Dodgy Labour Hire firms are stealing wages, undercutting the fair pay of permanent workers, abusing their staff, ruining communities and escaping punishment and doing it all again. Currently it takes less to start a Labour Hire firm than it does to get your license to drive, and that isn't right. It needs to change. The Labour Hire Licensing Bill 2017 will stop Labour Hire operators who do the wrong thing from doing it again. Click here to read more about the Labour Hire Licensing Bill 2017: https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/Bills/55PDF/2017/B17_0022_Labour_Hire_Licensing_Bill_2017E.pdf

The people who work in South Australia's power industry deserve to be treated equally for equal work. But currently South Australian Power Networks (SAPN) management are trying to break the business in two, using the excuse that they need agreements that comply with the building code. These would force the people who work there onto agreements that: - ban mandatory hiring of apprentices - allow cut-price unskilled labour from labour hire companies - undermine safety and reliability for customers - attack the job security of experienced, reliable South Australians The CEPU/ETU recently successfully campaigned for changes to the building code that would exempt SAPN entirely from it because they perform essential services. Yet SAPN managers have refused to take up the exemption. They want to use the code as an excuse to put the screws on working South Australians. We support quality South Australian work, and the people who perform it. Add your voice below, and tell SAPN to stop playing games and apply for the building code exemptions.

The minister and the government should be standing up for Australian seafarers and denying any temporary licences while there are Australian workers available. Its time to stand up for Australian workers and the shipping industry.

UPDATE: 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.

I'm Judith, and I've been a cleaner for a long time. I've never seen anything like this. In the government's new contract, there’s no jobs guarantee – meaning 7,000 cleaners will all be forced to reapply for our jobs, without entitlements like sick leave that we’ve built up over years of service. And there’s no hours guarantee – which we can’t afford, and also means we won’t be able to keep state schools and public buildings clean. We’ve only got until the end of the year to change this, so please add your name to tell the Premier that cleaners need job security - the more of us who speak out together, the louder our voices are!

Tasmania’s salmon industry supports 5,000 jobs across the state – and most are in regional areas where jobs are already hard to come by. The Salmon industry has the potential to support many more local Tassie families, if it has the support of government. Demand for seafood will more than double over the next 15 years, which is a huge opportunity for our state. Tasmania produces environmentally sustainable salmon, employing unionised workers with quality jobs. But all this is at risk, if politicians give in to the anti-fish fanatics – it could mean thousands of Tasmanians will lose their livelihoods. Too much is at stake. Send this letter to the Tasmanian Premier to show your support for keeping Salmon jobs in Tassie.

Despite signing onto the Universities' Australia Respect Now always campaign only last year, and making a commitment to the ongoing Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) project aimed at stamping out sexual assault on campus, the University of Tasmania (UTas) is actively welcoming a convicted sex offender on campus. Nicholaas Bester, who is currently a Phd student at the University of Tasmania (UTas) Sandy Bay campus, was convicted and jailed in 2011 for sexually abusing a 15 year old student at St. Michaels Collegiate girls college, where he was head of science. At the time of his parole, Bester was admitted to UTas as a student and received a phd scholarship. In 2015 Bester stated on social media his first crime was 'awesome' in a conversation so offensive it was reported to Tasmania Police and resulted in him being charged with producing child exploitation material. He served a prison sentence for this in 2016, during which time he remained a student at UTas. Despite multiple complaints being made about Besters presense on campus, the University of Tasmania has put students at risk by: - Accepting Bester as a resident in the John Fisher student accommodation complex, where he lived in close proximity with many students. - Making no attempt to terminate Bester’s student status after he was reported to the police for predatory behaviour at the University gymnasium. At the time, an agreement was made with Bester that he would no longer attend the gym, but UTas continued to accommodate him on campus. When questioned, the university deputy vice-chancellor for research, Bridgid Heywood said that "there is nothing in the universities' rules which precludes Bester from continuing his research." However, this appears to ignore the university behaviour policy which states that all staff and students have a right to work and / or study in an environment that is free from inappropriate behaviour, including the sexually harassing and abusive behaviours which Bester has engaged in. The universities decision to support Bester's phd status despite his continued criminal and inappropriate behaviour poses a clear threat to other university students, and in particular the underage students whom attend campus for pre-university units. This is ironic given the university sectors national commitment to creating safer campus environments after the release of the national union of students women's survey last year which showed that over 72% of women experience some form of sexual harassment or violence while studying . Sign the petition to demand that the University respect their commitment to improve student safety, by immediately terminating Nicholaas Bester's Phd scholarship, and banning him from attending all University of Tasmania campuses. *Under Federal and state legislation, universities' are autonomous self-accrediting institutions. The university has the authority to terminate a phd student position according to its own policies.

I’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”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEJMSOPGBqY&feature=youtu.be I’m Cass, and I’m a bartender. I love my job - but some of my experiences over the last six years working in hospitality have made me feel powerless, vulnerable and simply terrified. When I was 14 working at a cafe, my boss used to corner me and smack my arse. His excuse? “Oh, the kitchen is small.” When I worked as a bartender, my boss tried to make a $100 bet on what colour underwear I was wearing. Another time a customer tried to pay me $400 for sex. That customer came in everyday after work and would harass me - and my boss did nothing because “they’re good drinkers”. These are just a few of my stories, but I know this kind of disgusting harassment is widespread in our industry. For thousands of us, this is a regular part of our working lives - and it’s got to stop. Together, we can send a powerful message to the hospitality industry: we’re human beings, and we deserve respect. Sign our pledge and share it with your friends.

What would you have to give up if your pay was cut by $77 a week? We need to act now and tell the Prime Minister that we work too damn hard to get a pay cut. Hair Stylists Australia has launched this petition to send a message to Malcolm Turnbull. If you want to protect your pay, sign it now!

There are hundreds, if not thousands of local families that will suffer because of the decision to slash Sunday and public holiday penalty rates. People across the North Coast and Northern Rivers are demanding action. In fact, A survey by ReachTel found that 66.4% of voters in the seats of Page, Dawson and Corangamite think their local MP should support changes to the law to protect penalty rates.

Fixing the mess that is Centrelink will improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our society, giving them the best leg-up to start and in many cases, rebuild, their lives. It’s time to: SCRAP THE CENTRELINK AUTOMATED SYSTEM The automated system is flawed. The system is a debt recovery scheme that cross-references employment data through the ATO and Centrelink, which has created large room for error and is falsely attributing debt to vulnerable Australians. Although Labor has called for a national audit of the system, we believe enough is enough and it needs to be scrapped. The recovery of legitimate debt is important and should be done by paid staff at the Department of Human Services, not a machine! Links to relevant articles: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/students-accused-of-welfare-fraud-say-centrelink-is-wrong/8127550 http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/centrelink-faces-sustained-criticism-over-its-new-automated-debt-recovery-system-20170102-gtkpq8.html STOP THE CENTRELINK PAY DELAYS In 2016 it was reported that up to 90,000 new applicants were left waiting months for income support, resulting in many being unable to afford necessities like rent and food. Centrelink is designed to be a safety-net, and leaving thousands with support at the start of the year needs to end. According to data collected by our Student Wellbeing Survey, run in 2016, 32% of students on Centrelink have experienced delayed payments, forcing them to borrow money from family, friends and in some cases, take out loans to make ends meet. Last year, when the delays were reported in the media, it was also reported that this had gone on for several years due to a lack of staff at the Department of Human Services, enough is enough! Links to relevant articles: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/students-waiting-four-months-centrelink-payments-delayed/7346960 http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/centrelink-backlog-to-be-solved-in-two-weeks/7360760 LOWER THE CENTRELINK AGE OF INDEPENDENCE TO 18 The Centrelink Age of Independence for Youth Allowance sits at 22, making income support inaccessible to the majority of university students, particularly those starting their degrees who may have moved out of home to attend university. According to data collected by the 2016 Student Wellbeing Survey, 62% of respondents were unable to receive financial assistance from Centrelink due to the Age of Independence being set at 22. Regardless of living out of home, many students are still assessed on the basis of their parent’s income because they are under the age of 22. Young people who decide to attend university do so in the hope of educating themselves for future careers, they are the future of this country and deserve to be financially supported regardless of their age! DITCH CASHLESS WELFARE CARDS Cash welfare cards are not a new policy from the Federal Government, they have been used for years to police the spending of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on income support. The scheme is already in use, acting as a form of compulsory income management that is policing the expenditure of those in receipt of Centrelink, blocking them from spending their payments at particular stores. If introduced for students, cashless welfare cards will not effectively stop addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling, but will instead police the behaviours of vulnerable people! Links to relevant articles: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-alan-tudge-flag-national-rollout-of-cashless-welfare-card-met-by-protests-at-cashless-debit-card-trial-20161030-gsdytb.html https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jan/09/ration-days-again-cashless-welfare-card-ignites-shame STOP CALL CHARGES AND IMPROVE CALL WAITING TIMES Due to funding cuts to the Department of Human Services, call-waiting times are longer than ever, which only exacerbates call charges as calls to Centrelink are charged at timed rates. According to data collected by the Student Wellbeing Survey, run in 2016, 57% of students in receipt of Centrelink have been left waiting on the phone for excessively long periods of time. Students trying to do the right thing by reporting changes in their circumstances or seeking assistance are being priced out of chasing up Centrelink and are left to the whims of an automated system! Links to relevant articles: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/centrelink-call-waiting-racks-up-costs-for-poor/news-story/e0a01674c64da6dc605c58d45a139005 AND ALLOW MORE DISCRETION IN CENTRELINK POLICIES For many students on income support, the policies Centrelink is governed by often make their lives much more difficult if something goes wrong. If there is a personal or medical situation and a student needs to shift from full-time to part-time study, their payments can be lowered and in many cases cut entirely. This lack of flexibility can exacerbate an already difficult situation, putting further unnecessary pressure on individuals. We must not criminalise unemployment or mental health and the lack of flexibility with Centrelink does just that! - If you believe it’s time to #FixCentrelinkNow, sign our petition to demand the Australian Government reform the system that is putting already vulnerable Australians into more unstable times and condemn Social Services Minister Christian Porter for attacking our lowest income earners whilst the Federal Government allows corporate giants go tax free! Contact: NUS National Welfare Officer, Jill Molloy Email: [email protected] Phone: 0423 507 010