General ASU News

An appalling lack of leadership from Government will cost up to 50,000 Australian workers their jobs following the announcement by Holden that it will cease production in 2017, unions said today. ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver said the Liberal Government has comprehensively failed its first test. "As a result of Government…

The ASU this week lodged a submission expressing our serious concerns with the Federal Government's "Commission of Audit". The Audit has been set up to review services, timing and cost value to government, along with the Federal Government's relationship with state and local government. The ASU has a range of…

The ACTU are concerned about the consequences of the Government's public service jobs freeze in science and innovation which, over time, will see a drop in productivity and vital job-creating innovation. ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver said, "Cutting jobs at the CSIRO will be bad for productivity in the long run.…

The Abbott Government has begun its attack on ordinary workers by drafting laws that cut taxes for big mining companies but scrap programs, including the Low Income Superannuation Contribution, that benefit low and middle-income workers. The draft of the Minerals Resource Rent Tax Repeal and Other Measures Bill 2013 released…

The Abbott Government's Commission of Audit is nothing but a process to outsource public policy to big business and pave the way for cuts to public services, the ACTU said yesterday. ACTU President Ged Kearney said that this had already happened in Queensland where the Newman Government used the same…

A new Grattan Institute report showing that higher-income earners are the main winners out of housing and tax policy should lead to changes in the system the ACTU said yesterday. ACTU assistant secretary Tim Lyons said that both renting and buying a first home were becoming more difficult for workers.…

Raising the GST or applying it to fresh food, health and education costs would unfairly hit working people and the government should instead remove tax breaks for high-income earners and crack down on tax evasion, the ACTU said today. At a time the new Abbott Government is dismantling the mining…

The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 requires that the financial affairs of unions are checked and audited every 12 months to make sure union funds are administered properly and to detect any shortcomings. Unions are also required to prepare an operating report. The National Executive and the Branches of…

Now that the federal election has been announced, you have only until 8pm on 12 August to ensure you are enrolled to vote. Why do you need to vote? Because your vote really does count, especially at this election. With 1.4 million people not enrolled according to the Australian Electoral…

The ACTU is backing a call by Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten for a pre-election debate between the major parties on industrial relations policy. Minister Shorten today called on his Coalition counterpart Eric Abetz to come out of hiding and commit to a debate on workplace policy. "Working people absolutely…