A PLSL scheme means that a worker's LSL entitlements follow them between different employers within the same sector, rather than an employee having to start from zero every time they move employment. Unions have been campaigning a PLSLS for workers in certain industries for a long time. Before the State Election, we reached out to most political parties and independents, urging them to support a PLSLS. Excitingly, a majority of those elected have already pledged their support for the scheme. They include the Labor Party with 10 members, the Greens with 5 members, the Jacqui Lambie Party with 3 members, and independents David O'Byrne and Kristie Johnston. That totals 20 votes out of 35.  Now, we need to rally the support of workers and the community for the scheme so we can hold the elected representatives to account and ensure the Legislative Council passes it, turning it into a reality for workers. So please sign the petition, share it on socials and encourage your colleagues, family members and friends to sign it too. 

Since 2012, Timor-Leste's minimum wage has remained stagnant at USD$115 a month, despite soaring inflation and overwhelming evidence advocating for an increase to prevent further impoverishment. The Timorese National Labour Council, with representatives from the Government, employers, and unions, reached an agreement to raise the minimum wage to USD$150 per month. Regrettably, the increase proposal was rejected by the Government. This sets a precedent that will undermine tripartism in the future, especially as it relates to fixing national minimum wages in Timor Leste. A persistently low minimum wage not only perpetuates continued poverty for low-income workers but also intensifies existing social inequality through a cycle of cheap labour. We, Australian unionists, stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of the KSTL, urging the Council of Ministers of Timor-Leste to approve the Proposal for a Decree-Law on the National Minimum Wage, proposing an increase to USD$150 per month. This proposal has widespread support from workers and their families and can alleviate the cost of living.

Since 1961, the UQ Union Complex has served as the heart of UQ's campus community at St Lucia. Over the decades, its activities have profoundly influenced Queensland's culture and politics and hold significant historical importance. Therefore, it has always been in the community's interest to preserve and maintain the space with interior refurbishments rather than a complete transformation, which has been repeatedly proposed. Regrettably, when such repair and maintenance requests have been submitted by the UQ Union, UQ has been slow to respond or ignore the request, resulting in the exacerbation of building damage. When they do take place, they take an unacceptably long time to fix the problem (for example, the Schonell theatre). So, it is no surprise that since 2018, UQ's agenda has focused more on its interest in redeveloping the Union Complex primarily to enhance its aesthetics. Their initial attempt, likened to building a 'shopping mall' on campus, was widely criticised in 2022, leading to an announcement that they would return to 'first principles'. However, their new proposal has not undergone a comprehensive consultation process with the community. There has been a complete lack of transparency regarding the final design and the redevelopment process. Meanwhile, UQ seeks to finalise agreements through the UQ Union, insisting on maintaining confidentiality without engaging in broader consultation with the UQ and Brisbane community. What we know: UQ has been dictating space allocation within the Union Complex, which will reduce the amount of space given to our community-owned outlets. This will have a detrimental effect on the vibrant campus culture these establishments help maintain. The finalized redevelopment plans could potentially disrupt or even lead to the discontinuation of beloved establishments such as Reddo Bar, the Food Co-op shop, On a Roll bakery, and the Main Course. Furthermore, there is no provision for a full commercial kitchen to allow Kampus Kitchen to continue at its current capacity. Again, these decisions have been made without consulting the broader community, further underscoring the need for transparency and inclusive consultation. It is evident that UQ has a new vision for the future of the student commons and Union complex that appears to exclude any input from the community. Their vision risks erasing the culture and legacy of the original complex and disregarding aspects that symbolise the freedom of student expression. Moreover, it threatens to dismantle what remains of the Union Complex's role as a central hub for cultural and arts activities, including previously housing a radio station that once made it the heart of the University of Queensland.

Joining this campaign for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link is vital because it directly affects our daily lives and wallets. Every day without this link, thousands of workers and travellers like us face limited transport options and exorbitant parking fees, costing us time and money. For families, it means less time at home and more stress managing daily commutes. For our community, it stunts economic growth and accessibility, keeping us disconnected from the broader opportunities Melbourne has to offer. The airport and the government's delay in building this rail link is more than an inconvenience—it's a barrier to our well-being and progress. We need your voice to ensure they hear us loud and clear: we demand better infrastructure now for a more connected and affordable future. Join us in pushing for change that will benefit all.

Ahpra must operate a fair and equitable fee setting policy to enable a flexible and responsive health workforce. Failing to provide reduced fees for practitioners on parental leave shows that Ahpra doesn't 'walk the walk' when it comes to principles of equity.  Ahpra has maintained its inequitable position in recent years despite numerous individual and collective representations requesting that it change course. We need your help to make this change happen!  Ahpra advises practitioners who enquire about fee reduction during parental leave that they can apply for non-practising registration. But experience indicates this is not a viable or practical option because of how Ahpra operates. Reapplying for registration is expensive and time consuming, many practitioners would not be able to avoid paying annual registration anyway, and the period of time between reapplying for registration and actually being re-registered is uncertain and can be a period of many months - during which time the practitioner is unable to work as a healthcare practitioner because they are not registered.  There are over 877,000 Australian healthcare workers, who are a diverse, dedicated and predominantly female workforce. Providing reduced registration fees for practitioners who are on parental leave would support a self-sustaining, fair, reasonable, flexible and responsive approach to fee setting, consistent with the principles of equity.

Statutory Child Protection is in crisis. More children are at risk of harm for longer, more children are being put on orders and in out of home care. Most reports and complaints are not looked at and early intervention opportunities are missed until it is too late requiring more damaging interventions. Foster and Out of Home Care options are minimal with many jurisdictions relying on expensive private providers to house children in motels and offices with limited access to wrap around services, placing the development of children at risk. Our state child protection services are buckling due to not enough staffing and the inability to fill case workers and other positions with adequately trained social workers and psychologists. This problem lies across all jurisdictions and requires sustained national action.

May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, is celebrated globally on May 1st. It commemorates the historic struggles of workers and their contributions to society. Many countries recognise this day as a public holiday, allowing workers to rest, reflect, and participate in labour-related events. And New South Wales, a state that is equal last for public holidays, should recognise its historical importance by making it an official public holiday.

Local Council jobs need protecting! In the past, job seekers looked for council jobs because they knew they were secure. People pursued careers in Local Government for career enhancement, working conditions and the job security. Now it seems like a never-ending cycle of Reviews, Restructures and Retrenchments. Councils lose expertise, service delivery suffers, staff become disillusioned, and high vacancy rates make the problem worse. Local Government Jobs, Worth Fighting For!

The Commonwealth risks the health of vulnerable elderly Australians if ACAS is privatised. The model for ACAS is changing, with the first stage of the new Single Assessment System due to be implemented as of July 2024. The Commonwealth has decided to openly tender (meaning private providers can tender for the first time) for the provision of services to support the new system, while bilateral negotiations with states and territories still are ongoing, creating a lack of transparency and certainty regarding the future of the service. The Commonwealth is leaving frontline staff and patients in the dark as to how this model will operate. This risks good public sector jobs and patient safety. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety explicitly stated that assessments should be undertaken by assessors who are independent from approved providers. Allowing aged care providers to also conduct assessments directly contradicts the advice of the Commission and will potentially put profits before patients, with the end result potentially jeopardising patient care. Our members have experienced years of precarity and uncertainty regarding the future provision of aged care services, meaning many experienced Allied Health Professionals have already left the sector to ensure their own personal job security, while others fear for their role beyond 1 July 2024. This loss of collective knowledge and expertise could prove disastrous to ensuring that our elder Australians receive the best care in their later years. To prevent this, we demand that aged care assessment services remain in public hands, that good public sector jobs are safeguarded and that patient safety is put before profits.

More than 60 per cent of doctors surveyed have reported making a clinical error due to exhaustion. Our doctors are fatigued, overworked, and suffering from stress and mental health problems. Overworked and underpaid healthcare staff leads to an unsafe and unsustainable healthcare system for both patients and the workers. Without proper support or work / life balance, many doctors in training are leaving the industry altogether. Victoria’s junior doctors are not asking for a pay rise - they are simply asking to be paid for hours they have already worked. Use the form to send a letter to Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas (Minister for Health), let the Victorian Government know that the wage theft from junior doctors needs to stop.

Every worker in Australia needs to be safe at work and earn reasonable wages - no exceptions. When workers bravely stand up against unfair and unsafe work practices, businesses should listen - not dismiss them! As fellow workers in transport, hospitality, and all other sectors, we commend Zhuoying's brave stand. We demand Hungry Panda reinstate her shifts and listen to the workers who have built the company's wealth!

Paramedics are currently bargaining with Ambulance Victoria and the Jacinta Allan Government for a new enterprise agreement. We are asking for improvements to wages, conditions, valuing MICA, better rural resourcing, and incentivising longevity in the job. But for many members, the most important claim is simply the ability to get home after the shift ends. Our members are forced to work hours of involuntary overtime every day, either because they are ramped at a hospital, or dispatched to a case minutes before the end of shift and sometimes after their rostered finish time. That may seem reasonable in an emergency and any ambo you ask will tell you they expect to work overtime when a patient urgently needs their skills. But our call taking system categorises people who call 000 because they couldn’t afford a GP as an EMERGENCY. Ambulance Victoria have trumpeted that an ambo workplace is an inclusive, family friendly workplace. But our members work over 800 hours of forced overtime every single day. This means that picking up kids, getting to a sporting game or parent teacher interview is not a commitment any ambo can make. Members are ignored when simply requesting an on-time finish. One member was dispatched to a non-urgent patient in a health facility three minutes before the end of shift. The paramedic pleaded with Ambulance Victoria management that she had to pick up a child from daycare but was refused. Another colleague had to go to the childcare centre to take care of the baby until the paramedic finished over an hour late. Recently Swinburne and RMIT surveyed Victorian Ambulance Union members and the number of ambos looking at leaving the job in the next year has climbed to one in five. That’s already in a workforce where over half the paramedics have been in the job for less than five years. This is not sustainable for the workforce, but sadly, that’s what happens when ambos are asked to choose between their job and their family. Ambos are dedicated to saving lives. Please support us by signing this petition and help ambos have a life too.