Access to a safe, sustainable and affordable housing is a growing problem across Victoria and Australia. More than half of Australia’s low-income renters are now paying so much for a roof over their heads that they can’t afford basic essentials like food and clothing and it is only getting worse. Poverty is increasing with fewer people being able to afford private rentals. Women and children fleeing family violence, young people are among those who find it most tough to access affordable rentals. There are currently over 50,000 applications (over 100,000 people) on Victoria’s social housing waiting list. According to census data between 2006 and 2016 homelessness in Victoria rose by 43 per cent. Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning is a long term solution that ensures social housing is baked into the planning of our cities and suburbs.

Cutting RDOs from new employees would create a second class of employees who will have limited access to our union-won entitlements. We should not be asked to sell out our future colleagues who cannot vote on this agreement. We are deeply concerned about what this divisive proposal signals for the future of the fund. RDOs are a fantastic entitlement and contribute to the positive workplace culture that makes Cbus so good - for employees and fund members.

Safety on the rail network is of paramount importance, and by trying to erode our conditions the NSW Government is lowering those safety standards and putting us all in danger. They are also trying to remove guards from trains - we believe this is an unacceptable risk. Australia has some of the best employment protections in the world thanks to unions fighting for generations to ensure a fair go for all Aussies. But it's a constant battle to maintain these conditions, and the NSW Government is trying to water down our rights and protections. We are fighting to save these for ourselves, for all other public service workers and for the wider community as a whole. The NSW Government imposed a wage freeze on all public servants last year, which amounted to a pay cut in real terms, even for those sectors who had already negotiated higher increases. This is despite a number of senior bureaucrats receiving huge pay rises, sending a clear message to essential workers that they do not matter. All workers deserve a fair pay rise in the current economic environment, and we're fighting to prevent the government from using the pandemic as an excuse to sell us all short.

All people should be treated equally wherever they work, study or access goods and services, regardless of who they are or who they love. But Victorian laws currently allow faith-based organisations to refuse service to someone based on their sexual orientation or because they are transgender, and allow religious schools to dismiss or expel LGBTQ+ students, staff and teachers. People can also be discriminated against based on their marital or parental status. The Victorian government has announced it will be changing these laws this year and we know the conservative Christian lobby will fight to have the proposal watered down. We must come together in our thousands to show our community supports the changes, and to ensure the strongest possible reform. Will you sign our petition today?

Workers have carried Australia through this pandemic. Many essential workers are still at constant risk of community or workplace exposure to COVID. As we move into the next phase of the pandemic, all workers, including casuals, must have access to Paid Isolation Leave to reduce the risk of COVID spreading, take the steps needed to keep everyone safe and without losing any income. The requirements for workers to test, trace, isolate or quarantine are going to be with us for an extended period, and could increase for people working in frontline jobs if they experience more regular exposure at work. Workers will need Paid Isolation Leave to get us through this next phase of the pandemic rather than rely on depleted or non-existent leave balances. We need Paid Isolation Leave to protect our families and communities, and stop the spread of COVID-19. Paid Isolation Leave is critical to make sure workers or someone they care for can safely test, isolate or quarantine – and keep their families, communities and workmates safe.

Charles Street and Charles Lane already is a low speed and low traffic environment and supports mixed-use activity such as cycling and walking. We do not need changes to the parking limits or restrictions on the street.

As university teachers and support persons, casuals represent and maintain the reputation of the university, as it is casuals who interact with students in the classroom and in providing support services every day.

This is important for the healthy and safety of all local families

Australia needs to be vaccinated as soon as possible. But we’re running last in the race to get it done. We won’t reach the required levels of COVID vaccination without more vaccine supplies and a faster roll out. We can’t rely on a system where workers have to get their jab on weekends or during lunch breaks. Monash University allows full-time workers to get vaccinated on work time. But it won’t pay casuals to do the same. No worker should have to choose between getting vaccinated and paying the bills. The latest plan from the Morrison government will see 2 million jabs per week being administered from September. We need paid leave to attend vaccination and recover from routine side effects. Last year workers in our Union campaigned for and won paid pandemic leave and one day a week carer’s leave for staff caring and home-schooling. This year, together, we can win paid vaccination leave. But we need to work together. We need a strong voice to demand nation-wide paid vaccination leave. We need it for the University, and we need it for our colleagues and students. Sign the petition for paid vaccination leave. Join your union.

The Titanic’s owner, Louis must pay our stolen super and wages back now. Wage theft is a crime in Victoria, our fellow union members fought hard to make that the case. We will report our employer to the Victorian Wage Theft Inspectorate to make sure he can’t get away with stealing from us or any other of his future workers. Louis employs a lot of young workers at The Titanic Williamstown. We don’t want them to think that it’s okay for employers to treat us so badly. We want younger workers to know that this is not acceptable and that they’re entitled to stand up for themselves and demand to be treated with respect at work. That’s why we’ve come together in our union, and why we’re fighting back. Louis, you ignored us when we contacted you individually. Have we got your attention now?

NECA CEO Oliver Judd is opposing wage rises for low-paid electrical apprentices. Judd, a former corporate lawyer, wants to block increases for hundreds of apprentices employed by Electro Group Training in NSW and the ACT. The ETU has negotiated an enterprise agreement that will deliver modest improvements to wages and conditions for our NSW and ACT members at group trainer Electro Group. These apprentices have previously been subject to basic award conditions. NECA is not a party to the EBA, in fact NECA group training is the main competitor to Electro Group. Yet despite this, Judd has asked the Fair Work Commission to block registration of the Electro Group EBA. The NECA CEO, who was paid over $250,000 in 2020, seeks to stop apprentices benefiting from a union EBA they spent months negotiating. ETU members at Electro Group fought hard to get their union EBA. If Judd gets his way, Electro Group apprentices will be stuck on some of the lowest wages paid to any group of Australian workers.

We need the Australian Government get on board with other countries with a real Climate Policy that will also transition Australian workers in to new clean and sustainable jobs. Bendigo workers want to see Australia invest in green energy and steel to reduce Australia's impact on our environment and secure the future for the next-generation of Australians. Bendigo is known as the 'City in the Forest' surrounded by farm land and amazing winery's, the result of the governments inaction on climate change will create job losses, decimate our agricultural and wine industries as well as having devastating effects on our beautiful city. With other counties committing to zero emissions within only a few decades Australian fossil fuels exports will decrease leaving workers to face job losses unless we have a plan. If others have a plan, it is time that we have a plan too. Australia should be part of the solution not the problem.