Rights at Work

The ACTU today warned that the PaTH internship program unveiled in yesterday’s budget not only poses a serious risk for young people and inexperienced workers, but could also undermine Australia’s entire wage system. Instead of employing a worker on the minimum wage, businesses would be able to access a pool…

In his first budget Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed he is a cruel conservative. Tonight in Canberra, ASU officials and staff have been on hand to witness Turnbull’s first budget to give you a rapid overview of how it will affect the communities we work and live in. This cruel budget…

When you change the government, you change the country. It’s a truism but it bears repeating as we hurtle towards a federal election. What isn’t as readily obvious but is also true is that changing this particular Federal Government may be easier than many people think. It could even be…

Sliding living standards, wage stagnation for working people and rising wealth inequality will be big issues as the next Australian Federal Election approaches. Click here to read this on the AFTINET website While the election has not yet been officially called, the battle lines are being drawn on industrial relations.…

The Australian unions are calling for a $30 a week increase in the minimum wage to $686.90 per week or $18.08 per hour. In its submission to the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review, the ACTU sees minimum wage levels which are still stubbornly low at 43.8 per cent of…

Around Australia this Easter weekend, millions will be taking a break and many will spend time with family and friends. Whether Easter itself means something religious or philosophical to you or not, everyone understands the importance of rest and spending time with loved ones. However, a very large number of…

The ASU lodged a submission to the ABCC Senate Inquiry into the Federal Bill to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). It is not widely known but the ABCC also touches large numbers of ASU members, so our concerns are very directly about advocating for our members’ rights.…

Following the 2015 Budget the Federal Government introduced new legislation to enact its “Jobs for Families Package”. Although there’s an injection of much needed funding into child care, it’s based on cuts to other family benefits. The ASU’s position has been that it takes more than one policy to help…

A new report released by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) today (7 March 2016) reveals that Australian women are financially disadvantaged at every key stage of their life: in childhood, at the workplace, through pregnancy, motherhood and as a carer, and in retirement. The ACTU’s Gender Pay Gap…

Last week the ASU appeared at the public hearings of the Senate inquiry into the economic security for women in retirement. This was a follow up to the submission we lodged last year. At the hearing we tried to draw a picture for the Senators that could capture the overriding…