Over a million Australian workers rely on penalty rates to ensure they are fairly paid for the work they do, including working evenings, weekends and public holidays. The Australian Retailers Association, (ARA) backed by major retailers including Coles, Woolworths, and Kmart, doesn’t believe these workers deserve penalty rates. Despite the retail industry making over $7 billion in profit just last year, in a blatant attempt at cutting wages they have applied to the Fair Work Commission to cut penalty rates from Awards and Enterprise Agreements. If successful, this would mean workers lose overtime pay, evening and weekend penalty rates, work breaks, and see reduced rest times between shifts—from 12 hours to just 10 hours. We need to send a strong message to Coles, Woolworths, Kmart, and the ARA that Australians won’t accept cuts to penalty rates or reductions in fair pay standards.

What is being cut?    o   Sick leave balances: Sick leave accruals have been cut to zero! o   Income Protection Insurance: MSS Security is cutting this protection entirely! o   Workplace rights and protections: MSS Security is cutting up the rights of union delegates, while also foreshadowing that there are even more cuts to conditions on the way…   In addition to promising the above cuts, MSS Security is already looking to tear up unspecified conditions in the future too:   | “There are clauses in the [current] agreement which we do not want excluded at this point, but which we would not want carried over in their ‘current form’ to any future agreement. ” | MSS Security – People and Culture Manager for ACT, QLD & Defence - 17/01/2025   One such aviation security officer who hasn't yet been offered a job, is Shona, a 12-year veteran who was praised for her efforts in thwarting a gunman in the airport in 2022. "I've gone through contract transitions before, but they've been a lot easier," she said. "Lots of us are sitting by the phone waiting to be called and we're getting very frustrated and stressed, worrying about what we're going to do." "Many are thinking about leaving, which would leave the airport very short as it takes 3 - 4 months to get a worker up-to-speed. So it's a huge security risk to the airport to allow MSS to operate this way." 

We think workers deserve better than a breakroom that has maggot infestations, rat droppings and tripped circuit breakers. We know that getting time off work is near impossible due to under-resourcing and lack of transparency about rostering; if Qantas doesn't think you deserve proper time away from work, they can upgrade your kitchen so that you are able to eat under sanitary conditions. 

We, the undersigned, commit to support HPS Pharmacists to pursue a fair wage increase and help create a better HPS.

To deliver the highest standard of care, the Victorian Public Mental Health system requires the work and skills of many different disciplines. HACSU members recognise that to be successful and achieve our goals, we must all stand united.

To recap, when the Department of Child Protection released a tender that would lock in below award wages our Union took action and has been working to resolve the issues. After weeks of direct advocacy, your action over the last 24 hours has helped lock in a win and today we have spoken with the Minister Hildyard's office to confirm the Department would update the tender that has now been published to the sector. We thank the Minister and the Department for listening to you, the frontline workers. Now, our work continues to: • Push for a state wide fair jobs code for community services to ensure all Government tenders reflect fair wages and secure jobs • Win a fair Award Award classification structure to properly reflect your skills and experience As we've experienced overnight, when community sector workers take action we can change Government policy and win good outcomes for our members. Share this win with your workmates and ask them to join you in our Union so we can keep improving working conditions across the youth and community services sector: www.asusant.com/sant.com

Workers have finally begun to see wage rises and new rights after suffering declining real wages under 10 years of Liberal Governments. Liberal Party think-tanks are already planning out Peter Dutton's first 6 months in office - cuts to services and safety-nets, handouts to the already wealthy, and attacks on workers' rights. Australian workers need more progress to improve our wages and conditions – not more right-wing ideology from the Liberal Party.  If this isn't Peter Dutton's plan he should have no problem saying so. Call on Peter Dutton to rule out these outrageous attacks on our rights. 

Young workers still face the same expenses as other workers in rent, groceries, education costs and more. But in our unfair system, an 18-year-old with years of experience could be paid less than their 21-year-old newly hired colleague just because of their age. Sign the petition today if you agree everyone should be paid fairly regardless of their age!

Employee pharmacists are Australia’s lowest-paid health professionals and are leaving the industry in droves. Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA), the union for employee pharmacists and technicians, has submitted a comprehensive case to the Fair Work Commission calling for a long-overdue minimum Award wage increase for pharmacists of $188.30 per week and a 14% increase for Interns, Pharmacists In Charge and Pharmacy Managers. But the Australian Private Hospitals Industrial Association (APHA) is calling on the Fair Work Commission to block all proposed pay increases. Pharmacists deserve better and are calling on APHA to acknowledge the vital role of pharmacists by amending their submission to the Fair Work Commission to support a fair pay increase.  Sign this petition to demand that APHA stop blocking a pay increase to the minimum award rate. Let’s show APHA that their stance isn’t just unsustainable – it’s deeply unpopular.  Pharmacists deserve better, and with your signature, pharmacists can put pressure on APHA to change their position.  Together, we can demand change. Support Australia’s pharmacists today: 1. Sign the petition to show your support for fair wages for pharmacists. 2. Share this petition with everyone you know – pharmacists, healthcare professionals, and community members who rely on and value pharmacists’ expertise.

Workers at Woolies warehouses have been forced to take strike action. The multi-billion-dollar company is squeezing every last drop out of shoppers and warehouse workers alike. Woolworths' measurement system, "The Framework" sets a universal standard for human movement. It is discriminatory, dangerous and unrealistic to expect people to meet the same universal standard every second of every day.   “"We're human beings, not robots." UWU warehouse worker The Project 24/10/2024” Woolworths' punitive measurement system does not respect workers as human beings. Warehouse workers say that in order to meet the Framework, people must sacrifice their own safety and mental well-being. Workers feel they must cut corners and perform tasks at dangerous speeds to avoid being disciplined or losing their jobs. CEO Amanda Bardwell needs to listen to the union members speaking up - she needs to meet with them and hear their stories. Woolworths needs end the Framework and come to the table with a fair offer. Sign our petition calling on the Woolworths CEO to meet with workers and end "the Framework".

TAFE teachers like me are dealing with unsustainable workloads and massive administrative burdens. Too many of us are burnt out and leaving the sector in droves, contributing to a chronic workforce shortage that must be urgently addressed.  It’s no surprise TAFE teachers are frustrated and feel like they’ve been brushed aside by the same government who promised to save TAFE more than a decade ago. Without TAFE teachers like me and my colleagues, TAFEs cannot deliver the vocational education and training that Victorians need.  The teacher shortage will only get worse and the negative impact on our students and the Victorian community will only get bigger. To make matters worse, instead of saving TAFE the state Labor government has been responsible for vocational education and training in Victoria being the lowest funded in Australia every year for the last 10 years. Premier Allan and Minister Tierney: You need to fix the dispute with TAFE teachers and invest in them and our TAFEs.   Your lack of action shows you believe it is ok for Victorians to not have proper access to high quality TAFE programs delivered by valued and respected TAFE teachers. I am calling on Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister Gayle Tierney to: • Respect TAFE teachers and pay them what they are worth. • Address excessive workloads that lead to too many teachers leaving TAFE. • Create pathways for the next generation of industry experts to become TAFE teachers. • Deliver TAFE funding that covers the actual cost of course delivery.  Please, sign my petition to tell Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister Gayle Tierney that Victorian voters want action to support TAFE teachers! Mark Zelman, Teacher at William Angliss Institute of TAFE

Qantas is currently renewing its fleet, but it won’t get off the ground if no workers are here to maintain them.    If Qantas values its safety reputation, it needs to show it values its highly-skilled maintenance engineers.