Rights at Work

Unions call for a public registry of labour hire companies, a rigorous licensing system and a banning of rogue operators to protect hundreds of thousands of workers. The Fair Work Act must also be amended to recognise that both labour hire operator and host employers have a role in observing…

It is now well known that amongst its many broken election promises, the Federal Government broke Abbott's key centrepiece promise on paid parental leave (PPL). The fact they chose Mother's Day in May this year to announce the death knell of their policy just rubbed salt into the wound of…

The wages of Australia's lowest paid workers will increase by $16 per week from 1 July as the annual wage review decision affecting 1.8 million award dependent workers comes into effect. This is the only chance for a pay rise for low paid workers and follows the Fair Work Commission's…

The Abbott Government's proposed changes to Australia's world leading not for profit superannuation system are nothing more than an ideologically driven attack on workers.Not-for-profit industry super funds have lower fees and have outperformed the for-profit retail funds owned by the big banks over any time period comparison. As Industry Super…

New parents will be forced back to work shortly after the birth of their child thanks to the Abbott Government's cuts to Paid Parental Leave (PPL) introduced into the Parliament today. The Abbott Government's $1 billion cut to PPL will leave as many as 80,000 parents a year worse off…

A Senate committee has recommended passing legislation which will leave nearly 400,000 workers covered under Comcare, the national workers' compensation scheme, with inadequate cover if they are injured or ill at work. Unions are disappointed the Senate committee examining the Abbott Government's Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Comcare) Bill has recommended…

Australia's 1.86 million lowest paid workers will receive a $16 increase to their weekly pay packets following the Fair Work Commission's decision in the annual wage case today. This increase is not enough to close the growing gap between average and minimum wages that is putting enormous pressure on our…

Australian unions have concluded the ACTU Congress 2015 invigorated by a new Union Charter and campaign plan to protect workers' rights and living standards. Over the past three days around a thousand union delegates from around the country have debated and voted on the policies that will shape the union…

Tonight ASU officials and staff have been on standby in Canberra to analyse the Federal Budget and give you a rapid overview of how the Budget will affect ASU members - our work, our lives, our communities. While it will take a bit longer to digest all of the fine…

Australian unions have long called for an increase in child care assistance and funding but it should not come at the expense of overall support to families. The Abbott Government is forcing an impossible choice upon Australian families by linking new investment in child care with extreme cuts to paid…