Women

Equal Pay Day today acknowledges the 65 extra days the average Australian woman works each year to earn the same wages as a man. The ASU and unions in general argue this is not good enough and our Federal Government is failing to address this serious issue. The ACTU calls…

In all the talk of age pensions, political deals and savings measures, we often forget the group in our society most negatively affected by cuts to safety nets: our women. Click here to read this article on Working Life It is no news that women struggle to gather enough savings…

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…

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…

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…

Employer groups are using tricky legal tactics to avoid new workplace protections for domestic violence leave and family friendly work arrangements which will increase women's workforce participation. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Housing Industry Association (HIA), Australia Industry Group (AIG) and National Farmers Federation (NFF) lodged responses…

In 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, referred to as the "the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing women's rights" was produced. However, 20 years later and progress towards the goals unanimously accepted by the representatives of 189 governments has not…

Australian Unions are lodging a claim with the Fair Work Commission to give more than four million Australian workers who are covered by an award the right to return to work after parental leave either part time or on reduced hours. The ACTU will lodge the new claim for family…

As ASU social and community services workers approach their bi-annual equal pay increase on 1 December, a new study showing Australian women are paid almost 25 per cent less than men who perform the same work highlights the need for comprehensive government action to close the gender pay gap and…

The ITUC is calling for a new international Convention on gender-based violence at the workplace, as the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women today. Click here to read this story on the ITUC website The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization – made…