News
Rights at Work
Entrenched division between male and female-dominated industries is perpetuating gender inequality in the Australian workforce and must be tackled, the ACTU said. ACTU president Ged Kearney will today speak at the Fifth International Community, Work and Family Conference and the 25th Women, Management and Work Conference about how the law…
Unions remind workers to check their pay today to make sure their boss is paying them correctly
12 July 2013
Unions will today be reminding Australian workers to check they are not missing out on wage increases which should have automatically come into effect at the start of the new financial year. ACTU President Ged Kearney said unions have declared Friday, 12 July as National "Check Your Pay Day" to…
Changes to workplace laws that recently passed the Parliament will make it easier, faster and cheaper for victims of bullying at work to have it stopped. Unfortunately, these provisions do not take effect until 1 January 2014. It is not known if there is an Abbott Government after the next…
The Napthine Government must put the safety of Victorians ahead of politics and sign up to a national plan designed to get rid of asbestos over the next two decades, the ACTU said today. ACTU Assistant Secretary Michael Borowick said Victoria's refusal to co-operate with the national Asbestos Safety and…
The ASU and the Australian union movement in general has been a staunch supporter of Indigenous rights, both at work and in the community. NAIDOC Week from 7-14 July gives us an opportunity to celebrate the culture of our Indigenous people and to reflect on our shared history in the…
Pregnancy discrimination hotline set up as many Australian employers continue to break the law
05 July 2013
The ACTU have today set up a confidential hotline to assist women who experience discrimination in the workplace including being fired, demoted, forced into insecure jobs and having their role changed without consultation. ACTU president Ged Kearney said employers were flouting laws that made discrimination illegal and causing tens of…
Australia's lowest paid workers will from today receive an extra $15.80 in their weekly pay packet, as a result of this year's National Minimum Wage review. ACTU President Ged Kearney said about 1.5 million workers had been granted a pay rise of 2.6% , helping them and their families keep…
The ASU urges employers to co-operate with the upcoming national inquiry into pregnancy discrimination, commissioned by the Australian Government. Driving the inquiry are alarming figures indicating that too many working women are leaving work permanently because they are offered full-time work or nothing after having a child. The results of…
Australian Unions are today launching a campaign which highlights the increasing pressures many workers face from the demands of business, which are impacting their lives outside of work. Under the banner Australian Unions. Join. For a better life. unions will be highlighting the role that unions continue to play standing…
Are you old enough to be paid fairly?
30 May 2013
In Australian society you are considered to be an adult when you turn 18. But this is not the case in many workplaces, reflecting a bygone era when turning 21 was the criteria for full adult wages. It's time all Australian workplaces reflected our current culture and so the ASU…