Secure Jobs Better Future

Go Home on Time Day is an annual initiative of The Australia Institute, in partnership with beyondblue. The Day is a light-hearted way to start a serious conversation about work-life balance. The ASU encourages members and supporters to participate in the Day as the issue of work-life balance can impact…

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.…

Tony Abbott has confirmed his revamped Australian Building and Construction Commission will continue its predecessor's attack on workers' rights by appointing right-wing ideologue John Lloyd and former ABCC Deputy Commissioner Nigel Hadgkiss to the Fair Work Building Industry inspectorate. ACTU President Ged Kearney said the Abbott Government had made clear…

Unions will forcefully oppose any moves by the new Government to put ideology and politics ahead of retirement savings. Media reports today suggest the Coalition is prepared to gut Australia's world-leading industry superannuation system purely for political reasons. In the ten years to 31 August 2013, industry funds delivered a…

On 7 October we celebrate the World Day for Decent Work. Public Services International (PSI) joins the international trade union movement in demanding decent work for all and an end to the continuous attacks on trade union rights around the world. We want jobs that provide decent salaries and social…

Unions are urging workers to call the Workers' Rights Hotline on 1300 486 466 if they have been pressured into contracting arrangements that rob them of entitlements like sick and holiday leave. A relaxation of rules around independent contracting by the Abbott Government will see more employees exploited under sham…

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 Abbott Government's plans to scrap industry support associated with carbon pricing would have a direct impact on jobs growth and bring a wave of workplace innovation to reduce energy use and greenhouse emissions to an abrupt halt the ACTU warned today. Cutting schemes like the Clean Energy Finance Corporation…

ACTU President Ged Kearney said plans by the new Coalition Government to abandon wage increases for up to 350,000 workers in aged and childcare was in direct conflict with Tony Abbott's commitment that no worker would be worse off. "It is a betrayal by the Coalition of some of Australia's…