In the heart of rural Victoria, our Fleet Maintenance Officers (FMOs) are the unsung heroes ensuring that Ambulance Victoria's vehicles are ready to respond to emergencies 24/7. We're the ones working weekends and late nights, facing 2 am callouts to get a truck unstuck on the side of the road or animal strikes and the truck breakdowns. Our purpose and dedication is unwavering, because we understand the critical role we play in saving lives. Without FMOs, Ambulance Victoria paramedics wouldn't have the reliable fleet they need to serve our communities. Many won’t know that in that in 2001 with 22 FMO’s we serviced 272 vehicles and now in 2023, 22 FMO’s are responsible for 755 vehicles. That's a 177% increase of vehicle volume, let alone managing the increased complexities of technology. Yet, our efforts often go unnoticed, and Ambulance Victoria isn't recognizing the vital work we do. We've been in negotiations, urging them to embrace much-needed changes, and progress is slow to none. Here's what we're fighting for: - A fair pay increase that aligns with other emergency services mechanics. - Career progression through Increments 3, 6 & 9. - Adequate staffing levels to meet the demands of our crucial role. We are a close-knit and dedicated team, and now, we're reaching out to all Ambulance Victoria staff and the broader Victorian community for support. How You Can Help: Join us in making our voices heard! Sign our petition to stand with FMOs and support our bargaining claims. Your signature will send a clear message to the Victorian Government that our work is invaluable and deserves respect. Can we count on you to back us up? Together, we can ensure that FMOs receive the recognition and support we need to continue serving our community with the highest level of dedication. Thank you for standing with us!

All workers need to be able to rest and recover between working hours. They also have the right to enjoy work-life balance outside of work. Residential care workers and disability support workers support some of the most vulnerable people in the community and provide essential care and assistance for clients to participate fully in their daily lives. The ASU, as the union for all social and community sector workers and disability support workers, is behind this campaign to demand that every worker has the right to safe working conditions with fair pay. We demand that sleepover shifts are respected – workers’ safety and wellbeing is on the line, and clients will pay the price. Join our campaign to stop big business attacking your pay and safe working conditions.

We all rely on Firefighters and Paramedics to turn up in our greatest time of need. The current system punishes their dedication and service, and punishes their families, by undermining their financial security in retirement.

Unisuper members need to support divestment in businesses that are complicit in war crimes. Its our money being invested into supporting the killing of innocent people by Elbit Systems!

QUT Guild currently receives 25% of student SSAF fees, which is below the national average, and well below the average SSAF given to student unions at Australia’s top universities. This discrepancy weakens the Guild's ability to provide essential services and independent support to the student body. Does QUT even want a strong student union? Doesn't look like it... Up until 2006, student unions received 100% of a similar kind of student fee – which meant that student money was 100% in student hands. These days, it’s up to each university to decide how much SSAF their respective student unions receive. At QUT this is decided by the SSAF Advisory Group. Only one student, the Guild Treasurer, has a vote in these decisions. QUT’s plan for the $9.3M in the SSAF you will pay next year essentially keeps things at the status quo, and indicates that QUT seemingly has no intention to hand over a larger percentage of student money back into student hands. The Guild currently provides a wide range of services and initiatives to students, such as the Clubs & Societies programme, Foodbank, transport support, Academic Advocacy, events, our student representatives, independent student media, and support for our Collectives. We believe student money should be in students’ hands. Without a SSAF allocation more aligned with other major universities in Australia, QUT students have a weakened student union and are at a huge disadvantage. QUT is required by law to seek student feedback on how their SSAF is spent. QUT students have been given less than two weeks to give their feedback during one of the busiest and most stressful times of semester. We urge all QUT students to sign this petition to have your voices heard. If you want to provide QUT with further feedback about how your SSAF should be spent you can email the Registrar ([email protected]) with your thoughts by COB Monday 13 November.

The dairy industry is currently facing a crisis. From fluctuating milk prices and environmental challenges, the industry is at a crossroads. As they face these challenges, workers, who are on the frontline, must be given a seat at the table. Their insights, experiences, and dedication are invaluable in shaping the future of the dairy sector. The plummeting levels of milk production in Australia to a 30-year low is not just a crisis for the dairy industry, but a pressing issue for the working class and the nation at large. Skyrocketing prices for dairy products disproportionately affect everyday Australians, especially those on fixed or lower incomes. Moreover, the dwindling milk supply has a direct impact on job security for union members who are dairy workers—both farmers and those employed in processing plants. If the industry falters, it's the workers who'll bear the brunt, facing lay-offs and financial instability, further undermining already vulnerable regional communities where many of our members live and work. This dire situation demands that union voices be front and centre in shaping any solutions. State and federal governments must consult with union representatives to invest urgently in the industry's future. The challenges of climate change, which affect both supply and worker conditions, and the unfair pricing dictated by supermarket duopolies like Coles and Woolworths, require a united, collective response. Now, more than ever, we need to mobilise to secure fair pay, conditions, and job security for our members. Our union is committed to fighting for these rights, and we urge all stakeholders to act before the industry reaches a point of no return.

Our healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with significant blockages impacting our Emergency Departments at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital every day. Out of Hospital Nurses (otherwise known as Hospital Avoidance) play a vital role in easing this pressure on EDs and flow on effects for entire hospitals. Hospital staff recognise the value of this important service – we are urging State Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton MP to do the same.

In June this year, the ANU decided on the increase in accommodation fees for on-campus residences for 2024 as follows: Bruce: $500 → $528 Burton & Garran: $260 → $287 Fenner: $330 → $357 Toad Hall: $265 → $282 Wamburun: $330 → $342 Wright: $470 → $497 Yukeembruk: $369 → $382 This comes in the face of years of massive hikes to accommodation fees at residences. In 2020 Fenner Hall was $295 and will be $357 in 2024. This isn’t to mention the large number of fees residents are slapped with during their time at college. Res com fees, room changeover fees, cleaning fees, bonds, and more. Residents are also faced with horrible conditions at colleges. Rat infestations, wasp nests, not enough cooking and storage space, consistently broken washing machines, just to name a few. Meanwhile, the positive experiences that residents have while in a res hall are conjured almost entirely by extremely underpaid student representatives. In 2016, the ANU sold off on-campus accommodation to an investment company, AMP Capital for 30 years and now AMP Capital are in charge and decides how much money to charge students while they are living and studying on campus. This has led to tariff increases (yes, residents pay ‘tariffs’ not rent) that are consistently above inflation. To top it all off, residents are forced to sign an ‘occupancy agreement’ when they move into their residence. This agreement restricts the rights residents have (such as being unable to terminate their contract fairly) and prescribes extremely punitive punishments for even the smallest of actions. Residents are extremely exploited and it's shameful the lack of duty of care the ANU has shown to students. It’s important for students to mobilise and fight back against the ANU in this regard. With consultation with the Housing Action Collective, presidents of residential committees at halls, and ordinary students, a petition has been created to mobilise students with the following demands: An immediate freeze on accommodation tariffs for 2024. A commitment from the ANU to stop privatising on-campus accommodation in perpetuity. Establishing a new occupancy agreement in consultation with students that affords students basic rights. Increase consultation with students regarding the functions of residential colleges and increase transparency about how the university manages residential colleges. These demands came out of the experiences of students unable to afford to live, who felt insecure about whether or not they could remain on campus, and who have received no information or transparency about how the colleges are run.

Self ID refers to an individual's ability to self-identify or define their own identity, particularly in the context of gender identity and sexual orientation. It is an important concept in discussions surrounding gender identity and LGBTQ+ rights. Self-ID is most commonly associated with gender identity, allowing individuals to identify and express their gender in a way that feels authentic to them. For transgender and non-binary individuals, self-ID means they have the right to identify and present themselves as the gender with which they identify, rather than being constrained by societal expectations based on their assigned gender at birth. Self-ID is considered important for respecting an individual's dignity and autonomy. It acknowledges that each person is the best authority on their own gender identity and that their self-identification should be honored and respected by others. This isn't a new concept either. Canada passed Self ID legislation in 2017, Ireland passed the Gender Recognition Act in 2015 for everyone over 18, New Zealand modified existing legislation to allow self ID in 2020, and Victoria passed self ID legislation in 2019. Most of South America and several US states have also passed self ID legislation. In summary, self-ID is the concept that individuals have the right to define and express their own gender identity and sexual orientation, and it is seen as a way to respect their autonomy and protect them from discrimination. It is an important concept in the ongoing discussions surrounding LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality.

Right now, only 1.3% of public schools are funded at the benchmark set by governments. Just imagine if public schools were fully resourced. That would provide more teachers, smaller class sizes and more specialist support for children needing extra help, and the PM's promise could become reality.

The Federal budget is just weeks away – we have the momentum to ensure the end of unpaid placements so that students are supported throughout their education and into their careers. Work placements or internships are currently a requirement for many degrees in Australia. These placements provide essential on-the-job learning, however, students studying for Community Services Degrees are required to work excessive hours unpaid. Students studying social work are required to complete 1,000 hours of unpaid placements. That’s almost a third of a year, working full-time. These hours are compulsory and yet this work is not paid. This situation is causing dropout rates to increase, with over 1 in 5 studying a Community Service degree withdrawing from study due to financial stress. Many community services workers undertake social work or other degrees to boost their qualifications, but right now they are being forced to choose between doing unpaid work placements or having enough money to pay the bills. No one should have to choose between feeding their families or not to complete their studies. Additionally, both students and employers would benefit by building an employment relationship to help with career opportunities down the track.

Bus drivers are fighting for: 1. Resourcing of mobile security units 2. Improved communication between depots and security support. 3. Improved enforcement for security and power to detain or arrest. 4. Safety screens for drivers. 5. Cashless travel. 6. Conflict resolution training for bus drivers. 7. Improvement of amenities for drivers for both depot and on the road. 8. Increased recovery times between runs.