement has real power. We need to keep getting bigger and louder so we have to power to fight all wage freezes and delays, and raise wages up to a fair and decent standard so all workers in our industry are paid a living wage. Join your union to fight back! www.hospovoice.org.au/join/

Because union members stood together and took action, Spotless laundry workers at Dandenong have won conditions to keep themselves and their community safe, including: -Paid leave will be granted for the days they refused to work due to unsafe conditions. -Every Spotless Dandenong worker, full-time, part-time or casual, will receive a minimum of $150 per day pandemic pay. -Conciliation around safely re-opening the workplace are ongoing between the company and the workers in their Union.