Nuclear power poses grave risks for Queensland that outweigh any potential benefits. It would strain our limited freshwater resources, compete with agriculture and communities for water access, and produce hazardous radioactive waste we lack facilities to safely manage long-term. The threat of radioactive leaks or accidents could devastate our environment, contaminate food and water supplies, and cripple industries like tourism and fishing.  If a Chernobyl-like accident were to happen at a Callide nuclear power plant, the exclusion zone would span the area between Biloela north to Rockhampton, south to Gladstone down to Agnes Waters on the coast, and back across to Biloela – making a significant chunk of Central Queensland uninhabitable. Working people can’t afford the Liberal National Party’s nuclear pipe dream. It’s too expensive, too late, and too dangerous.

Rather than spending time recovering from short-term illnesses, workers have to take time out of their day to book appoints with a GP to obtain a medical certificate just to justify their reason for taking sick leave. Often, appointments might not be available for days, and with bulk billing on the decline many workers essentially have to pay out of pocket to evidence their own sick leave. Rather than spending most of their time writing certificates for workers who already know they're ill, GPs should be tending to people who need it most.

NDIS support workers are highly skilled and dedicated. They provide essential, complex support that empowers people with a disability and develops their independence. Wage theft and fraud in the NDIS, which could be up to $16,000 annually per worker, and more if they do extra hours, is a serious problem demanding immediate action. The disability support workforce is predominantly female. This wage theft disproportionately hurts women and makes the shamefully wide gender pay gap even worse. Governments have funded the NDIS to pay Equal Pay to all disability support workers. Valuing this skilled profession is crucial if we are committed to closing the gender pay gap. ASU members know a strong NDIS hinges on properly valuing its workforce. Dedicated, skilled and professional workers should not be paid wages as low as $24 per hour. Their work deserves proper recognition, and this underpayment weakens the entire system.  Stamping out NDIS wage theft and fraud benefits everyone. Workers receive fair pay, taxpayers' funds are used efficiently, and NDIS participants benefit from a motivated, professional workforce.  We need an NDIS workforce that is properly paid, trained and supported to build the best NDIS. It is vital for the future of the NDIS, for recipients, taxpayers, and workers, that we end this exploitation immediately. Join us in demanding fair pay for NDIS workers! Sign our petition today.

Young Australians lose out on about $3 billion every year because of junior wage laws - and it's mostly pocketed up by multinational giants. These big corporations shouldn't be able to take advantage of these young Australians by paying them a lower rate for the same job. Junior wages are based on unfair and outdated assumptions about young people's living costs - but times have changed. Australia's award system already provides for different pay scales according to a person's job, the tasks they perform, and their prior experience. Junior wages undermine these standards by allowing a 18 year old manager with 2 years experience to be paid less than the new-starter 21 year old she's supervising and training. Besides being manifestly unfair, junior wages are confusing. Having your wage change sometimes more than twice a year, and being unable to compare your wages with your co-workers, makes it hard for young workers to check that their pay is correct.  The government needs to end this practice of age-discrimination, and abolish junior wages now!

We all know why Peter Dutton and his fossil fuel mates are pushing for nuclear power. To protect their profits by stalling our transition to renewable energy. Nuclear power will take decades to get up and running and will be extremely expensive - it is the most expensive option for Australia's energy. As a community we must show Peter Dutton that Nuclear has no future in Australia. Please sign and share the petition to show Peter Dutton and the Liberals that Australia rejects nuclear.

The South African boss of Woolworths holdings (owner of Country Road), Roy Bagattini, recently directed Country Road Group staff to refrain from talking publicly about serious allegations of sexual harassment and bulllying in the company. Country Road, like so many other companies before them, has responded to these concerns by intimidating workers and covering up their complaints. It's no way to run a business, and it's certainly no way to end gendered violence in the workplace. Workers across Victorian are campaigning in union to to end this culture of cover-ups and victim-blaming, in part by working to ban the use of non-disclosure agreements (i.e. cover-up clauses) in cases of workplace sexual harassment. Country Road's customers and the general public have a right to know if their purchases are being used to prop up a business with a toxic workplace culture.

The medical scientists and technicians at Melbourne Pathology are only seeking a fair pay increase and the industry standards of five weeks of annual leave and access to long service leave after seven years.     But when asked to make fair increases in pay and improvements in conditions for their scientific and technical workforce, the management at Melbourne Pathology cry poor.   While they cry poor, management has had little to say when it is pointed out that the CEO of Sonic Health, the parent company of Melbourne Pathology, is among the top ten paid CEOs in Australia.    It is best practice for medical scientists and laboratory technicians to have five weeks annual leave and access to long service leave after seven years. Melbourne Pathology claims they already give their scientific workforce a competitive salary package. However, if this were true, how would Melbourne Pathology explain losing great staff to other scientific workforces.    Melbourne Pathology medical scientists and technicians would rather solely focus on helping patients and getting their important work done. Instead, they are being forced to take industrial action to get a fair deal. To see medical scientists and technicians stop work is extremely unusual given their dedication and commitment to helping patients.    The medical scientists and technicians at Melbourne Pathology are only seeking a fair outcome that recognises their skills and efforts. 

The return to in person exams after years of remote learning has exacerbated stress for students across campus. Handwritten in person exams are an outdated concept, and are no longer relevant to the workplace. Despite constant and long term demand for ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) exams, where students bring their own laptops to their exams, ANU has projected that BYOD exams will only be implemented in 2026, due to feasibility concerns. This is not good enough. We are pushing for the university to adopt bring your own device exams by Semester 1 2025. Transitioning to BYOD exams will positively affect students across all colleges. Students can focus on building technical skills rather than training for handwritten exams.  As one of Australia's top universities, ANU's exam delivery must be innovative and forward-looking. Our top 8 competitors, such as Melbourne University, have already switched to using BYOD exams successfully, using the platform Cadmus. It is time for the ANU to catch up. Do we want UC to retain its position as Canberra's top university for full-time employment AGAIN?

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. 

We are working people - but there are times when any of us can be between jobs or in a tough spot financially. At those times, we need the support of our community. As working people we are proud to support our families, friends and neighbours who are doing it tough - and we are proud to have built Australia's social safety net. But right now Australia's safety net is failing. People on Jobseeker and Youth Allowance are being forced to skip meals and medication.  This has a devastating impact on people's mental and physical health when they are already in a tough spot.  We call on the Australian Government to raise the rate of Jobseeker, Youth Allowance and Rental support, and repair our social safety net.

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.

We respectfully ask that the Queensland LNP stop trying to dig up culture wars to divide us, and announce some policies that actually benefit Queensland communities.