Yesterday, the ASU National Executive reasserted the Union's support for marriage equality by calling on the upcoming ALP National Conference to support a binding vote in favour of same sex marriage to remedy this final legal constraint on the equality of all Australians. Full equality before the law is a…

AaE staff have voted overwhelmingly to endorse the ASU EBA deal negotiated and recommended by the ASU's AaE National Negotiating Team. In a significant turnout of eligible staff (75% of voters) 98% of these staff voted in favour of the Agreement. A big thank you must go to our hard…

The ASU has welcomed the release of a new Australian report which confirms the need for increased support for early childhood education. The findings of the McKell Institute report are broadly consistent with the views put forward by the ASU in a recent Productivity Commission Inquiry into early childhood education.…

Last Friday 2 July 2015 Qantas group CEO Alan Joyce announced that "In recognition, management has decided to offer a one-off 5 per cent bonus payment for all Qantas, Jetstar and other Group employees covered by finalised enterprise/collective agreements (EBAs) that include the 18 month wage freeze." This bonus is…

This edition contains a summary of blog items published by Greg McLean in the previous calendar month. Items cover the areas of local government, energy and water, rail and public transport, international news including trade agreements, privatisation and general public sector matters The articles all relate to the blog of…

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 China-Australia Free Trade Agreement was finalised in November 2014 but the text was only released on 17 June 2015. It appears that the Australian Government made huge concessions on temporary labour and investor rights in its desperation to complete the deal. Click here to read this on the AFTINET…

On 2 July 2015 the ASU represented members in a dispute against Jetstar before Vice President Watson at the Fair Work Commission. Recently there has been plenty of confusion and inconsistency in the way Jetstar has applied Nil48 - Jetstar has tried to underpay staff by making a range 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…

Yet another series of leaks confirm PSI's repeated concerns on the restriction of governments' right to regulate in the public interest as well as underlining the lack of transparency surrounding the Trade In Service Agreement (TISA) negotiations. Click here to read this item on the PSI website The documents –…