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…

Your ASU national negotiating team for Toll Dnata Passenger services last met with the company on 12th February 2015 after a number of delays in finalizing a meeting date. The company representatives came only with a prepared statement about the problems in the company with little ability to negotiate anything…

Over the past 12 months child care services have received more attacks and delays by the Federal Government, be it via the changes to family day care or Tony Abbott's statements on the need to talk more on child care services. "It's now time to stop talking and act to…

Complexity, choice overload, low levels of financial literacy, lack of planning, procrastination and high search costs, among other behavioural factors, are influencing Australians' approach to their superannuation savings, says Industry Super Australia. Originally published on the ISA website 5 February - click here to read it there "This is the…

A new survey of more than 43,000 people shows working Australians feel anxious about their living standards and are deeply dissatisfied with the Abbott Government's policies and the direction it is taking Australia. The ACTU surveyed 43,188 union and non-union members across all industries, in all states and territories, between…

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…

Queenslanders have sent a clear message to the Newman and Abbott Governments that they will not sit back while health, education, public services and workers' rights are attacked. ACTU President Ged Kearney said nurses, teachers, doctors, paramedics and public servants were just some of the tens of thousands of Queensland…

As state governments continue to tinker with council mergers and amalgamations, rather than look at how councils can provide more and better services to meet our growing community needs, the local government councils themselves, along with their employees and their Union (the ASU), and the community at large focus on…

As secret Trans-Pacific (TPP) trade talks resume in New York, an unusually diverse mix of 47 Australian community groups including the ASU, public health, environment, union, church, development aid and other groups have written an open letter to Trade Minister Robb citing mounting evidence that the TPP is not in…

Despite the fact the scope of the Productivity Commission's Inquiry reveals the Federal Government's obsession with workplace relations is alive and kicking, Australian unions will use the inquiry into workplace laws to make the case for significant improvements in Australian's rights at work and, of course, to fight any attack…