Stick Together: Recent Episodes
Annie McLoughlin, Rebecca Maes, Tilde Joy, James Brennan & Jackson McInerney.
Australia's only national radio show focusing on industrial, social and workplace issues. Distributed nationally on the Community Radio Network.
Today’s show is about international solidarity, and especially the kind that you build up when you travel to other countries and meet workers involved in struggle. My guest today is Clive Tillman, who attended the International Solidarity Affairs in Manila in the Philippines, that was organised by the militant labour group, the Kilusang Mayo Uno. Plus, some union news!
Last week saw a momentous occasion at the North Fitzroy Library, Melbourne – the launch of A Voice For Members a new rank-and-file caucus covering Victorian state public servants. A Voice For Members is a group of CPSU SPSF members the Community and Public Sector Union and State Public Service Federation committed to revitalising the union by strengthening grassroots democracy. donations
January 26. Australia Day. Invasion It marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, in New South Wales, the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at that site by Governor Arthur Phillip, the invasion of Australia and the start of genocide against the original owners of this land. January 26 is a day of mourning and a day of struggle, marked by big, loud, powerful Invasion Day rallies right across the country. But the struggle for Aboriginal justice also extends to justice at work, and one of the industries where these issues come to the fore, is in higher education. Universities have amongst the highest rates of Aboriginal employment, but it’s also a sector that is so exploitative of workers’ intellectual property. Arrende woman, Celeste Liddle, is the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Organiser for the NTEU and we had a long chat about the sector and Aboriginal worker rights.
In this program we hear from Nurses and Midwives for Palestine speaking up at the Sydney Rally for Palestine on Jan 11. The speaker is Mark and there was a line up of about 20 people in scrubs with a big banner. Mark tells us how they are disappointed that their actual union does not endorse this but that they are a group which has come to every rally. This speech gives a background to the recent so called peace deal which the US has apparently brokered with the Israeli State – the shattered lives of the Gazans, the targeting of health workers for death, imprisonment and torture despite the international protection which is supposed to have been conferred on health workers as non-combatants.
Stick Together is a half-hour weekly show about workers rights and current affairs. Stick Together features interviews with workers, unionists, community campaigners and academics from right across Australia. This episode of Stick together features an interview with Alex Ettling and Iain McIntyre authors and editors of the book 'Knocking the top off' a people's history of alcohol in Australia. Alex and Iain explore the history of workers behind the bottle as we raise a glass together at a local bar.
As we put 2024 to bed with its defining moment of Federal Labor’s legislation placing the CFMEU Construction & General Division into administration it is worth considering the bedrock of workers struggle in this country, the first major event of post-colonial Australia the Eureka Stockade. We go to the pre-dawn reclaim the radical spirit of Eureka event held in Ballarat on Dec 3 on the site of the original stockade where in 1854 the army and police attack miners for daring to call for the end of mining licenses and universal suffrage.
Special Christmas show with a round up as well as the hyper exploitation of Chinese workers making Christmas decorations.
The campaign to support the CFMEU and it's members continues, Esther Van Erand was an organiser with the union who was sacked for allegedly having a verbal altercation with journalist Nick McKenzie. This episode of stick together brings you the audio from an action in Melbourne outisde the fair work commission, as well as the regular segments of the show including union news a weekly wrap up of union activity from across the working world.
Today we go outside the Federal Court in Melbourne with National Tertiary Education Union members who are getting their day in court over the system wage theft they have experienced; we give an update on the UWU warehouse dispute with Woolworths; and the QUBE gaming of the Fair Work Act.
No doubt you’ve noticed the empty shelves at Woolworths stores across the Eastern states of Australia, and you’ve also heard that it’s owing to industrial action. On today's program, we speak with Dario Mujkic from the United Workers Union about the strike of 1800 Woolworths warehouse workers across 3 different states. Plus some union news.Support the strike fund here.
The UWU members working at Woolworths Warehouse sites handling liquor in Victoria and NSW and affecting some sites in Queensland are on indefinite strike leading up to Christmas. Dario Mujkic from the UWU spoke to Green Left 3cr on Friday November 22.We hear from a CFMEU organiser who was at the site of a death of a member at a Victorian Wind Farm recently.We go to the rally for Nurses and Midwives that stopped Sydney CBD on November 13th.
Stick Together is a half-hour weekly show about workers rights and current affairs. Stick Together features interviews with workers, unionists, community campaigners and academics from right across Australia.This episode of stick together speaks about the new changes to the NDIS with an interview from Greens senator Jordan Steele John.
Some highlights from the NSW stopwork rally against CFMEU administration on Tuesday 12 November. The NSW administrators engaged in intimidation and threats against workers to try to prevent the rally from going ahead, but you can’t stop genuine unionists from fighting for their right to have a democratic union and a choice in their representation.As well as some union news.Here's the link to the MEAA's gaza appealhttps://crm.meaa.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=15
Two features from the shop floor this week. First the experience of turning an unsafe workplace into one that is able to support its workers.Last week the 2024 Victoria Trades Hall Council HSR conference addressed the topic of OHS skills for active Health and Safety Representatives. We hear one of the featured workplace stories from the conference. We follow up with part of a discussion between Autistic disability activist Shaun Bickley with Pryia Kunjan from 3cr Thursday Breakfast about the labour exploitation of disabled people with a focus on the issue of wage theft by Australian Disability Enterprises or ADEs.
On today’s program we come back to this issue of union solidarity for the struggle in Palestine. We will hear from rank and file unionist working for the public service, Judy McVey talk about the history so far with union support for the struggle, and why workers need to keep fighting.We will also continue our coverage of the CFMEU administration – last week on the show we covered the Westgate Bridge Collapse and how the CFMEU’s track record of improved workplace safety was born out of the devastation of that industrial disaster. Today we broadcast some speeches from a public meeting talking once again about the CFMEU’s track record of ensuring health and safety on site, as well as its support of migrant women in the workplace.
First we talk with workers compensation Laywer Michelle Tran about Vietnamese workers who are affected by silica dust who are missing out on the financial and medical support they need. We remember the Westgate Bridge disaster. 54 years ago the Westgate Bridge collapsed killing 35 workers outright in Australia’s worst construction disaster to date. We go to this years memorial.
Ralph Edwards former Victorian President of the CFMEU and BLF member speaks at migrant workers meeting in Melbourne on the attacks on the CFMEU, lessons for workers and the hostory of the BLF deregistration campaign.
We hear from the Refugee Rally supported by the UWU. We hear from Defend The Union, Defend the CFMEU. We hear from Union voices in support of Palestine in this darkest time.
More than 1,000 Qantas engineers walked off the job on Monday 30 September, in an escalation of industrial action taken over a wage dispute. This week, we speak with Steve Murphy, National Secretary of the AMWU, about what’s behind this industrial action.Plus, some union news
On Tuesday 17th Brisbane saw 5,000 construction workers rally in support of their Union the CFMEU and the new Line in the Sand Campaign endorsed by the Building Industry Group of Unions the AMWU, CFMEU, ETU & PPTEU. This was the first in large rallies around the country with Melbourne seeing 60,000 workers arriving outside the Trades Hall Council Building on the 18th and then snaking its way down through the city to Flagstaff Gardens. First, we hear from Troy Gray from the ETU who MCed the rally and then Zack Smith the National Secretary of the CFMEU before they took to the stage.
On this weeks episode James Brennan speaks with Logan from Melbourne activist legal service about the recent Disrupt Land Forces protests that took place in Melbourne. The protests saw police violence including the use of so called non lethal weapons being deployed against the protesters. The interview speaks about what took place at the protest as well as detailing the rights of those in attendance and what they can do to follow their legal rights.
On today’s show we cover indefinite strike action at Don KR smallgoods in Castlemaine, as well as a industrial action at Victoria University, whose Vice Chancellor has taken the nuclear option in relation and locked out the workers. Also, some union news from Ambulance Victoria workers; Central Highlands Council workers; Catholic Education Tasmania teachers; and Child Protection workers in NSW. Support the VU workers via their strike fund: https://www.nteu.au/donation/defaultSupport the Dons Smallgoods workers via their strike fund [to be updated when Bendigo Trades Hall announces details]
This week we go to one of the massive rallies held around the country on Tuesday 27th August in support of the CFMEU Construction Division as the Federal Government passes legislation putting the Union under administration and undermining the recently Fair Work Commission approved eba. We follow that with the broader agenda which has led to a community campaign Defend Unions Defend the CFMEU.
Last week a bipartisan effort to bring the CFMEU construction and general division under administration for up to five years was passed into legislation by the Federal Parliament. This marks one of the most anti-union assault in Australian History. As one member said this is a 15 rounder and its only the start of the fight.
It began with students protesting about the future job prospects workign in the Government sector and quickly spread to a broder anti Government uprising. Bangladesh now has an interm Government with the previous leader fleeing the country after the Government response to the protests resulted in over 300 people being killed. In this week's episode of stick together host James Brennan speaks with Dr. Sabrina Sayd about the Bangladesh uprising, the political history and context that led to this uprising and the prosepcts for change that lay ahead.
Exploitation of Visa holders is notorious within the Australian system. We hear Samati Verma from the Human Rights Law Centre , at the Migrant Workers Centre Conference, covering new laws directed at making employer actions to coerce non citizen workers to do actions against their visas as illegal, she outlines a new visa category called the Justice Visa which is an extremely important development in protecting workers on insecure visas.
Vocational workers at RMIT University took strike action once again, from Thursday 25 July and Wednesday 7 August, over management’s refusal to negotiate a new EBA which expired 2 and a half years ago. 3CR’s Priya caught up with RMIT University’s NTEU Branch Committee member Liam Ward back in March when both university and vocational staff were on strike, just to remind you how long this dispute was going on for.Later in the program, Priya interviews vocational staff member, Tami Gadir about ongoing industrial action at RMIT, but also to contextualise this industrial action in relation to worker solidarity with Palestine as Israel escalates its genocidal campaign of bombing and starvation in Gaza. Note: Priya is also an RMIT employee and NTEU member, and has been on strike with colleagues. Donate to the strike fund here.
In today's program we hear from workers at the Saputo factory in Burnie Tasmania who have been on the grass for six weeks as they fight for wages parity between workers at the Tasmanian factory and their mainland colleagues.
You will no doubt have caught up with the crisis in the CFMEU, starting in Victoria, but impacting the entirety of the union. The CFMEU has long been targeted by governments, media, business and some parts of the general population. While Stick Together does not have a position statement about the CFMEU, we absolutely defend the right of workers of a union to determine their own leadership and their own affairs. And the reality is, the successive Australian governments have systematically introduced anti-union laws making it impossible to effectively fight for workers right – significant ant-worker reforms introduced by the Australian Labor Party.Like the Builders Labourers Federation before it, the CFMEU is now facing the prospect of deregistration. Today’s show is the story of the BLF’s deregistration. Union activist John Tognolini produced the audio for today’s show, it’s narrated by Lisa Cruikshank, former presenter of Stick Together over 20 years ago.
Stick Together is a half-hour weekly show about workers rights and current affairs. Stick Together features interviews with workers, unionists, community campaigners and academics from right across Australia. Stick Together also explores the contribution that unions make to broader social justice movements, such as environmental campaigns, indigenous sovereignty, women's rights, migrants' rights and more. (3CR) This weeks episode host James Brennan speaks with Janene Rox about the campaign Unite for Change looking to bring early years educators wages and conditions in line with other educators in NSW.
This week two reports. The first from CSIRO, Australia's premier public research organisation which is facing the pruning of a 1/3 of its work force. We follow that with a report which takes us to the most recent weekly rally in support of Palestine on the steps of the State Library in Melbourne with a speech by AEU member Elspeth Blunt.
On this week’s episode of Stick Together, focus on the Wilmar Sugar dispute in Queensland, which we’ve been providing you with updates over the past year or so. Just a reminder, workers from eight plants of sugar giant Wilmar International have rejected its new wage offer as of 11th June.Some 84.7% of 1,200 workers voted against the pay proposal from the Singapore-owned company. Unions have temporarily suspended industrial action at mills run by Australia's largest sugar producer as negotiations over worker pay resume. My guest later in the program today is Jim Wilson from the Australian Workers Union.Plus some union news.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) in England has started to develop resources on the issue via the Cool It campaign, but is that enough? We know that the deadly heatwaves are going to keep happening, so we need a plan to make sure people are protected now and in the years to come. In this episode of Stick Together we hear some of the speakers at the Heat Strike: Workplace temperature and Climate Justice on-line rally full event here
Stick Together is a half-hour weekly show about workers rights and current affairs. Stick Together features interviews with workers, unionists, community campaigners and academics from right across Australia. On this week's episode Host James Brennan speaks with Western Saharan union leader Mohamed Mayara on organising in Western Sahara and International solidarity.
Today we hear two stories that give us an insight into how Unions fit into ordinary workers lives. In the first we hear from Heidi, a plumber, who I met on May Day celebrations as she outlines her journey into a trade and her changing view on the role of unions in her working life. We then move to an interview with Martin Murphy, a CFMEU steward, as he outlines a serious incident and how the Union worked for a better outcome for the affected workers.
On this week’s episode of Stick Together, we look at the struggle for decolonisation in Kanaky with Nic Mclellan. Plus some union news from Australia and the world.
Today we go down to one of the Stop the Ports Rallies held across the country by Unionists for Palestine to highlight the need for Australia to cease aiding and abetting the war on Palestine. In Melbourne thousands covered first at Station Pier then Sandridge Beach in a community gathering emphasising that Unions are not just institutions but made up of the sum total of the individuals that are members. Running underneath the surface of this show of solidarity was the awareness that in NSW members of unions and peace activists are facing criminal proceedings under new draconian anti-protest laws in that state for protesting at Port Botany earlier in the year.
On this week’s episode of Stick Together, we finally have an outcome at that ongoing struggle at DP World in a couple of states across the country, so we’ll have a chat to Aarin Moon, the Victorian State Assistant Secretary of the MUA. Also, a number of progressive trade unions moved a slate of pro-Palestine motions at the Victorian State Labor Conference over the weekend of 18 & 19 May. I spoke with one of the movers of that motion, Tony Picolo, the Victorian State Assistant Secretary of the AMWU.
Stick Together is a half-hour weekly show about workers rights and current affairs. On this week's episode host James Brennan brings us some union news from across the country. We hear about the reformation of the United Auto Workers union in the United States. As two organisers speak about how the union turned around the corrupt and conservative union into one fighting for workers rights and leading the largest strike in the industry in over 25 years.
Special May Day broadcast with featured speeches from the Sydney and Melbourne May Day rallies, as well as union news from Turkiye, Indonesia and Thailand.
This week's Stick Together is a feature on International Workers Memorial Day the 28th of April. First we go to the memorial held in Melbourne. A large crowd gathered on Monday 29th of April at 10.30am to remember the 55 workers who died in the last 12 months of work related injuries in Victoria. Then we go to the Melbourne Rally for Palestine held on the Sunday 28th where Jiselle Hanna from Australia Asia Worker Links (AAWL) gave an international perspective to the memorial of workers who have lost their lives doing thier jobs.
Today we go into the murky side of the just transition economy where Powering the Future can sometimes mean unsafe conditions, and dodgy pay. We talk to Michael Wright, National Secretary of the ETU, about a better future.
The radical Jewish tradition – revolutionaries, resistance fighters and firebrands is a new book released by Interventions by Donny Gluckstein and Janey Stone.Janey Stone is a lifelong socialist and political activist, she has been a union delegate and participated in the student anti-Vietnam war and women’s liberation movements.As an anti-Zionist Jew she has written and presented about resistance to the Nazis in Germany and Poland by Jews and many other topics including women workers, sexual politics, the middle east and radical Jewish history.
Today four reports which give some insights into the changing industrial landscape in Australia. We hear some reflections from the MUA after the successful negotiations of the new eba with DP World and its ramifications across the world. We hear from Zac Smith, the new National Secretary of the Construction Division of the CFMEU on their new campaign to support a Public Housing Build in Australia, and we hear about related issues 'roster justices' and the right to disconnect'.
Workers at RMIT commenced a week of industrial action on Monday. The current EBA expired more than 1000 days ago, and the bosses at RMIT have spent much of that 1000 days attacking the conditions of workers. If you’re in the Melbourne CBD this morning or tomorrow morning, head down to Building 1 on Bowen Street to join the picket line.
There is a battle going on for Australia's energy future. I caught up with Dr Colin Long the Just Transitions Organiser at Victorian Trades Hall Council to find out the state of play for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel and nuclear after a recent announcement by the Federal Government of the third offshore wind zone near Warrnambool, Victoria.
Stick Together is a half-hour weekly show about workers rights, union news and current affairs.This episode is hosted by James Brennan, with national union news from disputes in NTEU, CFMEU, ETU and RTBU plus an interview with Sarah Garnham on the Marxism conference.
March 8th was International Women’s Day often called International Working Women’s Day taking all work paid and unpaid into consideration. We will hear some speeches from rank-and-file CFMEU women who focused on wins and on-going struggles. We follow with a word from a rally held outside the ABC offices in Melbourne one of seven held around the country in support of Antionette Latouf sacked from the ABC after posting a comment on social media on the use of starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinian’s in Gaza who ironically was facing a Fair work Commission hearing for unfair dismissal and discrimination on the basis of race and political opinion on International Women’s Day.
We head over to the Myanmar People’s Summit, held in Melbourne Victoria, alongside, and in protest of the gathering of the Association of South East Asian Nations. In fact, Xanana Gusmao, the Prime Minister of East Timor, opened the Myanmar People’s Summit, and that’s the speech we broadcast for you on this episode.Also, union news:1. DP World and ETU2. RTBU - Vline3. NSW Government and FBEU4. Serco - CPSU5. TWU – Cleanaway6. TWU - Qantas7. ASU and Gender Pay Gap8. SIEU (USA) and Starbucks9. Oil Workers in Kazakhstan
The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance the MEAA called for the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian Journalists for Monday Feb 26th saying that since October, over 100 journalists have been killed in Gaza. This is 10% of the workforce killed in an unprecedented attack on press freedom it said. The ASU the Australian Services Union members in the community legal centre sector took the issue a step further calling for a walk out on Thursday 22nd of February. We joined the hundreds of people who clogged the pavements outside the Victorian Council of Social Services offices in the Melbourne CBD.
We speak with Catarina Cinnani from the Untied Workers Union about a matter currently before the Federal Court involving 12 women farm workers who have levelled sexual harassment allegations against staff at Perfection Fresh. Plus Union News:DP World and the MUAV/Line and the RTBUFederal Govt staff and the CPSUTransgrid and the ETUTasPorts and AMOUQantas and AFAPMultiplex and CFMEUSamsung and Sth Korean unionsInformal workers in IndiaGo to the UWU website to support the Perfection 12: https://unitedworkers.org.au/https://unitedworkers.org.au/media-release/perfection-12-launch-album-of-songs-after-filing-one-of-the-biggest-workplace-sexual-harassment-cases-in-the-federal-court/https://www.rottenperfection.org/album/
In this programme we hear from Employment & industrial law solicitor Mackenzie Wakefield on the NTEU’s case against Queensland University of Technology, and the larger problem of job insecurity in Australia’s universities.
Down on Webb Dock on the Melbourne foreshore on Monday 22 Victorian police made an all out assault on a community picket called by Unions for Palestine against the docking of an Israeli ship of the Zim shipping line. All around the country similar actions have taken place as people here in Australia react to Israeli lead genocide in Gaza. Today we speak to organisers of the Webb Dock Picket to find out why Palestine is Union business.
Elena Lopez of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) speaks on cross-border worker solidarity in the face of job offshoring. Elena spoke at a public meeting organised by the Trade Justice Education Fund about the realities of how corporate-driven trade agreements hurt working people everywhere, and the importance of promoting fair trade policy alternatives that are rooted in cross-border worker solidarity rather than hate. Coverage of the following disputes: • DP World and MUA • RTBU – Vline • ETU – Transgrid • HACSU Tasmania - The Hobart Clinic • TWU – Cleanaway • AMOU – TasPorts • VAU - Ambulance Victoria • Sircilla power loom workers end strike action • Philippines jeepney drivers hold national strike
Stick Together is a weekly show focusing on union news, workers issues and social justice, on this week's show James Brennan looks at the history of Australia day and the origins of January 26 as a national public holiday. This episode brings in Aboriginal voices to talk about what the day means to them and reflects on the winds of change.
We hear from Mike Treen from Unite New Zealand and workers from RAFFWU about their Christmas action at Coles and Woolworths for a living wage, safe work conditions and job security.
Today's show brings you news about trade unionists in the Philippines that are being targetted by the Marcos Jnr administration and are being extra judicially executed in order to prevent their organising attempts. The guest today is Elmer Labog, General Secretary of the Kilusang Mayo Uno, the militant union federation in the Philippines And news updates about:- Emergency Service Workers (range of unions)- Serco Mobile Speed Camera Operators (CPSU)- NSW Paramedics (HSU)- Virgin Cabin Crew (TWU)- Engineered stone ban (CFMEU)- Global union support for Palestine
Today we go down to the docks in Melbourne to a rally organised by Unions for Palestine. We hear an account from an MUA veteran, an AEU member as teachers step up in support of educators in Palestine who are losing their lives and from a Uni student taking on the might of the establishment at University of Melbourne (Students for Palestine - MelbUni) who have failed to respond to the destruction of the Islamic University in Gaza.
On this week's episode of stick together host James Brennan brings voices from the Melbourne laucnh of a new book 'Knocking the top off' a people's history of alcohol in Australia. We are from editors Alex Ettling and Iain McIntyre and congributing writer Jeff Sparrow live from the John Curtain hotel across the road from Trades Hall.
On today’s show we bring you news on the V-Line workers proposed strike action commencing on 13 December as well as an update on Bangladesh’s biggest spontaneous uprising of garment workers in over 10 yearsUnion News:- CFA vehicle maintenance workers in Victoria (ASU)- Utilita Water Solutions workers in QLD (AMWU & ETU)- BAE systems workers in WA (ETU)- APA Gasnet workers in Victoria (ETU & AMWU)- New Zealand nurses on strike- Palestinian workers stranded in Israel, tortured and unlawfully detained- Anganwadi workers in India go on strike
Two reports today. We go to the steps of Victorian Parliament with the Respect March held on Nov 24th. We hear from Professor Kate Fitz Gibbon from Respect Victoria about how workers, Unionists and society members in general can turn the tide of gender based violence marking the beginning of the global 16 days of activism campaign. Bec Stiles, Early Childhood Educator and United Workers Union member, talks to about the padlocks on childcare centres action held on the 29th November across the country, to push the stalled Federal Government into fulfilling their pre-election promise for better pay and conditions for the sector.
On today's show we bring you an update on the EnerSys dispute between the company, and members of the ETU – based out in Thomastown in Melbourne. Those workers are entering week 19 of their dispute.We also bring you union news from the following disputes:- BHP train drivers in the Pilbara (MEU)- NSW Paramedics (HSU)- DP World workers (MUA)- Virgin airlines ground and cabin crew (TWU)- Workers in Palestine- Arrested union leader in Myanmar
Stick Together is a half-hour weekly show about workers rights and current affairs. This episode of stick together is looking back at 100 years of radio in Australia. Playing some early audio of community radio and looking at the ways that radio has impacted the country.
On this week’s show we are going to hear about The People’s blockade taking place from november 24-29, The People’s Blockade will take place at Horseshoe Beach in the Port of Newcastle/Muloobinba the biggest coal port in the world.This national action, organised by Rising Tide, aims to help build a strong, socialmovement of people engaging in direct action to achieve their goals.
2 reports today. Earlier this month the Union Solidarity organisation Australia Asia Worker Links AAWL reported a victory for sacked Sri Lankan union leaders after eleven years of court action against Australian based multinational Ansell. We follow this with a look at Australia's broken temporary work visa system and how if immigration policy was at the right setting there could be a win for both employers, workers, and society.
On today's program's focus is on Palestinian Solidarity amongst workers in Australia. Union Aid Abroad APHEDA - Global SolidarityGaza Emergence AppealStand with the people of GazaWith your support, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's partner organisation MA'AN Development Center will work with local organisations to provide access to water, food, medical supplies and shelter; psychosocial support for families and individuals; and dignity and hygiene kits for displaced people here.
In today’s program we will feature Union solidarity with Palestine as Gaza is bombarded by the Israeli army . The word that the world has been applying is genocide with no regard for international law. First we remember the worst industrial disaster in Australian history, find out how business thinks 1 in 100 workers dying of silica dust inhalation is less important than what surface you have on your kitchen tops and why Public Housing is under the hammer and how Unions fit in.
Stick together is a half hour weekly show focusing on union news, workers issues and social justice. On this week's show host James Brennan speaks with AMWU Victoria state secretary Tony Mavromatis on stop work actions at B&D doors in victoria.
This week we focus on the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union, RAFFWU's #Super Strike held on Saturday 8th followed by a look at the National Tertiary Education Union, the NTEU, Melbourne Uni second week of strike action that started on Oct 2.
The first strike action in Australian Supermarket history is set to start by the end of the week. Woolworths and Coles workers represented by RAFFWU are striking for living wages, safer workplaces and secure jobs. While Coles and Woolworths post massive billion-dollar annual profits during a cost-of-living crisis, its workers have missed out. Josh Cullinan, secretary of the fighting union RAFFWU explains what is going.You can show your support for striking Woolworths workers through the following actions:– Donate to the RAFFWU strike fund– Email the CEO of Woolworths, Brad Banducci, at bbanducci@woolworths.com.au and let them know that workers deserve a fair share. Copy us in with woolies@raffwu.org.au– Email the CEO of Coles, Leah Weckert, at leah.weckert@coles.com.au and let them know that workers deserve a fair share. Copy us in with coles@raffwu.org.au– Soon we will be selling merch so you can let everyone know that you support the #superstrike!– Sign up to receive RAFFWU updates to stay informed about worker actions and supporter events.– Spread the word to your friends and family!We’re stronger together, and your solidarity matters. Let’s make sure that essential workers get the wages and conditions they deserve.
Our main feature today is the Transport Workers Union win against Qantas. Qantas was found to have illegally outsourced 1,700 jobs during pandemic. We speak to the Assistant National Secretary of the TWU, Nick McIntosh, about the win.
In this episode host James Brennan speaks with ASU organiser Kerry Davies about the new fair jobs code for community sector workers and what it will mean for workers in that sector. The union workign alongside the state Labor Government has developed a plan to combat short term contracts and pay linked to Government funding.
Murdoch media outlets are saying we will all be 'rooned' if the legislation for same job, same pay goes ahead. We look at how this is just a big end of town smoke screen.First we look at the gig economy and then the Melbourne Union workers who went out on strike last week.
Three reports: - UnionsNSW commemorate the Wave Hill Walk-off & call for a Yes Vote in the up-coming Voice to Parliament Referendum.- ITF week of action at NSW ports with more to come further down the east coast.- Melbourne Uni workers take industrial action
In today’s program we go down to Brunswick St in the heart of the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy to the rally held by social service organistion Brotherhood of St Laurence workers calling for a wages increase that keeps up with inflation not a wage cut. Their calls are being echoed across the country.
We look at the ACTU Inquiry into Price Gouging and Unfair Pricing Practices to be headed by Professor Allan Fels, former Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Then we speak to an ASU delegate from Brotherhood of St Laurence where workers have taken strike action for wages that keep abreast of inflation.
Stick Together host James Brennan speaks with Oli a delegate from the western branch of the Renters and Housing union about how the union formed, current campaigns and how to get involved in the union.
The TWU, Drivers & Industry members formed convoys across the country to highlight the need for reform in the transport industry as legislation is introduced into Federal Parliament. We hear from Michael Kaine, (TWU) and a driver about why reform is needed.
We are going down outside the Convention Centre, Melbourne to a rally of Unions called by the MUA, the Maritime Union of Australia, who were targeting Orsted, the Danish company, the world’s biggest offshore wind power developer, whose CEO Mads Nipper was due to speak at Australia Wind Energy 2023 inside. Orsted has a record of trashing union jobs in America where they reneged on a deal with the ILA, the International Longshoremen's Association, in New Hampshire. As we hear from the speakers at the rally it was the ILA members who supported Australian wharfies in such major disputes as the Patricks 1987 dispute and more recently the protracted dispute with QUBE in Freemantle. Now it is Australia’s turn to stand up for their American comrades and secure local jobs.
Three reports today. Firstly, we go to Victoria University where the National Tertiary Education Union, the NTEU has been hit with the announcement of 300 full time job losses, in the second restructure at VU in 3 years, all during the latest EA negotiations. We hear from the Australian Writers Guild, the AWG, on how the massive strike of writers and now actors in the US affects creative workers in Australia. Finally, we talk with some young internees learning all about Unions and organising workers.
On this week’s show we are going to hear an excerpt from Clifton D’Rozario who is an elected leader of the Communist party Marxist Leninist Liberation in India. He is involved in workers and union struggles in India, in this talk he speaks about fight to save democracy in India and the creeping fascism of Modi.
On 22 June United Workers Union (UWU) members at Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API) in Dandenong Melbourne went on strike. After long hours and wage increases sacrificed during covid they want a $2.25 increase per hour and an agreement that would prevent agency casual workers from getting paid significantly less than the permanent workforce of around 190 workers. We go to the family day put on at the beginning of their third week on the grass.
We hear from Arthur Rorris about the Port Kembla's view of being a parking spot for nuclear subs. News items:Hussey workers winCPSU want moreABC restructure means more job lossesEmployers responsible for mining deaths.
Host James Brennan speaks with Sue and Jacob from socialist alliance about the Eco Socialism conference, talking about some of the local topics being covered such as housing and unions as well as looking at south east Asia, climate struggle and global militarism and the positioning of Australian foreign policy around perceived threats from China.
On this episode we remember Daniel Ellsberg who passed away and his contribution to the anti-war movement and we go into more detial about the Australian strategic review on defense policy with Jacob Grech.
A focus on silicosis that insidious disease that increasingly is stalking the young in work places as varied as tunnellers, concreters, kitchen bench makers and grave stone carvers. We hear from some of the speakers at the Injured Workers Day at VTHC and round it off with a word from CFMEU’s Gerry Ayres at the most recent May Day who spoke about the national Union campaign to protect workers from an early grave from silicosis.
We go outside Victoria Trades Hall on Tuesday 29th of May with a very large crowd of people gathered for the unveiling of the workers' hero Zelda D’prano. A fighter for women's equality and a mighty Union woman. Speeches from Will Struke, Julia Gillard, Dr Claire Wright and a chat with Alma Geekie.
From sham contracting, low causal pay and high rates of casualization, shutting down of local services, the appropriation of greenspaces, draconian anti protest laws and the imprisonment and murder of unionists in countries in our region. The common threat in all the news this week is that collective effort, solidarity, is the only way forward for a better future.
Today we have the recent Federal Budget in focus. NENA the New Economy Network Australia recently hosted a discussion lead by Matt Grudnoff, senior economist at the Australia Institute, that aimed to break down the budget so ordinary people could get a grip on some of the issues that affect our lives directly.
Australia continues to become a state focused on militarism. The AUKUS agreement planned by former PM Morrison is being set by PM Albanese. The recent defense review paper continues a steady climb for Australia to become a military power in the region. A concerning part of this is the use of the nuclear industry, on this show Tilman Ruff from ICAN speaks about the nuclear threat to Australian politics.
From May 1 to 5 the National Tertiary Education Union, the NTEU, called a national week of action with stop work rallies across Australia’s public Universities. On Wednesday May 3rd Victorian NTEU members took part in a 24hr strike, with members from Monash, University of Melbourne, RMIT University, La Trobe, VU and Deakin University Branch all joining at Trades Hall in Carlton, for a stop work meeting and rally. First up some of the members tell us why they were there.
Today we hear some reflections on the cost-of-living crisis in a rural context from Dave Fox from the AMWU and Secretary of the Bendigo Trades and Labour Council We then draw the lens back to a world trade perspective, IPEF, the Indo Pacific Economic Framework and the most recent update from Trade Justice Fund America on the progress of IPEF the latest US economic pact being hammered out which includes Australia and 12 of our nearest neighbours.
This week's Stick Together Program is actually from the vault as far back as 2012 to honour the passing of the well known Father Bob McGuire. The replaying of the program was prompted by the many comments in appreciation of Father Bob's work and that it is always good to learn from his own voice what he was on about. The program was centred on how Unions supported Father Bob's work as he himself supported workers and others who society has maligned. The program includes the then secretary of the Victorian ETU the Electrical Trades Union Dean Mighell.
Portland local David Rovics spends his time touring across the United States and Europe writing songs that represnt radical politics both historical and current. He recently returned to Australia for the first time in a few years touring across the east coast, host James Brennan spoke with him about his music and some of the campaigns he's witnessed and been apart of across his recent journey.
On the Wednesday before Easter the CFMMEU Construction and General division called a national day of action in the lead up to their new eba and the upcoming announcements around the Annual Wages Review which sets the pay for the lowest paid workers in Australia. We go to the 20,000 strong Melbourne rally.
Today two struggles from two different ends of the spectrum with the same issues at the core – pay and conditions. First we hear from Tony Mavromatis, Victorian State Secretary of the AMWU, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union about the strike action by workers at the Visy Plant in the rural centre Shepparton in Victoria. Support the strike fund:BANK: NABBSB: 082-057ACCOUNT NUMBER: 18-898-9948ACCOUNT NAME: AMWU Disaster Appeal AccountREFERENCE: Visy Shepp We follow up with a report on the NTEU, National Tertiary Education Union strike action at Sydney University on March 31 and to be repeated on April 5th in the longest eba negotiation in the University’s history.
Today we listen to a fascinating talk by Andrew Leigh, MP Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury in the Federal Labor Government. The talk was fascinating because Leigh gives some analysis of why workers wages are so low despite productivity increases and now soaring prices. Put on by Per Capita the talk was titled : How Uncompetitive Markets Hurt Workers.
Today we are looking at the use of legislative manoeuvring by Governments to suppress dissent. First in Victoria and then in the UK.
This episode continues the interview with James Brennan spekaing to David Spratt and Jacob Grech, last episode they spoke about the 20th anniversary of the Valentines day peace protest. This episode looks at how political organising has changed since then and how we reflect on the peace movement in its succeses and failures.
To honour International Women’s Day we look at two stories about working women the first a work place victory and the second a push for positive change. We hear from Australian Education Union organiser Hanae Honda here about her days as an AEU delegate and then follow-up the work going on to increase women in the trades first from AMWU's Courteney Munn here and then Hacia Atheron from EWT, Empowered Women in Trades here.
Two reports today. We hear from Danny Miller, AMWU the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union organiser at the Visy plant in Shepperton in rural Victoria where the workers have been taking strike action for fair pay since mid-January. Reminder to those wishing to support the Visy workers you can still donate hereBANK: NABBSB: 082-057ACCOUNT NUMBER: 18-898-9948ACCOUNT NAME: AMWU Disaster Appeal AccountREFERENCE: Visy Shepp We follow that with a word with Dr Alison Barnes, the national president of NTEU, the National Tertiary Education Union, about wage theft, precarious work and a call for an enquiry into the management ethos in our universities.
Workers in Australia have seen the slow increases in wages over the last decade wiped off the map by recent inflation. Wages for essential workers are thousands of dollars less than they were 10 years ago. Should workers have to shoulder the brunt of the new inflation wave or is business floating on a wave of profits that they have become addicted to? We ask the hard questions.
On the Valentines day weekend in 2003 millions of people took to the streets across the world to protest the invasion of Iraq. This year marks the 20th anniversary of those protests. On this week's episode of Stick Together host James Brennan speaks with two organisers of the Melbourne protest that kicked off the weekend David Spratt and Jacob Grech.
Part 2 in a chat with Kristen O' Connell from the Anti-Poverty Centre looking at if the change of Federal Government is changing things for people dealing with social security.
We speak with Kristen O'Connell from the Anti-Poverty Centre in a two part conversation about the political nature of poverty and the practical bureacracy which maintains it in Australia.
Today we are finding out about the Indo Pacific Economic Framework, the latest free trade deal being hammered out between the US and thirteen Indo Pacific Nations including Australia. We hear from Arthur Stamoulis, from Trade Justice Education Fund, for an overview of IPEFand then from Patrick Wadell, from AFL - CIO Technology Institute, for a look at the issues in a digital world when it comes to trade deals.Links to Trade Justice Education Fund actions and information:Write IPEF NegotiatorsLike and share on socials!TwitterInstagram FBOrganizational Sign-On Letter on IPEF
Professor Michael Mann discusses how the new political leaders in the United States and Australia may give us hope to shift climate policy that has been left behind for so long. Join host James Brennan as they discuss these issues ahead of Michael's upcoming NZ and Australian tour.
At the end of 2022 WRAW Women's Rights at Work Conference gave centre stage to some very interesting discussions around what could be called industrial issues. Giving an insight into how far ranging and inclusive the broader Union movement sees its role when it comes to organising. Hyeseon Jeong from the Migrant Workers Centre makes it plain that Migration policy is an industrial issue while Jamad Hersi, from the Women of Colour Network and a CPSU member, talks about how women of colour have been changing the culture at the Victorian Public Service.
On the 25th of November there was a sea of orange on the steps of Victorian Parliament House as people gathered at the start of the walk Against Family Domestic Violence. The orange hats from Respect Victoria called for positive change. In today’s program we hear from people at the rally, speakers and an ASU rep who was part of the ground breaking eba negotiation that put domestic violence leave in for the first time at Surf Coast Council. Since then the passing of the 10 Days Paid Domestic Violence Leave Legislation has been passed into Federal Law see.
Host James Brennan reflects back on the political year of 2022 with elections reaffirming a Labor governance across a lot fo the country and looking at some of the issues covered throughout the year. We also revisit one of the great interviews from earlier in the year with Kamala Emanuel on the impact of Row v Wade in Australia.
The FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been built on the bones of thousands of exploited immigrant workers from poor countries. Today we explore the actual practicalities of those workers. Nigel Davies a now retired CFMEU official who was part of the red card for FIFA campaign talks about his experience of doing an OH&S walk through of the conditions for these workers housed in shipping containers in the desert of Qatar in 50 degree heat with no air conditioning and inadequate water supplies where 20 year olds died when their bodies shut down and ended up being shipped back to their home countries in body bags and registered as dieing of natural causes giving their families no access to compensation. Billions of dollars were spend to put on these games but not one penny could be spared for the workers liveable conditions leaving only the question why?
This week I spoke with Ellise from the Renters and Housing Union about the work they have been doing to support tenants in the current housing crisis. We spoke about the challenges tenants face in a system skewed towards investors and the importance of building solidarity amongst members.
Leading the program today is the news from the Svitzer dispute. The threat by Svitzer the Danish multinational, with a near monopoly on towage in Australian ports, to lock out workers came to a head on Friday 18th of November with the Fair Work Commission pulling rank over the threat to the entire Australian economy of such an action.
Stick Together host James Brennan speaks with IPAN (Independent and Peaceful Australia Network) chairperson Annette Brownlie about the upcoming national conference.
The most recent Women's Right's at Work conference held at the Melbourne ETU offices in North Melbourne brought Union women from across industries to discuss issues of equity and fight back. A representative of Australia Superannuation gave an enlightening analysis of how super at the moment is not working for women and then goes on to see how this could be altered. So first up why super isn’t delivering enough for women, then what are the four factors behind this and finally what can be done.
This week we hear from Debbie Uren from Union Assist about her work supporting injured workers in regional Victoria. We talk about the process of making a claim and how difficult the system is to navigate.
In this epsiode of Stick Together host James Brennan interviews Sam Wallman about his comic 'Our members be unlimited' a comic that explores the union movement in Australia from the past to current struggles with beautiful drawings.
There is a perception that with the onslaught of the digital economy, precapious work and suppressed wages that young workers know little about fighting for a better working future through collective action. In today's program we put pay to this belief. We hear from Mayse an organiser for the newest Union on the block the Games Workers Union, from Lucas an organiser for RAFFWU the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union, and Ben and Bailey from the Art Workers Collective.
I speak with Dave Fox from Bendigo Trades Hall about why he is organising a local rally and vigil for Julian Assange on October 8th and why it is so important to our democracy. And of course some union news.
KEEP BLACK SPARK ALIGHT!Black Spark is an independent, volunteer-run bookshop, gallery, music and community space in Northcote, Naarm, dedicated to creativity, learning and liberation.In the isolation and despair of Naarm's first lockdown, an idea sparked between friends to transform disconnection into creativity. What began as a simple idea for a bookstore has now evolved into a project that rekindles solidarity, contemplation and the creative urge in absurd and uncertain times.Black Spark is a welcoming and supportive space for the entire community - free of charge! Our art, music and literary events are funded by a pay-as-you-feel system, so no one is turned away.As a collective of volunteers, we are dedicated to bringing people and ideas together. For the last year, we have self-funded Black Spark, and welcomed countless grassroots community organisations, creatives and collaborators through our doors.In this weeks epsiode host James Brennan interviews Sienna and Mercedes from Black Spark about the campaign to keep the arts and political space going.
We go to the Melbourne Big Steps Rally where Early Childhood Educators call for better pay, more respect and a restructure of their industry. Readings Bookshop workers are fighting for a living wage and we go to their most recent rally outside Readings Carlton Melbourne store.
Today we catch up with Mich-elle Myers, currently the Campaigns Director and Elected National Divisional Womens Representative of the Maritime Union of Australia Division of the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union about the upcoming Women In Male Dominated Industries WIMDOI Conference. We follow with a look at the ABCC the Australian Building and Construction Commission. We finish with a Song for Christopher - his death at work underlined by Dave Noonan why Unions are so necessary on Construction Sites.
This week we hear the voices of apprentices as the Young Workers Centre gears up for its campaign for better outcomes for apprentices and we catch with Wil Stracke, assistant secretary at Victorian Trades Hall, as she joined other Union women on the streets of Melbourne to talk about the pay gap for women on Unequal Pay Day on Monday 29th August.Pay Gap Calculator here
This week we find out about the win for Downer employees at the Newport facility and go to the most recent solidarity rally outside Readings Carlton Store in Melbourne in support of fair pay for Readings workers.
Exerts taken from a live panel, this episode features speakers from a fundraiser for Stick Together that took place in July 2022.The speakers Zelda Grimshaw speaks about blockade Australia and Anthony Kelly speaks about the Melbourne activist legal service. As well as general discussion around building a left wing movement on climate action.
Two reports this week. Protected action at ports around Australia as workers from all three Unions operating towage services at Svitzer push back against the company’s move to slash their wages and conditions. While on the streets outside Readings independent booksellers, workers represented by RAFFWU are calling for wage rise and no more union busting tactics.
We hear stories from Penny Fitzgerald, a worker from the male dominated automotive industry, about her experiences in the 1970s and 80s selling cars in country Victoria.
The question we are looking at is who decides what our lived environments, our cities, should be like and do working people have a choice about them or is it all about big money, developers, and the expression of power through government policy.
Early this month workers at Better Read Than Dead, a bookshop in Newtown Sydney had their first EBA ratified at the Fair Work Commission. This ground-breaking agreement has ramifications for other retail workers in Australia. We hear about their struggle. We follow up with a speech by Dave Noonan, National Secretary of the CFMMEU Construction Division, in support of Julian Assange on July 3rd, Julian Assange’s 51st birthday.
Kamala Emanuel is an abortion rights activist and doctor who has been fighting and delivering for women across the country in this interview she speaks with James Brennan about the overturning of Row v Wade and waht impact that might have in Australia.
We hear analysis from economist Alison Penngton about how the pandemic has impacted women's participation in the workforce and what we could do to change it. Plus union news focusing on women in the workforce.
Climate Activists from direct action colllective Blockade Australia were targeted by new anti-protest laws in NSW, with activists spied on and arrested for planning event sin Sydney at the end of June 2022. These critical unpaid workers are facing significant threats from state and fderal governments, with new laws featring huge fines and prison sentences being legislated in Tasmania and Victoria as well as NSW. Also on the program, we look at thw world's largest trial of the 30-hour working week, run by the not-for-profit organisation 4 Day Week Global. Who is organising this pish for shorter working weeks and what does it mean for workers.
Positive outcomes for injured workers is always put against the premiums payed by employers. We go to Injured Workers Day event at Victorian Trades Hall and hear from injured workers and some of the actions by unions to move toward a better future.
Wage suppression has been going on for 40 years. The issue of wages and standard of living has reached a critical point as workers demand that profits are being gained at the expense of a fair deal.
On this week's epsidoe of Stick Together host James Brennan interviews long time socialist and climate activist Alex Bainbridge about what the Labor Government climate policy looks like and how we can push for further change.
This week we hear from Tanya McConvell has she recalls her stay amongst the people responsible for the Wavehill Walk-off at the time.
This week we hear from Jacqui, a local woman who lost her husband in a workplace accident. We also hear from Yorta Yorta woman Dr Mishel McMahon speaking at the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History Conference about what care, community and labour mean to her as a first nations person.
Two reports today the first about journalists and their safety in the field as we mark the shooting death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh here followed by a look at the Early Childhood Education and Care Sector with the release of a new report Meeting Skills Shortages in an Expanding ECEC Industry here.
On this week's episode host James Brennan interviews Victorian Socialist candidate Jerome Small about what it is like for a socialist to run in a federal election and to hear what it's like on the ground heading into the federal election.
This week we visit a memorial commemorating the Rana Plaza disaster. It was on Tuesday April 24th Labour Safety Day in Bangladesh, but we were at Quality Tops in Reservoir, Melbourne where a group of clothing workers bowed their heads remembering the over 1,000 Bengalese’s worker crushed to death when the building they were working in collapsed nine years ago. It was a reminder that worker solidarity is International. Workers International Memorial Day followed on April 28th where again the vow was to remember the dead and fight like hell for the living with the week finishing with May Day Celebrations around the World, we hear some voices from the Melbourne rally outside Victoria Trades Hall voicing their views on why it was important to be there and what the future fight looks like in Australia.
In today's program we hear voices of Temporary Visa workers, from Matt Kunkel from the Migrant Worker's Centre and about a new move by the Victorian Government to provide sick leave for Casual workers.
In today's program we hear voices of temporary visa workers and then hear from Matt Kunkel from the Migrant Worker's Centre and a new move by the Victorian Government to provide sick leave for Casual workers which is a policy lever being employed to push back on the free ride employers have been taking when it comes to their employees’ health.
Concluding the series on the Australian Education sector James Brennan interviews Briley Sharp Vice Presidnet of the primary sector of the Australian Education Union.
First up we hear from the National Secretary of the Australian Education Union Correna Haythorpe about the slashing of Federal funds to Public Education The racially discriminatory Community Development Program has been renewed until July 2024. I spoke to Lara Watson, ACTU Indigenous Officer for some background on the scheme and what this new announcement now means for people on remote communities
Today we feature voices from the School Strike for Climate Action held on Friday 25th March but first some Union news.
A long interview with feminist, socialist and teacher of more than 30 years Mary Merkenich discussing the recent YES vote on a new Victorian Government Schools Agreement. The YES vote carried 61% of delegate votes held over the past 3 weeks - but deep concerns remain about the efficacy of this agreement, with Victorian Teachers remaining the lowest paid in the country. So - what can unionists do next?
Last week was International Working Women's Day. First up a little from Jess Hill, investigative reporter and author, who was speaking at a University of Technology Sydney IWD event, then an up close and personal experience of sexual harassment and fight back at a workplace with the Not Your Honey Campaign, a word from Sally McManus Secretary of the ACTU – the Australian Council of Trade Unions finishing with a story of a person who pushed for equality from the past.
Host James Brennan continues his series on the Australian education system inerviewing the authors of a new book titled Waiting for Gonski: How Australia failed its schools.
Two High Court decisions in early February around the definition of who is an employee and who is a contractor sent shockwaves across the Australian industrial landscape. We discuss the issues with Professor Anthony Forsyth, Department Head of Law at the RMIT Graduate School of Business and Law.Inquiry into Victorian On-Demand Workforce hereProfessor Forsyth's Book: THE FUTURE OF UNIONSAND WORKER REPRESENTATIONHart Publishing
Today on Stick Together we hear from a midwife who has left her profession of more than a decade, no longer willing to work in Covid ravaged hospitals. Plus we cover the RTBU actions in Sydney, Health Workers on strike and the Senate Select Committee on Job Security.
Today we hear from a successful worker lead campaign to maintain conditions and wages at CSR and follow with an insiders view of what is happening for nurses during the covid crisis.
On this week's episode we continue the series on the Australian education system with James Brennan speaking with retired teacher Gerry Beaton. Looking at the changes from the diminished power of the union to the shifting of Government funding from state schools into the private school system.
Today we look at the moves by Patricks Stevedoring Company to wipe out the enterprise agreement on their sites across Australia. This is following a corporate trend coming from Svitzer and Qantas. We follow with a look at Australia's deadliest industry - trucking.
What do rank and file Health Workers think about new policy settings as Omicron runs roughshod over the eastern seaboard, SA and NT? Are health unions, and those of other essential workers, considering more dramatic action as pressure on workers increases? We speak to industrial relations reporter and health care organiser Sarah Hathway.
Is the Federal Government's 'plan' fit for purpose with the omicron variant of covid spreading like wild fire across Australia? We hear from the ACTU, the Aged Care Sector and the Earlier Educators.
This is part one of a series exploring the Australian education system as we hear from educators and others from across the country, in this episode we chat to Ben who has been a teacher in both Victoria and Western Australia about some of the challenges for teachers.
Today we are going to hear from Virginia Eubanks from the University of Albany in America as she talks about her book: Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor. It has particular interest in Australia because of the Federal Governments love affair with similar systems as it pushes to automate our social security system.
In today's episode we chat with Daniel Randall, Union member and transport worker on the Public Transport system in London. I met Daniel during discussions about public tranport's role in the climate emergency at the COP26 People's Summit. I learnt the most extraordinary thing: the London rail system relies on tickets sales because the government does not see it as an essential service. Is this the future?
Unlike teachers, whom at the very least receive a lip-service of support for their critical work, education support workers (ES) are chronically undervalued and unrecognised. As the Victorian Branch of the Australian Education Union fights for a new industrial agreement we speak with an ES staff member and unionist with experience in both the public and private sectors.
Today we continue the discussion around the rise of casualization which is destroying Australian society.We go to a NTEU rally that was held outside a mansion bought by Melbourne University for their Vice Chancellor to live in at the cost of $7.1 million dollars while the University persists in paying academics at casual rates on insecure contracts with the depressing move to cut the rates of pay of phd graduates and pay outs for wage theft. An interesting element at the rally was the inclusion of speakers from the blue collar union the United Workers Union fresh from a victory at Toll kmart Warehouses who were facing the same issues of insecure work and below inflation wage increases and conditions cuts - a situation which in real terms equals a pay cut at the same time that the employers have received win fall profits coming out of the pandemic.
Today we hear from a worker at RMIT who has been part of a long running campaign to win back over $10 million in unpaid wages to RMIT staff. The NTEU has been working with mostly casual staff to reach a settlement with the university of years of unpaid wages.
Today we hear about the successful strike action taken by Country Road Warehouse workers for wage parity and job security earlier this month. We follow with a look at the star of the South Wind Farm project which is endorsed by both the ETU and the MUA.
Today we speak with a different type of worker. No one pays Emma or anyone else from Blockade Australia for the work they've put in to shut down the world's largest coal port in Newcastle Australia. We spoke to her about the action, which ran from the 8th-18 November, and it's importance to workers across the country. Plus, of course, some union news.
Today we hear about a decision from the Fair Work Commission which may pave the way for fair wages in the agricultural industry.
Today we look at the importance of placing workers in the centre of a just transition to combat climate change. We hear from Colin Long the Just Transition Organiser at the Victorian Trades Hall and Luke Skinner from the Climate Justice Union and an organiser for the United Workers Union in Western Australia.
This week on Stick Together Jackson is joined by Josh Sankey, high school teacher and AEU organiser at Albert Park College. With students returning to face-to-face learning after 200+ days of remote education, Josh describes how school staff are feeling about returning to the classroom. Also discussed in the ongoing AEU VGSA dispute, with school staff taking protected industrial action from October 18th.
Today we look at the AUKUS deal and how two Unions have voiced their opposition to Australia jumping in bed with the nuclear fanfare of the Federal Liberal National Government.
On this week's episode Jacob Grech interviews Brett Collins from Justice Action on life inside Australian prisons during the covid-19 pandemic and the campaign the build a prisoners union. Presented by host James Brennan
This week we hear news about the starting of "fake unions" connected to the Liberal and National Parties and their use of strategic use of the fear surrounding Vaccination Mandates for recruitment. Then we hear an interview Jackson did with Tom Tanuki about how the union movement got caught up with the anti-vax movement and the influence of far right activists at the recent protests.
We look at last week's attack on the CFMEU offices in Melbourne from the point of view of Union members inside the office and finish with a plea from the mother of a Victorian nurse who sees first hand the daily trauma the covid pandemic on the workers who are tasked with keeping the health system going.
We hear from Auntie Viv Malo from her talks with protesters at the recent protests in Melbourne. Then we hear about the impacts of COVID lockdowns on workers and their communities in Ballarat.
We look at Sydney's covid outbreak from a worker's point of view following up with a report on the fracking in the Northern Territory - no jobs there.
This week on Stick Together, Jackson is joined by TWU delegate and removalist Nick Reich to talk about moving houses during Covid and dealing with public backlash. We also discussed the Toll strikes for safe working environs as the Amazon Flex, Uber and Deliveroo models threaten conditions across the industry. Finally we touch on the bewildering #standwithtruckies event and how it undermines workers' solidarity.
This week is all about the Red Ribbon Rebellion. We hear from Jim Evans from the Bendigo Historical Society about the annual re-enactment and its significance. We then hear a conversation I had with Luke Martin and Dave Fox from Bendigo Trades Hall Council about the legacy of the rebellion in the labour movement and democracy in Australia.
Workers fight for work life balance at Qube in Fremantle.The United Services Uion talks about the Union reaction to possible privatisation of water and sewage services at the Central Coast Council.Finally we look at what is going on in Sydney with the increasing numbers of covid cases where a group of Sydney-based trade unionists, academics and health care professionals are demanding that the NSW government “Lockdown to Zero”.Facebook – Lockdown to Zero – Health Before ProfitsTwitter - @lockdowntozeroInstagram – lockdown_to_zero
Back in April Annie talked with Michael Kaine National Secretary of the Transport Workers Union about the appalling health conditions for truck drivers across the country fuelled by the extreme pressure of unrealistic delivery deadlines. The last month has seen an horrific number of people killed in truck crashes, I talked with Michael Kaine again about the urgent need for reform in the trucking industry and what it will take to get it. And of course some union news.
In this episode presenter James Brennan interviews senior economist from the centre for future work Alison Pennington about the issues facing workers who are working from home. While casualisation was sold as a felxible working option with the employers holding the power it has meant workers are in insecure work. The covid-19 pandemic has meant many workers are working at least partialy from home.
The National Dust Disease Taskforce’s (NDDT) report - released last week after 2 years has sent shivers down the spine of any one concerned. It recommends a self-regulatory model for industries where there is a risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica – a model that has clearly failed. We follow up on what is being called the new asbestos. A clear and present danger to workers lives.
Loads of news and we hear from Nahui from the La Trobe Student Union who are standing with university staff in the face of hundreds of forced redundancies and the university's union busting activities.
The issue of suppressed wages and insecure work is a worm destroying the apple of Australian life. We hear from a former Geelong Svitzer worker about how the company forced redundencies to bring in labour hire workers to do their jobs. We hear from Sally McManus you talks about The Broken Bargain Australia's growing wages crisis.
This week on Stick Together two new hosts join the program: James Brennan spoke with hospitality worker Mercedes Zanker about recent changes to the membership model of Hospo Voice, a youth-targeted subsidiary of the United Workers Union. Afterwards, Jackson McInerney interviews Renuka (name withheld), who has been casually employed to roll out the vaccine in aged care.
Loads of union news and an interview I did with Dave Kerin from Earthworker Cooperative about why they believe we need to move our economy away from militarism.
Changes to Superannuation mean that young workers will be 'stapled' to their first fund for life unless they change with the industry they work in later in life. This can have fatal affects for those moving into dangerous industries without covering insurance. We talk to Dave Noonan from the CFMMEU Construction Division.
This week we talk with Dr Patricia Ranald from the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network about the recent in principle free trade agreement made between the UK and Australia. We talk about some of the concerns raised about the exploitation of farm workers and animal welfare standards. We also talk about the lack of transparency and democratic processes surrounding the making of the agreement.
Today Stick Together is going to the recent hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Job Security link.The focus is on Amazon. What happened to the union vote at the Amazon Bessemer Warehouse?What is Amazon Flex and how does it exploit workers and undermine the delivery industry?
This week there's heaps of news and then we catch up on some regional news from Dave Fox, Vice-President of Bendigo Trades Hall Council.
We’ll hear from Lara Watson the National Indigenous Officer at the Australian Council of Trade Unions the ACTU who has been part of a four-year campaign to have the CDP in it’s present form to be stopped. We will also hear some comments from some speakers at the recent ACOSS the Australian Council of Social Service budget reply seminar as they wonder aloud at what the Federal Government might have in mind.
On Friday May 21 the School Strike for Climate Change rallies were held in 50 sites across Australia including the Northern Territory, Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia, NSW, South Australia, the ACT, and Victoria. Major Cities and Provincial Centres. A call for action with Union representatives calling for a just transition to good jobs in an Australia no longer dependent on fossil fuel industries. We go to the Sydney and Melbourne rallies to hear from Union voices.
Members First Campaign is contesting the leadership of the Manufacturing Division of the CFMMEU in contested election - the first in over thirty years.#TheirBudget, Our Lives - the Australian Unemployed Workers Union and the Anti-Poverty Network Budget reply.
Last week the Young Workers Centre rallied Apprentices and their supporters together to kick off a campaign calling for change to a work-place culture which puts them at risk for their lives and their future. We hear some of their stories and the solution to this wicked state if affairs.
Today we cover two events that happened last week: International workers Memorial Day & May Day celebrations that mark International Workers Day.
We look at ageism and how it affects older workers and the EveryAGE Counts Campaign which is working against negative trends.
The regulation of cargo ships came into sharp focus this month when two ships were detained because they lacked fuel and food and amenities for their crews. We speak to Ian Bray from the the ITF about the situation.We also look at what is at stake for the SA Ambulance Employees Association as they call for the end of ambulance ramping in their State.
I talk with Max Ogden, author of "A long view from the left" about his role in the union movement and his passion for bringing arts into the workplace and industrial democracy.
The cuts to Jobseeker will throw social security recipients to below poverty payments. The cuts to Jobkeeper imperil a million workers. We report on rallies calling for the breaking of the poverty machine held around the country with the cut to Jobseeker and Keeper payments at the end of March.
The 31st of March is the Transgender Day of Visibility. For this week's episode Tilde will interview a Dani Cotton from the NTEU about the industrial issues trans people face, the particular challenges for the higher education sector, and the opporunities for social movement unionism as trans people come under attack from religious discrimination legislation.
News on the Omnibus Bill, Hungry Panda riders and more, and we take a look at how today's apprenticeships don't look anything like they did in 1969. Felicity Sowerbutts from the Young Workers Centre talks about the issues apprentices face today and how we can support them.
We cover some union news and then we hear from a 94 year old woman about her thoughts on work, being a worker and what she thinks of the aged care system.
Seattle City Light hired 10 women for the first time in the 1970's and fired them because of rampant sexism. It ended in a 7 ½ year legal battle for reinstatement of the women workers. We go to the Melbourne launch of Ellie Belew's book High Voltage Women, published by Red Letter Press, which tells the story of these heroic women workers.
This week we speak to Josh Cullinan, secretary of the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union, RAFFWU, about casualisation, wage theft and the government's proposed omnibus bill.
Have you ever thought about the health of the people driving the trucks that keep the economy moving? This week we look at the first major survey of truck drivers which shows shocking results for Australia’s most common job for men.We include a tribute to Anne Feeney (1951-2021).
This week we cover news about wage theft, the gig-economy, forced labour and as always workers standing up for their rights. I also talk with Dave Fox from Bendigo Trades Hall about Victoria's first workplace death for 2021.
We caught up with Bernie Constable a shearer and member of the Shearers and Rural Workers Union. Today we get another perspective on what is happening for an industry affected by apparent labour shortages because of covid.
We look at the cuture war surrounding Invasion Day, reflect on the First Nations struggle in 2020 and examine two massive strikes of Indigenous workers during the 20th century.
In today's program we go to a demonstration outside the Park Hotel in Melbourne in support of refugees being held there.We ask, has the political capital of successive Federal Government’s in Australia reaped from cruel refugee policies been spent? Have the fears working people have afraid for their jobs, and safety been calmed by cruelly treating refugees and paying big business billions to run detention centres?
We hear more excerpts from the stories of four comrades who were members of the Communist Party of Australia. Noel Counihan, Kath Williams, Brian Manning and Joyce Stevens.Get your copy of Comrades! at the New International Bookshop
Today we have an interview with Don Sutherland, former Chief Industrial Officer for the AMWU, and a founding member of LIFE Living Incomes for Everyone about the cuts to Jobseeker and why it has knock-on effects for every working Australian in the LNP's game plan for a future Australia.
We speak with Kristin from the AUWU, Loukas from RAFFWU and Giles from CUPUW about the year that was and the challenges for precarious workers across society in one of the most challenging and bizarre years in recent memory.
This week we give an update on the sacred trees on Djab Wurrung country and then hear about the launch of Hospo Voice's new app called mobilise.
We speak with Alison Pennington, Economist from the Centre for the Future of Work, about the Industrial Relations Legislation introduced into Parliament during the last week of Parliament before Christmas. What it will mean for Australian workers if the legislation is passed. Here is a link to Alison's most recent article for Jacobin on the IR legislation.
This week we'll hear Bernard Collaery's speech upon receiving this year's Spirit of Eureka award. The speech was made at the 166th Eureka Rebellion Commemoration.We also hear about why the Morning Star flag was raised at Trades Halls in Melbourne and Ballarat on December 1st.
On today's program we have a look at one man's experience of the cashless welfare card and follow with a word with Mich-Elle Meyers National Women's Liaison Officer at the Marine time Union of Australia the MUA about their commitment to stop gendered violence in the work place.
We cover the true cost of precarity as is relates to the recent South Australian COVID-19 scare, and speakwith Anastasia from CUPUW (Casualised, Unemployed and Precarious University Workers), about how casual university workers are fighting to save their industry. Get in touch with CUPUW (and RSVP to the picnic(!)) here: https://sites.google.com/view/cupuw/home
Hear from the Bendigo Lactalis picket line and what the Renters and Housing Union think about Victoria's social housing announcement.
Australian Post workers don't get Cartier watches and international seafarers collateral damage during covid depend on the ITF.
I speak to Sam the possum who was present at the Djabwurrung Heritage Protection Embassy when the directions tree was cut down. Take action now to support traditional owners protect remaining sacred trees on their country.We also hear inspiring stories from the newly launched book Comrades! Lives of Australian Communists.
As the lockdown in so-called Melbourne was declared over the Andrews government destroys sacred Djab Wurrung women's country to save a couple of minutes on the freeway.Later we talk to Ash from the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union about their workers' caucuses and the struggle for queer rights in the workplace.To donate to Skid Row Radio and keep them on the air please follow this link: https://startsomegood.com/radioskidrow2020
The Morrison Government followed its usual tactic of using commercial advertising spin to push a new slogan jobmaker targeting youth unemployment. Today we hear some reactions to the jobmaker announcements following a look at why TAFE which missed out on budget night is critical for Australia's jobs future.
This week I spoke with Chris Spindler an AMWU organizer to follow up on the workers at the Alstom rail workshop in Ballarat and the hundreds of Yarra Trams maintenance workers who have been affected by payroll discrepancies since July. We’ll also hear from Colin Long, the Just Transitions organizer with the Victorian Trades Hall Council about the challenges involved in transitioning away from fossil fuels and how the pandemic presents us with a unique opportunity for change.
When the PM calls a normal eba negotiation between the MUA and Patrick's at Botany a national emergency and doesn't rule out calling the army you know politics is the main game with the LNP's industrial relations agenda at the forefront with workers being sacrificed. We talk to Paul Garrett from the Sydney Branch of the MUA about the Botany dispute without the political spin.It is the 5oth anniversary of the West Gate Bridge disaster. We talk with Danny Gardner from the West Gate Bridge Memorial Committee. 3cr will be marking the anniversary with a special broadcast at 2pm Thursday 15th October. To catch up after the broadcast Link
We hear from RAFFWU secretary Josh Cullinan about the situation for retail workers as the Morrison government makes drastic cuts to unemployment payments and wage guarantees, leaving at least 1.5 million workers in poverty.
We hear from RMIT university workers after this week's announcement of further job cuts, and casual workers tell their stories of exploitation and discrimination in the hospitality industry.
We catch up with what is happening for temporary visa holders during covid and finish with a word on a move to increase knowledge of worker owned cooperatives from Earthworker Education.
Lots of news and opportunities to take action. We aslo hear the story of the Red Ribbon Rebellion, the beginning of the anti-licence movement and the diggers solidarity on the central goldfields of Victoria.
August 28th was Equal Pay Day or rather the day that brings into focus that there is still a 14% gap between women’s pay for comparative work of men’s and that there is a systemic bias in favour of men that leaves women carrying the weigh of social cohesion but in poverty in old age. Today’s program follows part of the panel discussion hosted by Victorian Trades Hall Council and will be facilitated by the co-Leads of the Women's Team, Jodi Peskett and Pia Cerveri. We hear from panel members Tanja KovacCEO Genvic, Melbourne, Victoria Andrea CarsonPolitical scientist and an Associate Professor in journalism in the Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria Nareen YoungIndustry Professor, Indigenous Policy (Indigenous Workforce Diversity) at Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research at University of Technology, Sydney, NSW.
This week we hear from Adam, an organiser with the Housing Defence Coalition in Warrang (so-called Sydney) about a sucessful eviction defense campaign.Later we have someone from the brand new Psych Patients' Union, learning about issues with psychiatry and how patient's are organising to defend themselves.Get in touch with the Psych Patient's union on discord (https://discord.gg/jCrrTZv) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/MadAnarchism)
Patricks have given wharfies a non-negotiable offering which will set the clock back for their conditions. We revisit the 1998 dispute and the move to protected action on our Ports. We ask the question why do employers attack conditions despite the importance of Port workers during covid?
This week we've got plenty of news to update you on some of what's been happening for workers during the pandemic. We also hear from Brett Edgington, Secretary of the Ballarat Regional Trades and Labour Council about ACM's announcement that it will close their printing factory in Wendouree with over 130 jobs lost. We continue the discussion Annie started last week about the huge impact COVID-19 is having on regional media. Then we'll hear from Scott Collom, an outreach organiser with the Young Workers Centre about how apprentices are struggling to continue their training at TAFE and on the job due to ongoing restrictions and uncertainty.
Country newspapers & cuts to the ABC - what’s at stake and the MEAA s Our Communities campaign. From the media to HALT a suicide prevention initiative aimed specifically at Tradies.
This week we're bringing you highlights from public meetings demonstrating the wealth of grassroots activism taking place across the continent.First we have UWU secretary Tim Kennedy speaking at the Living Incomes For Everyone campaign launch, which aims to fight against the austerity measures and poverty-level welfare arrangements being proposed currently by the federal government.Then we listen in to some highlights from a public meeting of the NTEU Fightback campaign and hear how grassroots union members plan to transform their union over the coming months.
ACTU President Michele O'Neil launches the ACTU's National-Economic-Reconstruction-Plan and we will hear from Walid, the security guard who blew the whistle on the subcontractor involved in the Quarantine hotel security breakdown in Victoria.
First we hear from Kacie Duncan, a Community Projects Officer at Gippsland Trades and Labour Council, about her work with disadvantaged people entering the workforce. Then we hear a chat with Dave Fox, AMWU organiser and history buff, about the state of the movement and where to from here.
First up the Australian Unemployed Workers Union pushes back as the Federal Liberal National Government tries to Govern using Gossip by saying employers can't get workers because the jobseeker/jobkeeper payments are too high - people are too comfortable and aren't interested in taking jobs. We follow this with a report about the alleged bashing of CFMEU officials on a construction site in the salubrious suburb of Hawthorn Melbourne last week. Seven men, a length of wood, and an unprovoked attack. Just a note the Victorian Trades Hall Council is working with Australian Refugee Council to provide food to residents of the nine public housing towers that have been put into extreme lockdown with 500 police deployed to keep them in their flats because over 100 cases of covid has been found in the towers which house 3000 residents. Money is being raised to support these families by the VHTC. go to https://supportpublichousingresidents.raisely.com/
We hear news about the AUWU's #keeptherate campaign, the NTEU fightback, job cuts and news from regional Victoria, including EBA negotiations at Australian Paper and ATO job uncertainty in Geelong.The First Nations Workers Alliance launched their new advocacy course called "Voice Treaty Truth" this week, we hear from members who developed the training about the content and what they're excited about.We also hear Tim Kennedy UWU National Secretary, and Jess, an Early Childhood Educator answering questions for the Senate Inquiry into the Australian Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the course of this pandemic almost every aspect of public life has ground to a halt - public protests and street movements are no exception. This week we talk to workers who have been organising to keep our ability to take action in the streets alive, achieving incredible things along the way.Tilde talks with Rose from the Community Union Defence League about their mutual aid programmes, interviews workers in so-called New South Wales about their protests with RAFFWU and the May 1 Movement, and learns from Natalie about the Kangaroo Point blockade being held in Meanjin (Brisbane).You can support the blockade by donating to Refugee Solidarity Brisbane using this link: https://chuffed.org/project/support-the-247-kangaroo-point-blockade/
Is big infrastructure and fossil fuel project really the future for Australian employment? Adam Bandt from the Greens outlines an alternative that mops up youth unemployment and provides a positive future for Australian jobs.
We hear from Aboriginal people at the Black Lives Matter/Stop Deaths in Custody rallies in Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane and then we hear from the Earthworker Cooperative about how workers cooperatives could help build a new economy after COVID-19.
We followed up the experience of the workers at Brisbane's waterfront some of whom have been donating to support kids needing resources for home schooling despite their own insecure work situation, we speak to Felicity Sowerbutts from the Young Worker's Centre as they fight for young workers to keep jobs and get jobkeeper payments and we speak to Dean Lim a member of a sex workers’ collective about how his community is faring.
This week we interview Linda and Austin from the ASU about the situation for laid off workers at the Geelong Regional Library. You can support laid off casuals at the Geelong Library by contributing to their Go Fund Me campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-outofwork-geelong-regional-library-staffLater we have a chat with RAFFWU secretary Josh Cullinan about changes to the Fast Food Industry Award and safety across the retail and fastfood sectors.Finally we have coverage of the NTEU National Day of Action rally held in so-called Melbourne on the 21st of May.
Tim Sullivan talks about the launching of the new library at Bendigo Trades Hall and Tilde Joy interviews JB Hifi workers and RAFFWU members about their fight to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We follow a tribute to Jack Mundey with a win for part time workers at McDonalds and a feature on the #NoConcessionsNTEU campaign against proposals by the NTEU national executive negotiated behind closed doors with Universties Australia and the Federal Government beginning in March with the onset of the covid-19 virus. The National Framework the NTEU national executive wants to take to the membership May 21 will they hope include the avoidance of stand-downs without pay; no new external appointments; redundancies to apply only where the work is ceasing permanently; asuals to receive the work where it is still required to be done; and superannuation payments to be maintained. If they can achieve these things then we would consider offsets that allow employers to implement some cost-saving measures in exchange, such as deferral of pay rises, limited fraction reductions and direction to work other duties.They say it is temporary, They say it is to save jobs. They say workers need to take a hit to keep the industry afloat. And despite the secret negotiations and the limited discussion hampered by constrains of zoom conferencing which gave dissenting voices only one minute to disagree or as has been alleged muting to ensure no discord the National Executive of the NTEU is going ahead with it's strategy of taking a national vote of membership May 21.I spoke to Liam Ward from RMIT in Melbourne about the #NoConcessionsNTEU campaign which has mushroomed around the country in response to the National Framework purposed.
May 1st was May Day and workers all over the world stood in solidarity with each other. We hear what people have been up to in Melbourne and some very inspirational words from local workers.
Tuesday 28 April is International Workers Memorial Day. Last year outside Victoria Trades Hall I found myself quite overcome by the sadness and individual horror of the death of our working comrades who never returned home from work some fateful day. This year with Covid-19 severely restricting large gatherings of people the memorial went online. These memorials were held all over the country and across the world but the theme is the same – we remember the death and fight like hell for the living. Today we return to the Victorian Trades Hall memorial in the wake of the horrific death of four police officers during a traffic stop on a freeway last week. First up the Union choir followed by Victorian Trades Hall Secretary, Luke Hilikari’s opening remarks
We follow up disputes on the wharves, how migrant workers are faring and how RAFFWU workers are demanding a safe work place at JB Hi Fi
Last week we heard from the voices of workers and refugees trying to keep their head above water during the covid-19 pandemic. Over the past week the Federal Government has put to parliament the $130 billion package of public funds to keep 6 million people technically at work during the pandemic. There are lots of things going on in regards this wage subsidy and workers rights which may make sense during an epidemic but may set a trend which after six months is up may seem problematic for workers. In this program we take some time to talk with Alison Pennington, senior economist with the Centre for Future Work about what the covid-19 epidemic, workers and the governments response. We were talking a day before the Parliament sat to pass the LNP’s rules based plan but Alison’s analysis is uncanny in its perception.
Loads of news about how workers all over the country are standing up for their rights at work and an unemployment crisis.Peter Arndt talks about the work of the Queensland Community Alliance on the ongoing wage subsidy campaign.Marcus Banks talks about the group Unionists for Refugees and what they are doing to support refugees and asylum seekers, particularly during this uncertain time.
The ACTU is calling for a two week payment for all workers, what ever their status, if they are unable to go to work during the Covid-19 virus.What about the issues of climate & inequality. Can we afford to have the covid-19 virus be used to worsen these growing emergencies?
Australia is in lock down, Deserted streets, empty supermarket shelves, stage & picture theatres shut down, concert & festivals cancelled, galleries and libraries closed. Workers are facing the prospect of self isolation for up to fourteen days to contain the spread of the Covid – 19 virus. At the front line the causualised workforce made desperate by low wages, no conditions and the prospect of homelessness.
This has been an important week for workers internationally and locally. In Victoria and Tasmania we celebrate the first eight hour day victory as our Labour Day on Monday March 9th. This was a world first and as legend has it stone masons working on Melbourne University in 1856 downed tools and walked from from work site to the next advocating and gaining support for the idea of eight hours work eight hours recreation and eight hours rest. It was also about sharing out the work not just over working some. Great idea. A reasonable idea. A workers idea. Having won it so long ago Employers, Governments, business have been chipping chipping away until now we have insecure work, casualisation, under employment and a predatory privatised social security system all over again. But workers are studying the issues within Unions remembering the victories of the past. During the past week was International Women’s Day or as we like to call it International Working Women’s Day because it was in fact working women coming together to fight low wages and nasty conditions that struck the first blow for International woman’s day. But just like the roll back on the eight hour day charter the fight for Safety, Respect and Equality for women at work is still on and we report from last week’s WRAW Women’s Rights at Work Conference.
Leading up to the recent fires there was an acrimonious fight going on in Victoria around the role of professional fire fighters and the volunteer status of the CFA. It would be fair to say that the Liberals characterised the campaign to extend the coverage of the United Fire Fighters Union members – the professional fighter fighters – as an attack on volunteerism. We hear from Peter Marshall the secretary of the UFU as Victoria moves to the creation of Fire Rescue Victoria on July 1 with new boundaries for the two services. We finish with a piece featuring the former Labour premier of Western Australia Carmen Lawrence now a Professor at Psychological Science at the University of Western Australia talking about crossing the divide when it comes to climate change action and a possible jobs guarantee.
The Ensuring Integrity Bill aiming to put Unions on the chopping block and the universal introduction of the cashless welfare card including for old age pensioners.
The Federal Government defunding Aboriginal Organisations while giving WesFarmers $15.6 million for an employment scheme they probably should be doing anyway. Is this a legitimate use of the funds in the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS)?
Today we go to the murky machinations of the Federal Governments move to privatise our Visa system and hear from Grill’d workers standing up against the use of trainee-ships to screw young workers out of an honest days pay for an honest day’s work.
In a battle for community versus corporate profit Tram drivers in Melbourne say no to part time contracts.Yarra Trams and the workers are in a battle over such part time contracts that the workers see as the demise of their job security and the very culture of service and safety that under pins public transport. Yarra Tram sees profits.
The CEO of Siemens Australia talks about smart cities and what the '4th industrial' is about.
Dave Kerin talks about his work in building the local co-operative model of business for a better future.Peter from Red Gum Cleaning Co-operative talks about his lived experience within a workers' cooperative
This program looks at regional jobs. Jobs that pay properly with conditions and Sound like a pipe dream?Actually it is serious business and there has been a Senate inquiry into the issue especially for the folk who live outside the cities. I spoke with Emma Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Per Capita a Labor think tank who gave a presentation to the Senate Select Committee Inquiry into Jobs for the Future in Regional Areas link.
The fires across NSW were predicted by scientists and fire fighters. We speak to Leighton Drury secretary of the NSW Fire Brigade Employees Union who calls again for planning and funding for the present and future fire danger.Arthur Rorris secretary of the South Coast Council describes how the workers are footing the bill for this fire devastation. The load needs to be shared and planning needs to take into account the 'new normal'. Links for donations for Bushfire Relief & Recovery:Red CrossNSW RSPCAVictoria Bushfire AppealCommunity Enterprise Foundation VictoriaVictoria Trades Hall orgnaised:The fire affected communities will need physical support post this immediate period. That's why we are also collecting a list of people who can help.Can you help build a fence, cook and serve food, handle hazardous material, drive a bus/truck or volunteer your time? Fill out this short form and we will call you when the need has been identified.To put your name on the list.
Eureka Rebellion was a formative working class battle against unfair legislation and moneyed interests and the State control of working people and their dreams. We bring you the Eureka story as celebrated on this its 165th Anniversary.
Hero or criminal? The Julian Assange case has become a clear case of press freedom as he waits in the Belmarsh jail in England detained while the Americans to apply for his extradition for espionage. Where does Australia sit? Where does press freedom stand?If you wish to write to Julian Assange in his darkest hour the following address will get the message through:Mr Julian AssangePrisoner #:A9379AYHMP BelmarshWestern WayLondon SE28 OEBUK
Today we bring an extended interview with Lyndsey Jackson director of the campaign Not My Debt following the landmark challenge and win by Deanna Amato with assistance from Victorian Legal Aid against the Federal Government’s automated debt collection system fondly called Robodebt.
Today we talk to Melissa Donnelly from the CPSU the Community and Public Sector Union about the shock announcement by the Federal Liberal National Party Government to cut the number of Federal Departments from 18 to 14.
This week new laws passed the Victorian parliament making industrial manslaughter a crime. We speak with the head of the VTHC's OHS unit about the new laws - what do they mean for bosses and workers, how could they save lives and how do they compare with laws in other states. We also explore the OHS concerns and hazards confronting workers, volunteers and members of the public due to the ever growing threat of bushfires.As always, a wrap up of the week's union news - following the defeat of the Federal Government's anti-union legislation in the senate.
We spoke to Renee Burns Executive Director of the Australian Institute of Employment Rights about why the Ensure Integrity Bill is a bad piece of legislation particularly for the most vulnerable workers.
Chris Spindler from the AMWU gives us an update about the situation facing workers at the Alstom rail workshop in Ballarat. After the launch of the "Respect the rule" campaign and the recent reports of sexual harrasment and abuse in the hospitality industry I chat with Pia Cerveri from Feminism in the Pub about the upcoming event they are having during the 16 days of activism against gender based violence on November 28th. A panel of union women and non-binary feminists will discuss their experiences of sexism in the workplace and what to do about it.
The issue of jobs and climate change is the topic of a new report released jointly by the AMWU the ETU the Gippsland Trades and Labour Council, the MUA and the Victorian Trades Hall Council. The report is called Putting the ‘Justice’ in ‘Just Transition’. We were there.
Woolworths is the latest corporation to hide behind the idea that our industrial system is too complicated to explain their $300 million wage theft bill. We talk to Josh Cullinan from RFFWU for another view of the situation.Follow-up report on the eba negoiations between RBTU Victoria and Metro.
This week we hear from Liam Ward, an NTEU member at RMIT university and what his group has been up to, including participating in the blockade at the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne.Then we hear from workers at the Rockpool Rally as they continue to fight for their wages.
This week on the show, we bring you reports of two union disputes in the transport sector. The Transport workers union's fight continues with supermarket giant Aldi, who refuse to sign on to a charter of safe rates for drivers in their supply chain. We bring you reports from the TWU's national day of action.Then we bring you an update on the RTBU's fight against Metro Trains in Victoria. Stick Together joined the rally under the clocks at Flinders St station, where those assembled heard from RTBU delegates and leaders.
It’s 10 to 12, October 15th 1970. The time and date the Westgate Bridge, being built to lead Melbourne traffic to and from Geelong, comes down, killing 35, seriously injuring 18 and leaving an indelible mark on Australian industrial history. The 49th commemoration was held below the bridge on Tuesday. In today’s program Tom Watson gives a first hand account of that dreadful day.
Two reports today. Up first is Victoria’s train and tram workers EBA negotiations followed by a fly on the wall report on a recent Unions for Refugee forum.
This week we hear from Michele O'Neil about union submissions to the Senate Inquiry into the Ensuring Integrity bill. We also reflect on the legacy of the Great Depression and how little some things have changed.
This week we take you into the Melbourne component of the global students strike for climate. Trade Unions organised a contingent to support the students, marching alongside them in their fight to arrest the looming climate catastrophe. Hear from students and workers about the importance of the fight and why unity from all sectors is required to win. It's been a big week for action around the world, so as usual, we have your weekly wrap of union news.
We look at Government policy when it comes to the unemployed: the cashless welfare card and drug testing of New start recipients under the age of 35. We ask Simone Casey from the Australian Unemployed Workers Union for an insight. We follow t his with a look at inequality and some of the structural inequalities that affect workers internationally and locally.
In today’s program we feature the voices of workers and Union organisers who will be going to the September 20th Global Day for Climate Action Rallies being held around the country and indeed around the world. We hear why they will be standing with students who have invited adults to come and stand with them for our future.
This week we speak with Aran Mylvaganam from the Tamil Refugee Council about the situation of Priya and Nades and their children facing imminent deportation and the importance of union support for their struggle. Then we hear from ACTU Indigenous Officer Lara Watson about the situation facing remote Indigenous communities as they are subject to the government's Community Development Program.
This week on the show we bring you the stories from two protests in two different countries. We take you to Crown Casino in Melbourne, where hundreds of workers marched the full length of the promenade. Frustrated with stalled negotiations and proposed wage cuts, their protest increases pressure on the company in the lead up to football finals and the spring racing carnival. Then we take you to Taiwan, where a group of international union activists staged a protest out the front of the headquarters of electronics multinational FoxConn. The protest was in support of migrant workers in Japan who the union says were the target of discriminatory sackings at one of the company's subsidaries. We speak with the workers at the centre of the dispute. As always, we have your weekly wrap of union news, which includes the big news out of Tasmania that means more sick leave for 12 hour shift workers.
Two reports for you today. The first is about the Star of the South Energy Project the first offshore wind farm in Australia. Will Tracey the Deputy National Secretary of the MUA and Cam Walker from Friends of the Earth on the subject. We end with a word from Thomas Mayor, Deputy Branch Secretary of the Northern Territory Branch of the MUA who spoke at the recent IPAN Independent Peaceful Australia Network conference recently held in Darwin.
Today we are looking at education. As the Morrison Government is fumbling around in the dark when it comes to it’s support of Australian workers and their education needs the Liberal party one trick pony does another turn of the carnival ground with Morrison pushing to privatise TAFE. We get a view on the announcement from the Australian Education Union.On the funding of Universities front the Government has announced $80 million of tied funding this follows a two years $2.2 billion funding freeze for the sector – there are some pretty scrawny chickens in that hen house I think.We get a perspective from the National Union of Students on the new funding regime.
Annie speaks with Dario Mujkic, Assistant Secretary of the NUW Victoria Branch, about the EBA negotiations at IGA Metcash in Laverton and the expectation on workers to give up their rights for a pay rise. I also spoke with Chris Spindler from the AMWU about the uncertain situation facing workers in Ballarat with the Victorian State Government still yet to announce a new contract for ALSTOM, putting workers jobs in doubt at the regional railway manufacturing plant.
This week on the show we examine the recent report released by the NUW. It includes survey responses from more than 600 farm workers, many of whom are in the supply chain for the major supermarkets. We wpeak with the NUW about the results and what is needed to improve conditions on the farms that grow the food we all eat. We also speak with Steve Diston of the ETU about the dispute at OI Glass, as well as Simon Schmidt from the IEU about the industrial action at Al-Siraat college in Melbourne's North.
Loads of news and local wharfies send a loud and clear message to big business that they will not be bullied and intimidated into surrendering workplace rights and conditions.
The return of the Liberal National Party Government is supposed have been balanced on the decisions of people who were worried about their jobs in mining in Queensland. This may or may not be true. But what is true is that workers are being killed in these same mines in what the CFMMEU is calling a "safety crisis". We interviewed Steve Smyth, District President CFMMEU Mining and Energy Division Queensland on Saturday 6th of July by Monday 8th of July another man had died.
This week we bring you a special episode for NAIDOC week. We explore the struggles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders for land and economic justice. We speak with two activists across two states about how people are standing up to defend their land and how unions are standing with A&TSI people in their struggles.
Interview with Trevor Torrens about the new Queensland Silicosis Support Network. Summary of the International Trade Union Confederations Global Rights Index report.
Union density in Australia is around 14% at arguably the most perilous time for Australian workers - job insecurity, wages flat lining, conditions under attack. How can Unions change this scenario?
This week Annie interviewed Josh Cullinan from the Retail and Fast Food Worker’s Union about their ongoing dispute with McDonalds. Then we’ll go back in time with some old wharfies and hear stories of appalling conditions and how the workers unionised and fought for their rights.
The Australia Services Union took Maribyrnong Council (Melb.,Vic.) to Federal Court to get the redundancy payments of around $2.3 million dollars for their members made redundant with the outsourcing of the Council's home care service for the elderly. A fine victory.Yasmin from the National Union of Workers tells us about the new Call Centre newsletter bringing Call Centre workers together.
Mark from Earth Worker Workers Cooperative in Morwell. located in the Latrobe Valley the past capital of coal fired electricity generation in Australia, now in the throes of change talks about why Earth Worker and why climate change and job generation should mean a new future not a dark end. newsChinese Coal mining options next door to Adani dropped Queensland MUA leader calls for Labor to back climate over jobs with a fair transitionEmployer groups call for tighter laws against workersIncrease in Australian billionaires as inequality increasesWage theft at Pizza maker Della Rosa workers claimFonterra closes Dennington milk factory; 98 lose jobsTWU ready for concerted action involving 38,000 workers
This week we take you to the event organised by the RTBU and Spirit of Eureka, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the general strike in 1969 in defence of imprisoned union leader Clarrie O'Shea.
Coverage of the "Save Australian Shipping" rally in Melbourne. We hear from workers and union representatives about the current situation of Australian shipping.Information from the CFMEU about PFAS which is putting workers and the public at risk due to the West Gate Tunnel project.
Around Australia and the world large gatherings of workers have celebrated May Day the day of workers solidarity. So today we thought we would give you a great story of workers organising together to get better conditions and wages in an unlikely setting where casualisation and general disenchantment with their Union had given the workers a sense of hopelessness. We follow this with a speech given at the Melbourne May Day celebrations held on May 5th by a speaker from Friends of the Earth as it seems more and more obvious environmental destruction means a no jobs future. We also get the chance to hear from a great visiting hip hop group Rebel Diaz who wowed the crowd in Melbourne with their version of the worker’s classic Which side are you on
On Monday 29th April an International Workers Memorial Day ceremony was held outside Victoria Trades Hall where there was a call for Federal Industrial Manslaughter Laws.
This week on the program, we bring you the story of the hospital pharmacists who are dispensing free drugs as part of their campaign to secure their wages and conditions. We speak with Gianni Sottile who tells us more about the employer's extreme response to this action.We also speak with Thirza White, Assistant Secretary of the Tasmanian CPSU about the wave of strikes and stoppages causing headaches for the state's Liberal government in the lead up to the impending budget.
We hear from workers and union representatives from the Melbourne Change the Rules rally on April 10.
Another major industrial fire hit the working class Northern suburbs of Melbourne on April 6. It is the fourth in three years. 175 fire fighters were used to subdue the fire and 8 schools were shut down with some concern about what chemicals were actually in the smoke. Two workers were hospitalized. Residents are asking would this happen with so little consequence except to their health if it was in the South Eastern suburbs of the City.
National Union of Workers organiser talks about Chemist Warehouse. Jeff Hoy from Victorian branch of the Marinetime Union of Australia talks about a maintenance contract on the Melbourne wharves causing a few waves. We join Transport Worker Union members preparing to go on a convoy ride for safety and conditions in the wake of a spike in truck driver deaths since the beginning of the year.
Interview with Brett Edgington, Secretary of the Ballarat Trades and Labour Council. Brett took me on a tour of Ballarat Trades Hall and told me about the history of the labour movement in Ballarat.Sallly Warren from United Voice spoke about her experiences working in aged care and why she chose to speak at the Royal Commission into Aged Care.
This week we take you to the picket lines, where Chemist Warehouse workers are taking indefinte action in support of fair wages, secure employment and an end to sexual harassment in the workplace. Their strike action is now in its second week. We talk with members and union officials about their fight with Australia's largest pharmacy retailer.We also take you to the school students strike in Melbourne where more than 15 thousand students left school to demand immediate action to combat climate change. We report from the middle of the march and speak with unionists, students and parents.As always, your weekly wrap of union news, including coverage of the upcoming case to increase the minimum wage.
A look at what the Geelong Women's Committee at the Geelong Trades Hall are doing to combat Gendered Violence.The NTEU expose the problems with the Ramsay Western Civilization Centre set to open at Queensland University.
Australian supermarkets have pushed the price of milk down to the point where it is now cheaper than bottled water. This has caused pressure through the supply chain. While we hear a lot about the farmers, we don't often hear about the workers in the milk and other dairy processing plants. What does this price pressure mean for the workers and theregional communities that rely on the industry? This week we speak to a dairy worker of 35 years and the lead organiser for the NUW's dairy division.We also speak with the ASU's Lisa Darmanin about the push by western Melbourne councils to privatise in-home aged care and what it means for both workers and their clients.
The Financial Sector Union gives us the reasons for why the look into Banks is unfinished business. We follow that with the attack on wharfies by Australia’s biggest stevedore company DP World.
We hear from Sally McManus about the launching of her new book "On Fairness".We speak with Hayden from the Australian Unemployed Workers Union (AUWU) about the impact of the Cashless Welfare Card in Ceduna.
This week on the show we bring you an update on the story of Hakeem Al-Araibi. The Bahrain born footballer was granted refugee status in Australia but now faces extradition to Bahrain after being detained in Thailand. His return to Bahrain will lead to imprisonment and there are fears for his safety. Rallies were held in Sydney and Melbourne last week calling for his immediate release and return to Australia. Later in the show, we speak with Paul Healey from HACSU about the upcoming Royal Commission into Victoria's mental health services.
The Federal Government policy of internships for young workers at Fast Food outlets came under fire over the Christmas period when it was found a job search agency was fielding young workers under the internship program to cover holiday vacancies at a fast food outlet. We speak to Josh Cullinan from the Fast Food and Retail Workers Union (RAFFWU) for an insight into the issues surround the internship program for young workers. We follow this with a report on the local support for Irish nurses who are going on strike for better wages and conditions on January 30th.
Wongawilli Colliery mineworkers have won a spectacular win against Wollongong Coal after taking strike action. CFMEU's tTony Maher emphasises the importance of this win. “The conversion of permanent, well paid jobs into poorly paid, insecure jobs is a huge issue right across the country. What this win proves is that the trend is reversible. If labour hire workers join their union, we can turn this around.” We finish our report with a look at the Port Kembla Coal Terminal dispute in the same area of NSW.
In addition to your weekly wrap of union news, this week we bring you two stories of workers fighting to receive their basic legal rights. In Brisbane, young workers at a MacDonalds franchise staged a protest after their employer threatened them for asking to take the paid 10 minute breaks. Reporter Craig Garrett was at the protest.We then cross to Sydney and speak with the MUA about their fight for workers on the Manly ferry, who the union says are being underpaid, not even receiving the legal minimum pay. We speak with the Asst Secretary of the MUA's Sydney Branch - Paul Garrett.
Two reports this week. The first takes us to Queensland where across the State local councils are negotiating enterprise bargaining agreements with Redlands City Council staff taking unprecedent industrial action after some of the workers were expected to take a $15,000 a year cut.We then take you to the "We feed you: the migrant farm workers fighting exploitation" session at the ALP Fringe running alongside the main Australian Labor Party Conference held in Adelaide at the end of last year. Run by the National Union of Workers we hear how the visa system is being used to divide workers while visa workers, immigrants, and workers without visas are being exploited to bring fresh food to our tables. Not all doom and gloom the session also brought solutions. (Special thanks to Vivien Langford for the recording of this event).
At the 2018 Spirit of Eureka Dinner Dave Noonan accepted the Spirit of Eureka Award for the CFMEU
Two features today one about what is happening at our Universities with the latest figures showing that less than half the jobs at universities are permanent. We follow this with a look at why industrial manslaughter laws are important with a particular focus on the promised industrial manslaughter laws in Victoria.
The effect of the privatization of public services and what that means for workers and users of those services. A recent report commissioned by the Community and Public Sector Union the CPSU ) is showing worrying results for users and workers.
We follow this with a word with a worker in a call centre who is experiencing the effects of a corporate approach to workers rights on site.
In this edition of Stick Together we look back at a week where both teachers and students went on strike. Primary and Secondary Teachers in South Australia and Tasmania took strike action last week in support of their wage claims and for improvements to school funding. Not to be outdone, more than ten thousand students around Australia went on strike from school, demanding the government take action to address the climate emergency. We take you to the teacher's rally in Adelaide before heading to Melbourne, where we joined the students' strike.
In this edition of Stick Together we get taste of the mass Change the Rules Campaign rally held in Brisbane on November the 20th the last in the rallies held across the country to bring workers together against industrial laws that have removed the right to strike, penalty rates, cemented casualisation and the labour hire industry. We then give a report on the International Day Against Union Repression.
Today we go to the regional Victorian City of Geelong for a report on the Working Women Get Organised – The Fight for Equal Pay conference run by the Women Unionist Network held at the Geelong Trades Hall following up with look at the work of an organisation called Fitted for Work aiming for practical support to women in their quest for economic security.
Migrant workers have always been an important part of our communities and our economy. Last week a report was released with the shocking statistics that roughly half of migrant workers are receiving $15/hr or less. More startling is the fact that over 90% of these workers are not making any attempts to recover these unpaid wages. We speak with Laurie Berg, one of the authors of the report. We also speak with the NUW's George Robertson about what that union has uncovered in its work with the largely migrant workforce on Australia's farms.
First up a word with a delegate for the newest Union the Retail and Fast Food Workers' Union and then we go to Adelaide to an Anti-Poverty Week event, where Council candidates from 11 Councils – including a Lord Mayoral candidate – came together with a clear message: local governments should advocate for their residents who are out of work and living in poverty, by adding their voices to the campaign to raise Newstart Allowance.
The mass rallies to Change the Rules kicked off in Perth on Oct 18 followed by rallies in Melbourne, Sydney, Wollongong, Cairns, Mackay, Darwin, Rockhampton and Townsville on Oct 23. In this program we take you to the streets of Melbourne where 170,000 workers demanded change to the industrial laws in Australia.
In addition to your weekly wrap of union news, this week we bring you two stories out of the fast food and hospitality industries. In the UK, workers at TGIFridays and Weatherspoons joined McDonalds workers to take strike action for higher pay and better jobs. One of their demands is to end youth wages, where young people are paid less for doing the same work as older workers. We also speak with Josh Cullinan from RAFFWU, about McDonald's practice of using youth wages in Australia to drive down costs.
The launch of a new report Working it out: a look at employment services in Australia which brings the unemployed person's voice to the policy table. AUWU. Per Capita and Monash University worked together to bring you this groundbreaking work.
Today we report on the mass delegates meeting at the Melbourne Convention Centre held last Tuesday Sept 25. This meeting was to endorse the first of the change the rules monster rallies expected across the country. This is part of the Unions Change the Rules campagn that has anti union, anti worker governments in their sights.Sick of it Report into the experiences of young women workers in the ACT paints a grim picture of exploitation and wage theft.
This week we speak with Allen Hicks, the National Secretary of the ETU about the Labor party's decision to join with the Liberals and pass the legislation required to enable the TPP. Allen talks about the union's concerns about the TPP's content and the ALP's decision to wave it though. We also speak with CFMMEU official, Kevin Harkins about the Chinese plasterers at Hobart hospital who walked off the job recently after receiving no wages for several weeks. As always, we bring you a weekly wrap of union news. This week we report on the widespread arrest and detention of workers at the Istanbul airport site, the pathetic increase to the Newstart Allowance and the report by the Senate Committee into the future of work.
A couple of Fridays ago I was down at the CFMEU offices on Elizabeth St in Melbourne at a special presentation to Delegates in the construction industry about silicosis a lung disease that is claiming the lives of workers in their 20s and 30s, It is being called the new asbestos. We bring you an extended report from this sobering event which marks the beginning of a national campaign for a safer standard for silica exposure.
Early Childhood Educators increase the pressure for professional pay rates with 7,000 workers, lead by United Voice, staging a nation wide walk out.Queensland Parliamentary Enquiry into wage theft is underway - Craig Garret reports.
In addition to your weekly wrap of union news, this week we bring you the story of two large strikes.We speak with Paul McAleer of the MUA about the planned mobilisation in Sydney on Thursday 6 September, where several unions will turn out in support of a number of different demands. We then cross to Melbourne where we speak with Kerrie Devir (United Voice's Victorian President and Early Childhood Educator), about why she is joining the nation-wide walk off of educators on September 5 - touted to be the nation's largest ever.
Three reports. Community Dentists in Victoria took protected industrial action on Wednesday August 22 for more State and Federal funding for this essential health service. We turn to the call for bereavement leave for workers to be increased from 2 days to 10 days and finally report on what the South Australian MUA think about the idea of nuclear waste moving through South Australian ports.
Last Thursday ACT Unions called a rally in support of the Secure Local Jobs Package being put forward by the ACT Labor Government. What’s it all about? Alex White secretary of ACT Union says Canberra has a big problem with dodgy contractors winning ACT Government jobs, then ripping off workers, committing wage-theft, or disregarding workplace safety laws. We talk to Alex to find out more about why workers needed to go to the streets around the new laws. In our second report we go to The State of the Union Exhibition at the Ian Potter Gallery at Melbourne University. It looks at Union history and the importants of art in bringing the message of solidarity out. Backed by the National Tertiary Education Union the NTEU we hear from the State of the Union curator Jacqueline Dougherty as she goes through the exhibition during Blue Stocking week celebrating working women.
Today we go to the Downer EDI dispute in Queensland where workers at the unanimously voted to take industrial action over personal leave entitlements and cost of living wage increases. We then speak with Cam Walker campaign officer for Friends of the Earth about the Victorian Liberal Opposition leader’s statement that if elected he would scrap Victoria’s Renewable Energy Target. We want to know what this will mean to jobs especially in rural Victoria.
This week we bring you a special edition of Stick Together. We spoke with Michele O'Neil, who last month was elected as the new ACTU President. In an extended interview, we ask Michele about her early political activity and her time at the TCFUA. We also discuss some of the political questions facing the Australian trade union movement and the next steps in the Change the Rules campaign.
This week we have two reports that look at two perspectives on mining in Australia. We hear from Dusty a retired Hunter valley coal miner and ex CFMEU activist Dusty about a major employee privacy breach at BHP Billiton and follows up with an overview of coal mining projects in the area. We follow this with a first nation’s perspective on the Northern Territory Intervention and it’s role in opening up traditional lands to mining.
This week we feature a report by Stick Together’s Queensland reporter Craig Garrett on ACTU Congress 2018 held at the Brisbane Convention Centre. We follow up with a look at the National Union of Workers next step in the campaign to get a living wage for direct sales workers – you know those people on street corners asking for donations for well known charities or knock on your door asking if you want a new deal on your power service.
This week on the show we bring you the story of the first Victorian bus strikes in more than 20 years. We take you to the picket, where 600 drivers are taking action for better pay. You'll hear from TWU officials and members about their struggle against multinational greed. We also bring you the news of the launch of the Young Workers' Hub in Queensland.As always, we bring you the regular wrap of the weekly union news, including the Irish workers engaged in the pharmacy sector's largest nation-wide strike in living memory.
The Esso/ Ugly dispute down in Longford, Gippsland Victoria has reached over the 374 day mark making it the longest industrial dispute in Australian history overtaking the Wonthaggi coal dispute in the 1940s coincidentally also in Gippsland. Stick Together’s Matt Kunkell joined 500 or so unionists who went down to the Longford community picket on June the 28th to show support. More about that laterNews- Laverton Cold Storage win- Unfettered powers given to private jobcentre operators over breach system- Fed Parliament cleaners fired and rehired cheater- Earthworker success
Penalty cuts on July 1 and on Monday June 25 workers at Laverton Cold Storage in Tuginini a suburb of Melbourne started 24-hour rolling stoppages after negotiations for their first workplace agreement broke down. We speak to Junior a delegate with the NUW National Union of Workers for an insight into the dispute.
Government funding for solar projects does not mean local jobs. The ETU and others want to know why Federal Government policy is stopping local people getting secure employment.News items:-Coles Laverton cold store industrial action-Telstra axes 8,000 jobs-Pension Age to 70?
This week on the show we speak with TWU national secretary Tony Sheldon about the Fair Work Ombudsman's legal action against Foodora for alleged wage theft and sham contracting. We also speak with Tasmanian CPSU secretary about what the recent state budget means for public sector workers on the Apple Isle.It's been a big week for strike and industrial action. As always we bring you a wrap of the week's union news and workers' stories.
On Friday June 1, the first day of Winter the Fair Commission handed down the annual Minuim Wages Case. We hear from workers why it isn’t enough and more about the big end of towns guzzling ways.Melbourne University is ranked as one of the top universities in Australia but is this on the back of workers who have wages stagnation and work overload? In the latest enterprise bargaining the National Tertiary Education Union the NTEU members has put in place in-definite bans as an incentive for management to improve wages and conditions. We speak with Steve Adams, Melbourne NTEU branch secretary for an update.News : Strike for Pay by Downer Group workers/ ACT crane drive charged with manslaughter/ New Vic Laws to protect ambos also extend to Police
On this week's show we talk to Jane Green from Vixen Collective and Elena Jeffereys from Respect Inc about sex work and how these workers organise in a space which has legal barriers faced by no other group of workers in Australia. These collectives work to support and better sex worker rights in regards to legal, health, industrial, civil concerns. We also here from Lori-anne Sharp from ANMF about the ratios for age care campaign. for more information visit about sex work organisation discussed on this show visithttps://www.respectqld.org.au/ and http://vixencollective.net/for more information and to support the ANMF’s ratio campaign visit http://anmf.org.au/campaign/entry/ratios-for-aged-care
Indigenous workers are fighting CDP - Kara Keyes from the ACTU explains.The closing of factories, unemployment and lack of investment in manufacturing in Australia has been turned around apparently by massive investment in manufacturing weapons and other war requirements. We hear from Jacob Grech who spoke at this years May Day Rally in Melbourne about what this means on the ground.
This week on the show, we head to the UK and speak with union organiser Hazel Nolan about Britain's Trades Union Congress' campaign for a "New Deal for Workers". We discuss the recent mobilisation in London and examine the similarities and differences between the "New Deal" campaign and the Australian movement's efforts to Change the Rules.We also speak with the CPSU's Lisa Newman about what the recent Federal Budget means for workers at Centrelink and those who seek to access the welfare system.An extended interview with Lisa can be found here.
The mass rally of workers in Melbourne on May 9th - the last event in the Australian Council of Trade Unions 12 days of action to rally Australian workers to the Change the Rules campaign was a cracker. Over 100,000 workers took over Melbourne CBD from unions across the spectrum of Australian work places. Public sector and private sector, public servants and farm workers suits and ties boiler suits and hard hats. Lining up to call for change some balance to industrial laws in this country.
People are ready to take action to change the rules and win more secure jobs and fair pay rises. On today’s show we whip around the country to bring voices and speeches from the May Day celebrations and Change the Rules rallies from the last week in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.
As we move in to rallies across the country to Change the Rules and celebrate Labour Day workers took a moment to remember their fallen comrades who left for work one day but never returned. We go outside Victorian Trades Hall to the ceremony held on 27th of April. We then go to Queensland where Stick together reporter Craig Gaerett talks with Beth Mohle, secretary of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) as they prepare for their rally on May the 7th.
This week on the show, in addition to your wrap of union news, we take you to the all-delegates meeting, held at Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday 17 April. This meeting launched the ACTU's 12 days of action to change the rules. We hear from rank and file delegates from both inside and outside, including excerpts from speeches delivered at the meeting.
Stick Together in step with the ACTU call for 12 Days of Action to change the rules we have a special feature on a monumental strike action recently carried out in West Virginia by teachers who took illegal strike action and won pay and conditions for public workers in their state. Their actions have seen other teachers also standing up in other states in America calling for their rights as we speak. What happened? How did they win? Are there lessons for us in their fight back?12 days of action to change the ruleshttps://www.australianunions.org.au/12_days_of_action
With the Victorian State election looming the state’s trade union movement is escalating their campaign on the introduction of industrial manslaughter laws in Victoria. Queensland and the ACT have already introduced industrial manslaughter laws but currently there is little justice for Victorian workers who are killed at work due to negligence. Paul Sutton, OH&S lead from Victroian Trades Hall Council and Queensland Council of Unions, Assistant General Secretary Michael Clifford, join the show to discuss these laws and the union campaigns surrounding them. Change the Rules : www.australianunions.org.au/12_days_of_actionUnited Voice Portable LSL: www.unitedvoicevic.org.au/portableleaveMEAA Make it Australia: https://makeitaustralian.com/Sign the industrial manslaughter law petition: www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/make-industrial-manslaughter-a-crime
After some news we go to the biggest walk off by early childhood educators in Australia held on Tuesday 27th March. The fight for equal pay for the workers started in Victorian with United Voice members across the country now joining the protest. Centres in Brisbane, Darwin, Canberra, Sydney, Horbart, Adelaide and Perth were joined by rural centres with over 6,000 early educators marching. Stick Together was at the Melbourne rally.News1. Port Kembla Coal Terminal get go ahead to terminate eba2. Yakult win3. TWU unfair dismissal cases against Deliveroo - when is an employee an independent contractor?4. Vic Libs do fire workers wrong.5. USA Teachers take illegal strike action now.
In addition to a weekly wrap of union news, this week we look at two avenues that are used to lift the wages of workers. We first speak with Don Sutherland about the annual minimum wage case, where the commission uses legal argument to decide what low paid workers "need" to survive. We then cross to a picket line at Yakult, where workers are taking matters into their own hands - striking for better pay and conditions.
There is strife on the waterfront and the rumblings are being heard right across the country. Today we speak to Will Tracey, National Deputy Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (the MUA) before he speaks to a meeting of retired seafarers about the new campaign to save wages and conditions on Australian Wharves.We speak to a stevedore working at Qube on Melbourne’s Webb Dock West where workers went on strike over the weekend to defend their wages and conditionsAnd we hear from Warren Smith, assistant national secretary, about where this dispute is going.
This week Stick Together brings you working women's voices from the International Women's Day March in Melbourne and the Women's Rights at Work Festival event, Feminism in the Pub.
We honour the passing of equal pay activist Zelda D’Prano. Alana Dave International Transport Federation’s Public Transport Programme Leader gives us an insight into her journey from grass roots activism in South Africa to her role in the International Transport Federation (ITF).
This week on the show we look at wage theft. In the throes of an election, the SA Premier Jay Weatherill has announced that if re-elected, his government will introduce a new criminal offence for bosses who deliberately or recklessly underpay their workers. We learn more about the announcement from SA Unions Secretary Joe Szakacs. We also speak with Victorian hospitality worker and union activist Kim about her personal story of wage theft and what workers are doing to fight back.
News items including Port Kembla Coal Terminal Lock-out.The Fair Work Act is allowing bosses to kick workers off their agreements without geniune negotiations.In today’s program we go down to the picket outside Australian Paper in Raglan St Preston Melbourne just as the strikers have been told they have been ordered back to work by the Fair Work Commission after 5 weeks out.We follow this with a win in the ACT. UnionsACT has announced the defeat of worker surveillance laws in front of the ACT Assembly last week.
South Korea is in the global spotlight opening the Winter Olympic games, but behind the celebrations there is another story to hear. One about the ongoing imprisonment of two Korean confederation of Trade union (KCTU) leaders Lee Young-joo and Han Sang-gyun. Later in the Show we speak to the Australian Unemployed Workers Union's Jeremy Poxon about the Welfare Reform Bill 2017 and why fighting back on these changes currently before the Senate is a battle for all Unionist.
Many people take advantage of the On-Demand economy – Uber instead of taxis, food delivery by Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Foodora. Does it matter delivery riders are struggling on low wages, no superannuation, no sick pay, no annual leave, no insurance and no right to challenge being sacked? We give you some highlights from the launch of a new campaign launched on Feb 3 by the Transport Workers Union, the TWU the Australian Council of Trade Unions the ACTU and the Victorian Trades Hall. ON-DEMAND ECONOMY: THE NEED FOR CHANGE
The Fair Work Commission's decision to stop strike action on Sydney trains. What does it mean for these workers and workers in general. We get an over view from Sally McManus the Secretary of the ACTU the Australian Council of Trade Unions. #Abolish Australia Day was the call from Aboriginal march leaders at the enormous rallies across the country. We speak to unionists in Melbourne who joined the 30,000 strong gathering in Melbourne's centre on January 26th.
Faced with a recalcitrant government and management failure to negotiate, NSW rail Workers have called the first network-wide strike in almost 20 years. We speak with NSW State Secretary of the Rail Tram and Bus Union about the dispute.We also bring you the story of more than 200 Fijian baggage handlers who were locked out before Christmas last year and the international campaign launched to support them.
This week we pop back in time to the year 2000. On this summer special of Stick Together we catch up with Max Ogden to talk about Unions 2000, a temporary super union which organised, negotiated and proudly presented the Best Olympics Ever! in Sydney 2000.Part two, a re-run of interview with Zoe Angus (MEAA Equity Section Director) on the screen industry’s fight of their lives. The “Make It Australian Campaign” and content laws on aussie tellies. ACTU Banks Sre Not Super- Tell your Story: https://www.australianunions.org.au/banksarenotsuperSupport Oaky North Workers: https://oakynorth-cfmeu.nationbuilder.com/Support Esso Workers: http://www.amwu.org.au/supportessoworkers
Revenue problems for Turnbull Government. Their answer- attack Social Security. We investigate this failing Federal Government.
As maintenance workers at the Victorian site off the Bass Strait gas field sit coming up to 190 days in a protest at the front gates over cuts in wages and conditions Esso is in lock step with Govt and the courts proving Sally McManus Secretary of the Australian Council of Trades Union’s mantra that the rules are broken.
This week on the show we return to our feature from July about international stevedoring company ICTSI. Their international record of poor industrial relations and union busting has continued - this time in Papua New Guinea and here in Australia at Webb Dock. We speak again to ITF Campaign Director, Shannon O'Keeffe about how their campaign against this international giant is progressing.
Will Tracey assistant secretary of the MUA speaks about the Web Dock Melbourne dispute: what happened and finally a victory in a dispute that looks like many of the anti union anti worker behaviour that has been a hallmark of 2017.Finally we talk with Josh Cullinan the Secretary of the newest Australian Union the Retail, Fast Food Workers Union (RFFWU), after it’s first year of operations.
This week Stick Together brings news from The Melbourne Docks. A peaceful community assembly has taken residence outside the Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) at Webb Dock in Port Melbourne after a casual employee was denied shifts following taking action against management over workplace bullying and harassment. The community has taken up the fight sending a very clear message; Touch one, touch all. Then, later on the show, we speak with Brett Edgington from Unions Ballarat about one of the most present symbols in our movement, the Eureka Flag.
This week in addition to your weekly wrap of union news, we look at how unions were involved in the QLD state election campaign. We speak with the Secretary of the Queensland Council of Unions about their campaign and how it dealt with the question of One Nation. We also speak with Not4Sale campaign co-ordinator Stuey Traill about the campaign to keep public assets in public hands.Extended interview with Ros McLennan available here.Extended interview with Stuey Traill available here.
Today we are featuring the ground breaking grass-roots work being done by the National Union of Workers. The NUW had two enormous wins this week – not only did Woolworths warehouse workers win a 4% pay rise but the Union’s work on fair pay and conditions in the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chains in Australia have also borne fruit in a separate agreement with Woolworths going into Christmas. The NUW campaign started with organising at the grass-roots. We hear from some of those migrant workers who became worker champions of the Union.
Melbourne rally for the announcement of the Yes Vote for Marriage Equality. Unionist Support citzen's rights with solidarity.
On this week’s episode of Stick Together we go across the ditch to speak with Melissa Ansell-Bridges from New Zealand Equity about the Hobbit Law and the rules of collective bargaining on film productions in New Zealand. We’ll also hear from the Geelong Women’s Conference held last weekend in Victoria. This conference focused on issues facing working women, in particular Family Violence and the We Wont Wait campaign which calls for 10 days family violence Leave in the National Employment Standards.
The establishment at Victoria University has joined with Murdoch University in its anti worker stance. This time instead of cutting the eba like Murdoch Uni Vu has sacked the Union negotiating committee. Workers and their supporters were down at the VU city campus on Flinders Street Melbourne while the secretive University Council met. Stick Together was there.News ItemsACTU calls for Living WageStreets Summer Campaign launched http://www.amwu.org.au/streets_free_summerTaubman Paints PicketCash sees fall in Apprenticeships & rise in youth unemploymentEvents: Geelong Union Women's Conference NOv 11/ Ged Kearney speech marking 10 years after Howard's Work Choices Nov 24
This week we deliver your wrap of union news and workers' stories. We also delve deeper into the AFP raids at the AWU, exploring their motivation and the fallout after leaks from the Employment minister's office. We also cross to hear the story of aged care nurses and carers, who are fighting for better pay and improved quality of care for their clients. We take you to their rally out the front of the Melbourne headquarters of Bupa.
The We Won’t Wait Campaign being run by Australian Unions is calling for 20 days paid Domestic Violence Leave. Paid family and domestic violence leave in the National Employment Standards will save lives the unions say. It already covers more than a million Australian workers and they are pushing for it to be a universal workplace condition. Stick Together went down to Flinders St Steps the main railway terminal in Melbourne for a recent demonstration.News: CFMEU Queensland, United Voice, Public Service Association (NSW), Industry Super, NUW, Phoenixing
Workers from the Bureau of Meteorology have gone 4 years without a pay rise as they negotiate their new agreement. Union members from the CSPU at the BOM have launched another round of rolling strikes while their bosses continue to push a hard-line agenda of unreasonable cuts to rights and conditions. On this weeks' show we hear from some of these CSPU members on strike at a rally in Melbourne.We also cover the Transport Workers Union who are demanding ALDI provide safe work condition throughout their supply chain.
Anti Poverty Network SA conference Oct 20 - 21 a focus on the connection between attacks on Social Security, Poverty and the Employed.Alex White from Unions ACT focus on the underperforming WorkSafe with WeakSafe Campaign.
In addition to your weekly wrap of union news, this week we explore the industrial dispute at ice cream giant, Streets. Owned by multinational Unilever, the company is seeking to terminate the agreement covering its approximately 150 workers, which would see them forced back on to the minimum standards in the Award. This would be represent an approximately 46% pay cut. To make matters worse, the company has also enforced a social media gag on it's workers. We pass on some of the workers' anonymous messages about just how badly this employer hostility is affecting them.
The Maritime Union of Australia opened it’s doors to the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network IPAN conference and we hear from MUA Assistant National Warren Smith and others about why Peace is Union business.
On this weeks show we hear from Zoe Angus at the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) to talk about the Union’s latest campaign which sees performers, producers, writer, directors and crew join forces to fight for the future of Australia’s screen industry. We also hear from Owen Bennett, president of The Australian Unemployed Workers Union which is currently collecting stories from unemployed people about their experiences with job agencies. Links from this weeks showAustralian Unemployed Workers Union, Tell Your Story: www.unemployedworkersunion.com/tell-your-storyMEAA’s Make It Australian Campaign: www.makeitaustralian.com/home
In addition to your weekly wrap of union news, our feature report this week is the recent nationwide strike of early childhood educators. This strike is the largest of its kind in the sector's history. Union members are standing up for equal pay and professional recognition. We cross to one of the rallies and speak with United Voice's Assistant National Secretary, Helen Gibbons.
News round-up with reports on:Murdoch University the first white collar work place threatened with removal of all conditions and wages to basic award settings.Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia withdraws from the 1800RESPECT helpline, following shift to a for-profit business model. We give you the background and see how business sees rape as an opportunity.Song: All the Same by Moz who is in detention on Manus.
News round-up plus we take you on-site to the Longford dispute down in Gippsland where Esso/ UGL have slashed wages and conditions of skilled maintenance workers using the same methods Carlton United tried on at CUB. The men outside the Esso gas plant are in for the long haul. We hear their side of the story.
On this weeks show, along with our regular wrap of union news, we hear from Will Stracke about the same sex marriage postal survey and why Equality Is Union Business. Also, in light of the proposed merger between the CFMEU, MUE and TCFUA we speak to Max Ogden about the history of Union amalgamations in Australia.All those eligible to vote in the postal survey on same sex marriage must update their details by August 25th . You can do that by going to https://check.aec.gov.au/
August 1917 saw one of the biggest industrial actions in Australian history. It began at the tram and rail workshops in Sydney and spread across Australia as more and more sections of the community went out in support. It was all about the introduction of Talyorism or time and motion structures into the railway work shops. Colin Hesse talks to Pat Cranney about the theatre piece he and Christina Mimmocchi have developed to commerorate this important event in Australian Working history.The Australian Unemployed Workers Union has recently been denounced by Michealia Cash the Federal Minister for Employment proving the union’s effectiveness. The AUWU has responsed with the Call Out Cash Campaign. We talk to Owen Bennett from AUWU about this development.
In addition to a weekly wrap of union news, this week we head to Brisbane where the industrial dispute at the City Council continues to rage. With more unions beginning action, we speak with the QLD RTBU about the strikes and the underlying issues that pushed bus drivers to strike.We also speak with the ASU's Leon Wiergard about another example of an employer trying to teminate an enterprise agreement. This time the employer is using the NDIS as a smokescreen to attempt to wipe away conditions from workers who are already amongst the lowest paid in the country.The petition referred to in the show can be found here.
Outside Crown Casino in Melbourne the ETU and its supporters re-dubbed Jamie Packers cash cow Frown: A World of Unemployment as maintenance workers are fired as a cost cutting exercise.Greedy, the Fat Cat was there en lieu of Scabby the Rat who the courts decided was too threatening to be allowed to come to demonstrations of worker solidarity.
As well as the regular wrap of News, this weeks show focuses on the Gig Economy and the issues this presents for workers. How does it work? Is there a role for government to protect these workers? What's the role of Unions? We speak with Daniel Victory from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers to discuss the 'gig economy'.
In addition to your weekly wrap of union news, this week we bring you a story of international solidarity that stretches across the Indian Ocean, and beyond. Unionists from Indonesia, Madagascar, Australia and elsewhere are locked in a fight with transnational stevedoring company ICTSI. This company's aggressive industrial stance and disregard for local laws and international labour conventions make it a threat to dock workers unions across the globe. We speak with union leaders from either side of the Indian ocean, who despite being separated by great distance, find themselves in a common struggle for dignity and a living wage.
Heyfield’s mill threatened with closure while Mytleford workers locked out for 10 weeks with the corporate employer refusing to negotiate. The final outcomes very different but both sending shock waves through the industrial landscape.Ged Kearney Autralian Council Of Trade Unions the ACTU national President as she closes the NextGen 2017 ACTU Conference.
In addition to a weekly wrap of union news, this week we report on the War Against Workers Rally in Melbourne. We also speak with Tony Sheldon about the Senate inquiry into trucking.
The Healthy Welfare Card is a Coalition Government policy that will forcibly restrict 80% of unemployed Australian’s Newstart entitlement to a VISA-style debit card under the pretext of preventing unemployed workers from buying alcohol and drugs.On this week's show Owen Bennett from the Australian Unemployed Workers Union Joins us by phone to discuss the cashless card program.We also speak with Beth Vincent-Pietsch from the Community and Public Sector Union to discuss the Australian Public Sector Commission's remuneration report which shows an average gender pay gap of 8.6%.
In addition to your weekly wrap of national union news, this week we feature highlights of a recent forum, held by the SEARCH Foundation about the importance of penalty rates and the union movement's response to the proposed cuts by the Fair Work Commission.
The Brisbane City Council has "locked out" members of the Electrical Trades Union the ETU for taking legal protected action over roster changes. University Students and Pensioners rallied against the most recent Federal Budget.
In addition to a weekly wrap of union news, this week we report on the Walk with Educators Rally in Melbourne. We also speak with Denis Rogatyuk about the upcoming UK elections.
On this week's show, along with the weekly news wrap, we're back out the front of the ALP state conference to hear from HACSU about their ongoing fight with the Victorian Labor government over the plans to privatize disability services.Collin Hesse talks to MEAA CEO Paul Murphy about the recent strike at Fairfax and Annie Mcloughlin speaks with Sally McManus about the future struggles of our movement.
This week in addition to the weekly wrap of union news, we examine the cuts to higher education included in last week's Federal Budget. We talk with both staff and student representatives about what the cuts will mean.If you'd like to donate to the Carter Holt Harvey workers, you can head to www.myrtleford-whymrabbott.nationbuilder.com
News from Loy Yang, FairFax and Queensland MUA.Privatising of community services is a recipe for putting profit before people. We speak to Simone White from the NSW Rape and Domestic Violence Service and a ASU member.We will follow up why Ged Kearney from the ACTU resigned from the Federal Governments Ministerial Advisory Council for Skilled Migration (MASCM) as soon as Turnbull announced the 457 visa would be dropped.
In addition to a weekly wrap of union news, this week we report on the International Workers Memorial Service in Melbourne. We also cover the abuse of traineeship wages in the hospitality sector.
On this week's show we look at the Federal Government's Prepare, Trial and Hire Program, PaTH. First announced in the 2016 Budget and recently launched, despite legislation for it's full implementation not yet passing the senate.
In addition to our weekly wrap of union news, this week we head to the picket line at Fletcher Insulation. Almost 90 members of the AWU are in their ninth week of indefinite strike action. They are fighting against wholesale and savage cuts to their conditions, proposed by their employer - the major building supply group, Fletcher. We hear from the members at the picket about their struggle.If you'd like to donate to their fighting fund, head to www.gofundme.com/awu-fletcher-insulation-strike
Attacks on the Boot Test and attacks on workers taking cases to the Fair Work Commission. Accused by business lobby of causing chaos industrially. We talk to Josh Cullinan from the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union to set the record straight.Unionist at Indian's largest car manufacturer (Maruti Suzuki in Haryana and Manesar) have been jailed after a trial that branded them murderers. Workers call foul.https://soundcloud.com/user-514303348/maruti-complete-interview
In addition to a weekly wrap of union news, this week we report on NUW members taking rollling strike action in Melbourne at McCormick Foods as they protest adjustments to their working hours, paid breaks and a 6% wage cut. We also cover the rally and occupation at the Rio Tinto offices in Brisbane, after the company broke its Memorandum of Understanding with the MUA.
In addition to a weekly wrap of union news, this week we report on CPSU members working in Medicare, Centerlink and Child support who have been taking strike action as they try and resolve their long fight for a fair enterprise agreement.We also cover the National Union of Students who held rallies across the country on March 22nd.Young workers centre www.youngworkers.org.au
This week on the show, we report on the emergency meeting of young workers held at the Victorian Trades Hall about the proposed cuts to penalty rates. We also speak with the ETU's Dave McKinley to delve deeper into some of the issues surrounding the current debate on energy policy.
Enough’s Enough Stop the Attack on Workers rallies across the nation against penalty rate cuts and the ABCC legislation. Despite rallies as big as 15,000 in Melbourne and Sydney the rallies were under reported. We intend to redress the balance.Sydney Rally link
International Working Women's Day with a focus on #WRAW and #Stopping Gendered Violence At Workplaces.
Last week the Fair Work Commission finally brought down it's decision on Penalty rates for workers working in Retail, Hospitality and at Pharmacy.For the first time in Australian Industrial arbitration a decision was made to cut workers wages.In this program we look at what happened and why it is bad for workers and Australia as a whole.
On 18 January 2016, multinational dairy company Parmalat, locked out around 70 workers from their plan in Echuca. We cross to the picket line to hear the latest in the dispute. We also speak with Kate Lee from APHEDA about their campaign to eradicate asbestos.If you would like to donate money to the locked out workers at Parmalat, head to www.gofundme.com/support-parmalat-workers
An extended report on the Unemployed Workers Rally Dignity Not Debt End Centelink Debt Debacle held in Melbourne 31st of January.Across the country in fact across the world public assets, those owned by the people, have been given away to business. The closed loop of money spent on services going to the maintenances of services is now going into the pockets of local and over seas share holders. Victoria is the only state that let their government sell its public transport. The RTBU says it's time we got it back. We went to the campaign launch and bring you a report on why public transport should be public.
When Brad Marsh went into bat to fight for his daughter against abysmal pay from her employer Baker's Delight he was just picking the scab off a pucsy sore. We speak to Brad and Retail and Fast Food Union organiser Mel Gregson for an update.The community have come out in protest WestConnex. This week the Sydney Branch of the Maritime Union of Australia joined residents at Sydney protesting the construction of the WestConnex.
2017 is going to be a year of fighting for our lives. These are words coming from the mouth of writer and union activist Van Badham the occasion the Women's March against Trump on Jan 21 in Melbourne. The full speech later in the programme. Diversity isn't just a word or a politically correct behaviour. It is what happened down in St kIlda on Sun Jan 29th as part of the Midsumma Pride March. Victoria Trades hall had a contigent and Stick Together's Matt Kunkell was there as well.
This week on Stick Together we speak with ACTU President, Ged Kearney about the year that was and look forward to what 2017 holds for the trade union movement.We also speak with Ella Fabry from the Timor Sea Justice campaign about recent developments in the dispute between Timor Leste and Australia over resources in the Timor Sea.The extedned interview with Ged Kearney can be found here.
Modern Award replaces EBA at Loy Yang more on the way.On Friday 14th of January the Fair Work Commission ordered the EBA between AGL and workers at Loy Yang in Gippsland's La Trobe Valley, be scrapped, meaning workers will be covered by a modern award until a new agreement can be reached.Geoff Dykes from the CFMEU Victorian Mining and energy division goves the back ground leading up to this decision, to understand what a modern award means and why this decsion is a canary in mine to workers across Australia
Today with focus on Pensions and Penalty rates.David Thompson CEO of Jobs Australia lifts the curtain on some other scandals at the heart of our Centrelink system. Lou Wheeler from Fair Go for Pensioners gives an account of the Age Pension changes while Josh Cullinan from the Retail & Fast Food Workers Union goes into bat for the Baker's Delight workers who have been short changed.
The work of disabled workers, their laywers from the AED legal centre and pro bono work from barristers delivered back pay for up to 10,000 workers in Australian Disability Enterprises. We have words from Kairsty Wilson AED Principal Legal Pracitioner about this society changing out come.Federal Government use of data matching and modeling techniques have been applied to social security recipients payments with extraordinary results. CEO of ACOSS, Cassandra Goldie, comes out fighting at the Governments latest stunt.
We are drawing near to the 12 month anniversary of the dramatic midnight raid which bought an end to the longest sit-in occupation of a vessel in Australian history.This week we look back at the MV Portland dispute and the MUA's struggle to save the future of Australian shipping.We talk to those involved, including the MV Portland's chief cook, Michael Pawson who tells us what happened on that fateful night.
The issue dominating the last week was the formal stages of the creation of a Super Union.The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the CFMEU and the MUA went ahead on Wednesday 14 of December at Victorian Trades Hall witnessed by a plethora of other Union officials, delegates and rank and file members. We were there will bring you a report from the mouths of those present.We also have a word from Nadine Flood (CPSU) re: eba negotiations for the Public Service & Angela McCarthy reports on a win at McCain's in Ballarat
The big news is that the CUB 55 have been reinstated. The workers were given a guard of honour on Monday 12th at 6.30 in the morning as they returned to work. We give you sounds of the morning thanks to the Victorian Trades Hall media.Teachers and their T-shirts are making the news this week. Teachers for Refugees have provoked the Turnbull Government into attack position because of T-shirts calling for Refugees to be welcomed.The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union launched in Melbourne earlier this month.
The Victory after 180 days of picket for the CUB 55 maintenance workers is a victory for all working Australia's. We take you to the Spirit of Eureka celebrations at the CUB picket to honour the CUB 55 and the anniversy of the Eureka Stockade where white Australian political resistance formally began. We talk to Duncan Storrar who was chased by Murdoch media hounds after he made a Liberal politican look silly on the ABC Q& A programme earlier this year. The question he asked was about unemployment.
The NDIS has been hailed as a great leap forward for people with disability. This week we explore the industrial relations impacts of the new NDIS funding model and what they mean for quality of care. This weeks episode also highlights HACSU’s campaign against the threat of privatisation in the Victorian disability sector.An extended interview with Leon and George about NDIS funding can be found here.
The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union established itself this week in direct opposition to the SDA which has shown itself unable to defend members' rights to penalties and a fair deal.Taxi Owner/drivers are calling for a fair deal not chicken feed for license buy outs.
Two different rallies bound by violence: the rally honouring the National Day of Respect for Public Transport Workers & the second rally we visit was held outside the Fair Work Commission offices in Melbourne Central to mark the first hearings into the call for Domestic violence leave to be included in awards.
News that Brisbane Bus Driver Manmeet Sharma had been incinerated while at the wheel of his bus was so shocking that it did not just stun Brisbane but sent waves throughout Australia. Save Centre of Cultural Partnership the only course dedicated to arts and social practice in Australia is being closed by VCA meaning job losses and a loss to the community.
In the recent ACT election the Unions ACT ran a grass roots workers focused campaign similar to We Are Union campaign in Victoria. It proved two things: 1. the ACTU change in direction to being a worker campaign organisation rather than reacting to crisis and 2. that this type of campaigning can be decisive.The Victorian branch of the CFMEU is having an election for organisers because one member has put themselves up for a role as an organiser. This has diverted money and effort away from issues that have been affecting the union in this climate of anti unionism. We speak to an existing organiser on the Members First Team.
This year marks the centenary of Australia's first non-binding plebiscite. In 1916, during the height of WWI, Australians were sent to the polls to vote on whether the government should extend conscription and send young workers to kill and be killed in a foreign war. Trade Unions were very active in the campaign and played an important part in defeating conscription. Today's episode explores the campaign and its legacy on Australia's political landscape.An extended interview with Associate Professor Sean Scalmer can be found here.
At the annual Union Activism and History Conference workers came together to talk about work place actions from the past and the present. The 1970's Rosella Strike that ran for 26 weeks, the victorious Polar Fresh dispute that ran for three days and a word from Colleen Bolger about an action at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers where fighting for fair came closer to home than the partners probably ever imagined.
In this episode we will be focusing on the Trans Pacific Partnership as it makes its way through Parliament or not. We give you the answer to why it bad for workers. After that we will talk to some of the delegates and organisers of the first Young Workers Conference held on Oct 7 and 8. Delegates and rank and file members come from across the country and fromNew Zealand for the highly successful event held at the AMNF headquarters in Elizabeth St. Melbourne.
Today we will feature a CUB picket as the blokes were getting ready for the Grand Final weekend. The Young Workers Centre down at Victorian Trades Hall has been putting runs on the board over the last year and on Friday Oct 7th it runs its first Young Workers Conference.We will finish with Ben Davis from the AWU reflecting on the recent decision of the Andrews Labour Government in Victoria's to boost local jobs with the new contract to build the rolling stock for the railways.
In today's programme we are going to look at what is happening at one of Australia's oldest oil and gas fields Longford 20 kilometres from Sale in South Gippsland, Victoria. After more than 50 years the oil reserves are running out and the way Exxon Mobil subsidiarity Esso is dealing with worker negotiations is raising eyebrows. We will follow that with a look at Coates Hire Workers who are taking action around the country for better conditions at work. Many of these workers are isolated in small teams but despite this they can see the importance of solidarity in fighting owners of Coates Hire who are continuing to demand a pay freeze and to slash conditions.
This episode we are featuring the fight for a fair outcome in the South Australian Nurses EBA negotiations and the consequences for Australian jobs with the Federal Government's decision to outsource manufacture of Australian Armed Forces uniforms to China. Before we do though a quick word about the Earthworker Co-opt Walk with the Valley initatitive which kicked off on Sept 19 with a launch at the steps of Victorian Parliament steps.
This week we will be featuring the CSIRO. Staff are being asked to vote on a new EBA which reduces conditions and has salaries falling behind inflation. We follow that with calls for jobs in the green sector for Gippsland as calls for the shutting of the troubled Hazelwood coal mine intensify.
Report on Turnbull Government loss at High Court bid to use foreign workers without visas on offshore oil and gas Shipping but wants to cut Newstart to balance its budget.
A 1,000 days is long enough says the membership of the CPSU. 1,000 days is how long it has taken the Federal Government to not negiotate a new eba for our Federal Public Service. We report on upcoming strike action called for September 9th. We follow this with a look at a victory for playwrights. Yes that's right people in the creative industries need to be represented and the Australian Writers Guild has won a new improved deal through its negoitations with eight of the largest Theatre Companies in Australia.
This edition of Stick Together looks at the fire storm created by the Liberals and their help mate the Murdoch press over the issue of the CFA eba. We will then look at the latest employment figures from the ABS followed by a chat with Robyn Murphy about the feature she is involved in about the heroic fight for equal rights at work for women. Lest we forget.
A call for clean energy jobs in NSW after the defeat of the BHP Billion Caroona Coal Plan for Liverpool Plains, then we go to a dispute that is brewing down by the Yarra at Crown Casino and then to a dispute resolved successful for the Victorian Allied Health Professionals. finally We go to the back streets of Abbotsford Melbourne for a large rally supporting the sacked CUB workers
In today's program we will be revisiting the Wave Hill Walk Off which was the beginning of the modern Aboriginal Land rights movement. Celebrations of the 50th Anniversary on August 19-21 called Freedom Day. It began as a workers right dispute but escalated We will follow this with a speech given by Sally McManus Vice President of the ACTU and the Field Director of the Build a Better Future Campaign.
Coles management was dealt a heavy blow at the hands of the warehousing workers at the massive cold storage facility in Truganina, in Melbourne's West. The 650 employees, backed by the National Union of Workers, went on an indefinite strike action on July 27th, and within 72 hours achieved a favorable agreement. NUW organiser Heath Lamaro, and the NUW delegate on site, Ryan Laws, tell us about the result and how the victory was achieved. We also catch up with ETU organiser Steve Diston about the ongoing dispute at the CUB brewery in Abbotsford
Federal Court ruling against the MUA in the Chevron Gorgon LNG Project dispute over safety issues, Quad bikes the most dangerous killer on farms investigated by the UNSW TARS.
In the 90s and 2000s, we fought against Pauline Hanson and One Nation and won! The unions have always been at the vanguard of the struggle against fascism and racism - from workers' militias in Spain during the 1930s, to mobilising against the likes of Hanson and Reclaim Australia here today. We talk with Michael Clifford from Queensland Council of Trade Unions on the strategies of organizing a fightback against Hanson today. We touch base with Luke Hilakari from the Victorian Trades Hall Council about the aftermath of the Federal Election and the effectiveness of the We Are Union campaign. We finish off with a tribute to the National Union of Workers and their victory at the Parmalat dispute in Longwarry.
Two things have popped up that put a big question mark over the Liberal Party's capacity to understand fairness, transparency and the meaning of justice. The first happened during the election concerning the CFA the second happened when Liberal Philip Ruddock retired from parliament and was appointed Australia's Human Rights envoy to the United Nations.We cover these issues and give an update on the CUB dispute.
This week we go to the Unions for a response to the cliff hanger election Australia had to have at a federal level. Then we move to the CUB dispute where 54 skilled workers were fired and invited to reapply for their jobs at 65% of their present wages and with reduced conditions.
In the UK, Brexit has shattered the relative stability of ruling Conservative Party and led to the freefall in both the value of the pound and the stock market, while fascists and racists have been given a greenlight to attack foreigners and minorities. Former President of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, Alex Gordon explains the details behind brexit and a trade union response to it. Wil Stracke from VTHC joins us for a discussion on the trade union campaign for marriage equality in the lead up to federal election.
We will be covering three issues in this program. The aftermath of decision against the Coles agreement with SDA the retail union which put thousands of Coles workers out of pocket and a conditions deficit; the issue of unemployment and the Newstart payment that is now 40.2 percent of the national minium wage. And finally the stigma attached to being an older worker in a population which is growing older
La Trobe University academic Roz Ward was suspended with pay recently for allegely bringing the safe schools program she worked on into disrepute because of a personal message on facebook. Althought she has been reinstated questions about freedom of opinion and the University's ability to free itself from right wing lobbists is at question. Workers at Bidzer celebrate after a nine week picket over the introduction of a two tier employment system and changes to rosters without consultation. Australian ship building threatened by Federal Government policy.
Trade unionists, socialists and community activists face smears from the corporate right-wing press almost everyday, but these last few weeks have been particularly intense. We will talk with Sue Bolton, the Socialist Alliance Councillor for Moreland City Council, about the media backlash against herself and other rally organisers following the anti-racism rally on May 28th. We will also explore the ongoing industrial dispute between the State Government and the United Firefighters' Union and the role of the media and the coalition have played in dividing career and volunteer firefighters. Audio from the Firefighters Rally on Tuesday June 7th with Peter Marshall. Photo credit: T.E.W Photography
SDA/ Coles agreement fails boot test at the Fair Work Commission in the Hart v Coles case. ETU cry foul as Turnbull budget gives millions to employer groups to train Apprentices. The Women's Unit at the Victorian Trades Hall are running a Women's Conference on June 7.
In the last few weeks, stories of worker exploitation in fast-food and retail workers have been widespread. McDonalds and 7/11 workers are faced with wage-theft and rotten EBAs. Josh Cullian, who recently helped to uncover the extent of wage unfairness among the McDonalds' workers joins us. We also speak with Luke Hilakari, the secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, about the plans for physical restoration of the history building and the recent updates of the campaigns.
NUW is uncovering the sham contractors who are collecting for big Charities.The Big Steps Case for equal pay for early childhood educators took to the streets on Saturday May 14 to let the public know how under paid and how important early childhood educators are.Homeless persons camp pops up in Melbourne City Square are inflamatory article in local rag Sun Herald
First, we cover the distressing story of Australia's first death at a "Work For The Dole" site. Josh Park Fing's family is crowdfunding for the burial of their son and brother and you can sign the Unemployed Workers Union's petition here.Next, we go to the International Memorial for Workers held at the Victorian Trades Hall on April 28th.Lastly, we attend the final hearing of the Hart v Coles dispute in the Fair work Commission.
Stick Together's May Day special broadcast. Listen to rank and file unionists, environmental activists, socialists, anti-poverty campaigners and many more speak about workers' struggles. Contributors to this year's special broadcast include the Maritime Union of Australia, Friends of the Earth, Unemployed Workers' Union and National Union of Workers.
In this program we will look at some of the reasons the TPP the trans pacific partnership is a problem for workers, we look at two issues of work place safety the recent decision by the Turnbull Government to scrap the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal and a wall collapse at a North Melbourne site onto the footpath. Last cab off the rank in an action packed show we remember that on the 21st of April 1856 the 8 hour day was instituted for the first time in history.
As the Senate blocks turnbull's ABCC bill, the stage is now set for an early election for July 2nd. Together with Jerome Small, we will be looking at the Bernie Sanders phenomenon and the new labor struggles throughout the Mid-West. This will be followed up by an interview with Keelia Fitzpatrick from the Young Workers Centre at Trades Hall about the need to organise and assist young workers in unpaid internships.
The National Union of Workers (NUW) is carving out a membership from the notoriously exploitatiove workplaces in the Agricultural Industries. This episode of Stick Together gives an insight into how this union is responding to change in Australian working conditions and deregulated markets.
Senator John Madigan was at the March 24 rally for Timor Leste's call for Australia to respect Timor Leste's rightful marine boundaries and the resources there in. Senator Madigan talks about the Timor Leste and the ABCC. CSIRO has been attacked again with cuts to its climate change scientists. A rally on April 2 shows it isn't taking this lying down.
This Easter marks the beginning of the celebrations of the centenary of the Easter Rising in Dublin, when the Irish patriots under the command of James Connolly, Patrick Pearse, T.J. Clarke and others led a revolt against the British Empire and established the first Provisional Government of the Republic of Ireland. Together with the former Connolly Show presenter, Dave Gibney, we will discuss the significance of this important date and what it means for the political situation in Ireland today.
The CPSU is taking it up to the Commonwealth Government with strikes on Monday March 21 in all sections of the Commonwealth Public Service. Over Easter airports will experience disruption when Border Force workers go on strike. After 3 years of the Government refusing to negotiate the Union and its members are pushing back against what the Government calls 'streamlining' but which is actually cuts to conditions and wages for the benefit of a corporate type structure of 'flexiblity' on the part of the employees. In our second report we talk to Dr Pat Ranald from AFTINET about what the Trans Pacfic Partnership (TPP) means to workers.
Denis Rogatyuk, the Stick Together producer, has returned from his 3-month trip in Latin America and is ready to hsare the expiriences of social movements confronting the resurgent right wing and neoliberal forces in the region. Also, we commemorate the 160th anniversary of the 8-hour working day and debate the need for a campaign for a 30-hour working week as the way to unify the labor movement. Godfrey Moase, a show regular adn the assistant general branch secretary of the National Union of Workers, joins us for that.
Work Equality isn't just about wage equivalence. Having work places that plan for women to leave to have children and be able to come back within a year is a measure of Australia's global gender gap rating. The CEO of Breastfeeding Australia says that Australia has fallen to 36th place from a a15th place ten years ago. We speak to Sally Shepherdson about her experience with a company that plans for the success of their female employees. The Turnbull Government recently suggested lower paid workers should be kicked out of the Superannuation system. Women will be most affected according to Ged Kearney from the ACTU. It is a bad idea she says.
Two groups went out on the streets last week. Nteu members went on strike and picketed RMIT for wages and conditions for Vocational Education teachers on Monday Feb 22; Fair Go for Pensioners were on Victorian Parliament steps on Wednesday calling for jobs.
The death of two construction workers within a week of each other recently highlights the tension that has been created by giving more power to the employers than the workers when it comes to OH&S. We speak to Dr Gerry Ayres from the CFMEU Victorian Construction Division specifically about the death early morning on Monday Feb 15th in Carlton and more generally about issues to do with safety. We follow this up with a chat with David McElrea from United Voice about his unions view of the Labor Party stance before the next Federal election.
Duncan Hart and the AMIEU have had their first day in court in an effort to overturn the SDA brokered Coles deal that means some workers will see a $15,000 a year decrease in wages. The Fair Work Commission is looking to see if the new agreement passes the fairness test. We also hear from Matt Osbourne who gave evidence at last weeks Victorian inquiry into the Labour Hire Industry and Insecure Work.
The Victorian Inquiry into the Hire Industry & Insecure Work is the first in the country. The Victorian Trades Hall Council celebrated the beiginning of public hearings by bringing together Labour Party representatives, union officials and workers to mark the start of public recognition of the scourge of insecure work on Australian society.
While the Federal Government begins its first sitting for 2016 the sacked MV Portland Crew and supporters have set up across the road in Canberra. The first order of business for Parliament is anti Union legislation while across the road the sacked workers want to know about the destruction of local jobs; Nico a back packer wants to know how exploitation of work visa workers is allowed to continue; as we celebrate Medicare's 32 birthday the Turnbull Government is nibbling on its toes.
The Turnbull Government wants to go to an election on a new Basics Card. It will be called the Healthy Welfare Etpos card and will quarantine welfare money from all people receiving any form of welfare payment. 80% of money will be withheld and the rest will be available in money. Stick Together talks to people who are affected by such moves. We follow up with a dramatic piece from 3CR's live coverage of the Survival Day ceremonies in Melbourne.
The waterfronts of Australia are a stir with industrial unrest as big business flexes its muscles. Not since the 1990's Patrick dispute has there been such a concerted effort by business and government to fillet the rights of workers – Marinetime workers in Australia and around the world. We look at the MV Portland dispute and forcible removal by private security by US company Alcoa with support from Federal Liberal Government; we also look at the National tugboat stoppages over the employer desire to put Engineers, deckhands & skippers under one award.
At the 2015 SALT conference Ian Jameson recalls his days as an union organiser in the remote West Coast of Tasmania mining area.
Today's young workers are likely to be the first generation in modern history to be worse off than their parents generation. Only around 8% of Australian workers under 25 are union members. How then do these young workers feel about this outlook for the future? Why are they not union members? How do they see the future improving? Tune in to hear voices from a generation which has yet to truly taste the power of an organised working class.
Two senior officials of the Victorian CFMEU have been charged with criminal offences taking industrial relations back to the 19th century. UFU are angry that the Daniel Andrews Government refuses to sign off on their EBA after 950 days over safety provisions.
To celebrate the International Day of People with Disability we talk to Dr Nikki Henningham who has researched Australian women Disability Activists for the Australian online encyclopedia of Women & Leadership.
Today's program catches up with the senate inquiry into the exploitation of workers in Australia on work visas. The inquiry has been travelling the continent collecting information about the 7/11 wages scandal and finding that when you lift a rock you never know what other unsavoury things you will find. But first the history making agreement in Port Kembla between Bluescope and steel workers
Hundreds of thousands were inspired by Jeremy Corbyn's socialist insurgency in UK Labor. Yet more are excited by Bernie Sanders' call for a "political revolution against the Billionaire Class" in his socialist campaign for USA President. Revolutionary socialist Kshama Sawant scored a historic victory for working people by being re-elected to Seattle City Council. What about Australia? How do we begin rebuilding working class politics here? Crucially, what do young people think about politics today?
Several weeks ago, The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) began talks about a possible merger in order to create a militant mega union. Shortly afterwards, the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union (TCFUA) also began to be involved in the talks. Are we on the verge of seeing the rise of the One Big Union in Australia? Joining us for the show will be Dave Kerin, the project-officer of EarthWorker Cooperative and a former activist with the Builders Labourers' Federation and the CFMEU, and Liz Ross, a long-time union activist, labor historian and the author of "Dare To Struggle, Dare To Win".
Chafta has made its way through Parliament and is on its way to the Senate. The ETU are still fighting for workers jobs and public safety. Kahlani Pyrah who fought the bosses at Grill'd with her fellow workers and won talks at SALT conference; Tim Gooden tells all about the Geelong Major and that sexist T-shirt.
A jam-packed episode full of stories of workers' struggle, unity and fight for social justice. We will cover the National Union of Workers' Fluro Fightback, featuring Van Badham, Father Bob McGuire and Gary Maas. We will interview SDA activist Duncan Hart about his latest appeal to the Fair Work Commission in protest to the deal between the union and Coles management to cut penalty rates. We will also talk to a member of the MLDC 3 about the wildcat strike at the WoolWorths distribution center back in August. We will finish off with an update from the National Tertiary Education Union Victorian State Secretary, Colin Long, about a series of victories they've had in the last few weeks!
Mega resources corporation Glencore is sacking workers and reducing production at its zinc mine at the McArthur River in the Gulf of Carpentaria and leaving an environmental mess. Is this the future for Australian mining? Unions came out to support Refugees on Sunday Oct 11 and Tim Gooden from the Geelong Trades Hall talks about how he helped secure economic security for a young Tamil Refugee's family after he did not survive the trauma of Immigration Department moves to return him to Sri Lanka.
7-eleven wages scandal; Tram & Train strikes diverted when Yarra Trams & Metro negotiate; Vocational teachers to strike at RMIT over insulting offer in wages increase and reduced conditions.
We will be covering the latest stories of workers' struggles from around Australia and the world. We'll highlight the recent action by United Voice Victoria to defend penalty rates. Also joining us for the show will be Craig Kelly, the Assistant Secretary of AMWU Victoria Branch, to discuss the latest protest against Transfield and a broader campaign for refugee rights within the union movement.
Comments on Malclom Turnbull as new PM and the affect on IR policy by Ged Kearney; Build a Better Future door knocking campaign; Hands off Australia Post protest 12 Sept; CPSU strike at international airports for resolution of pay and conditions dispute.
Together with Godfrey Moase, the Assistant General Secretary of the National Union of Workers, we will be discussing the aftermath of Tony Abbot's demise and the way forward for the union movement now. We will also bring updates regarding the RTBU Victoria's fight for fair wages and conditions.Finally,we will explore the revelations of the exploitation of 7/11 workers and the union strategies required for fighting back against it. Anthony Main, the General Secretary of Unite will be joining us for that.
The Rail, Bus & Tram Union (RBTU) were out on Friday over Metro rail refusal to negotiate their EBA. Christine Cummins talks about the difficulties of doing your job ethically as a health professional at detention camps since the Immigration Department became the Department of Border Security. Her on-line petition against the Border Force Act.
News and reports from the workers struggles and union actions! On our program, we will be discussing the latest union rallies and movements against the China Free Trade Agreement. Joining us for the show will be Samantha Castro, the co-founder of the Whistleblowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance, who will also discuss the current developments of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and its possible impact on the lives of working Australians.
The question of Commission Dyson Heydon's 'accidental' acceptance of speaking engagement at a Liberal Party fundraiser is inspected by Humphrey McQueen and Ged Kearney from the ACTU has something to say about the Senate rejection of two anti union bills.
The last few weeks have been sizzling with industrial disputes, strikes and workers' struggles right across Australia. We will be discussing the struggle and the outcome of the MLDC warehouse workers strike in Laverton and hearing from Bob Carnegie, the Queenlsand state secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, about the continuous fight of the union members against Hutchinson Ports in Sydney and Brisbane.
In a month of Attacks on Workers we look at the charging of ACT CFMEU organiser Johnnie Lomax with Black mail with Loss by the Federal Police for negotiating an EBA with an employer; the Productivity Commission's interim report which calls for penalty rates being cut on Sundays for retail and hospitality workers; and we also look at the changes to Centrelink on July 1 from the point of view of the unemployed.
Swinburne University has been taken to court over industrial tactics and lost three times in the last 2 years. Now they're threatening to cut workers wages if they don't have a new agreement before Christmas. Later in the show we'll catch up with NTEU Victorian secretary Colin Long to discuss Swinburne's union -busting tactics. First up we hear from CPSU deputy national president Rupert Evans on the rolling work stoppages across Australia's international airports involving public sector workers. We spoke with Rupert on Monday morning after the first stoppage
Discussing the fight for dignity and fair treatment of hospitality workers with Kahlani Pyrah (United Voice, Socialist Alternative) and her case against the corporate management of Grilld. Also, talking about the latest developments in the cooperative sector with Rick Duke from the Fleurieu Poultry Assoication cooperative in South Australia, and discussing the progress of EarthWorker with Mark Tyler!
A talk with a long-time revolutionary socialist and trade unionist, Bob Carnegie, recently elected as state secretary of the Queensland branch of the Maritime Union of Australia. We will discuss the current issues facing maritime workers, the ongoing Caltex dispute and the need for a collective struggle against the insecure work and casualisation. We will also have a chat with Liz Turner, the community organiser of the National Union of Workers, about the need for a united community and union response to the rise of fascism and far-right extremism in light of Reclaim Australia Rallies!
Alexander Spirit crew refuse to budge after Caltex say they will be replaced in Singapore; Anthony Albanese talks about the latest Government attacks on cabotage; Kate Mitchell from Southern Cross University tells how NTEU influenced the no vote by general staff to insulting EBA offer.
Trade unions have been active in Timor Leste since 2001 when the Timor Leste Confederation of Trade Unions (KSTL) was formed with support from Australian unions. The major employer at the time was the United Nations and the young country was still under UN administration. Aside from very high unemployment and a government eager to attract foreign investment often at the expense of workers' rights, unions have also been at the forefront of struggles for oil and gas justice in the Timor Sea. Almerio Vila Nova is the General Secretary of the General Workers Union of Timor Leste and represents the younger generation of union activists trying to organise in very challenging economic and political conditions. He shares stories from current and historical industrial struggles as well as some experiences within the clandestine movement as a teenager. The interview has been translated from Tetum so the english translation is voiced by Mark Tyler.
Senator Janet Rice talks about the ongoing Senate committee investigation of temporary visa which will report in August; Kevin Bracken & Dave Oliver address a MUA demo on the subject of Free Trade Deals that are serving Australian workers on a plate to the big end of town; Associate Professor Angela Knox from Sydney University Business School says Job Quality is important to Australia's bottom line.
The campaign for the rights of cleaners has been gaining momentum, with the recent 24-hour strike of the workers in Federal Parliament, and a rally and march organised by the United Voice in Melbourne. Meanwhile, the Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union has been gearing for the campaign against further unemployment and welfare cuts. In Ireland, the ongoing dispute between the retail workers at Dunnes and Mandate Trade Union highlights the workers’ struggle for collective bargaining in the country. Interviews with Owen Bennet (Australian Unemployed Union), Dave Gibney (Mandate Trade Union, Ireland)
While the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry down plays its call for removal of penalty rates cleaners call for penalty rate protection at the International Day for Justice for Cleaners rallies; the SDA Coles Deal queried by Fair Work Commission for under award payments.
Trade unions have been active in Timor Leste since 2001 when the Timor Leste Confederation of Trade Unions (KSTL) was formed with support from Australian unions. The major employer at the time was the United Nations and the young country was still under UN administration. Aside from very high unemployment and a government eager to attract foreign investment often at the expense of workers' rights, unions have also been at the forefront of struggles for oil and gas justice in the Timor Sea. Almerio Vila Nova is the General Secretary of the General Workers Union of Timor Leste and represents the younger generation of union activists trying to organise in very challenging economic and political conditions. He shares stories from current and historical industrial struggles as well as some experiences within the clandestine movement as a teenager. The interview has been translated from Tetum so the english translation is voiced by Mark Tyler.
ACTU Congress 2015 preparing for the next Federal election with the declaration that the ACTU was wrong to put aside its campaigning tools after the defeat of the Howard Government. Dave Oliver declares that the ACTU will stop being a 'transactional' organisation and focus on campaigning. Dave Noonan (CFMEU) talks up for the workers in Qatar; and we hear the disapportment regarding the $16 not $27 decision for the minium wage from Fair Work Commission.
We will look at and analyze the stories of workers' struggles in the most precarious and difficult working conditions from the past and present. We will look behind the story of "Jobs for Women" campaign of the Wollongon Steel Mills from the 1980s and 1990s that fought gender segregation and united unemployed and immigrant women together with the unions and the local community. We will also take a look at the National Union of Workers campaign for secure work among the immigrant farm workers, following the Four Corners Report "Slaving Away" on ABC. Interview with Godfrey Moase (National Union of Workers) and Robynn Murphy (Jobs for Women, Wollongong).
The CPSU start rolling stikes across Australia we report on the Bureau of Meterorology workers rallying in Melbourne. The CFMEU have been singled out again by Senate laws to retain coercive powers to building regulator; the ACTU & Victorian Trades Halls sign MOU with West Papuans ahead of Melanesian Spearhead Group conference.
The NSW election was won by the Mike Baird-led Liberal National coalition and the 99-year lease of NSW's transmission and distribution network is all set to go ahead. On the show this week we hear from Electrical Trades Union state secretary Steve Butler about the impact of the sell-off on workers, the community and the environment. We'll also hear from Australian Services Union assistant national secretary Greg McLean about electricity privatisation trends and impacts across the country and and further afield. First though we're going to take a look at the current trend towards privatisation in Australia through a global and historial lens. Professor Sharon Beder is the author of Power Play: The Fight to control the world's electricity and works at the University of Woollongong.
While Australian workers celebrate May Day Aurizon, Australia's biggest frieght company has been given the go ahead by the Fair Work Commission to get rid of 12 conditions and return to the basic safety net when negotiating the EBA with its workers. The Fair Work Commission says maternity leave and job security protection is not in the 'public interest' because it makes a company unproductive. Profit = Public Interest
April 24th marked the second anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster - a case of industrial manslaughter of monstrous proportions. With 1,129 confirmed dead in the aftermath, and thousands of others injured or still missing under the rabble, it was the single biggest disaster in the history of the garments industry worldwide. Joining us for the discussion is Jerome Small (Industrial Organiser, Socialist Alternative) and Samia Khatun (Historian at University of Melbourne, NTEU member)
Today we mark the centenary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli with a discussion about the Australian labour movement's response to the First World War, and how the war changed Australia's political landscape. Interview with Joan Beaumont, ANU, author of Broken Nation: Australians in the Great War.
We all have to sell our labour at rates dictated by global markets. For some people this means a few cents an hour for others it can be a living wage that provides housing and food security. For those who set their own pay rates because they own the means of production it can be millions of dollars an hour. Casey Jenkins has just finished performing 3 weeks of a performance art piece called Body of Work at Dark Horse Experiment in Franklin Lane exploring the relationship between worker and boss and how it's mediated by money and power.http://casey-jenkins.com/artist/bodyofwork/
Marxism Conference 2015 concluded recently in Melbourne. Among a range of prominent international and local speakers, the two that stood out the most were Emory Douglas, the former Minister for Culture of the Black Panther Party, and Eamonn McCann, a long-time Irish socialist and civil rights campaigner. The show's topic focused on the experience of the two activists and the assessment of today's situation with regards to the struggle against austerity and racism.
Swinburne settles court case with NTEU, which alleged adverse action when Swinburne tried to move staff into a subsidiary company, with lower pay and conditions. Centrelink and Medicare workers take 10 days of industrial action nationwide. And labour activists criticise cuts to penalty rates in a template agreement between the SDA and Business South Australia. Interviews with Colin Long, Vic Secretary NTEU, Lisa Newman, deputy president CPSU, and Anthony Main, organiser with Socialist Party and UNITE union.
This episode asks the question why are short term visas being used to put Australian film technicians out of work when the ICC World Cup Cricket is playing in town. Ged Kearney the ACTU President explains why it is so important that wage inequality between women and men needs to be change.
The ban on uranium mining will be reinstated by the Palaszczuk government in QLD. Under the LNP government the state was opened up for exploration and mining despite a decades-long ban. The re-instatement of the ban follows pressure from unions, especially the ETU and AMWU, and community campaigns against the re-opening of mines in Northern and Northwestern QLD. We speak with AMWU national president Andrew Dettmer, David Sewell from the Citizens Against Mining Ben Lomond and Wendy Tubman from the North Queensland Conservation Council.
The ACTU called a national day of action on March 4, 2015 as the start of the unions campaign to fight back against the Federal Governments review of all basic working conditions throught the Productivity Commission. This report takes us to the Melbourne rally.
Community Organizing among trade unions is on the rise again, so what can we learn from the experiences around the world? We will take a look at the Community Membership initiative of Unite the Union in Britain, as well as the work conducted by political organising centre, Trademark, among Catholic and Protestant communities in Belfast. Interviews with Kelly Tomlinson (Unite the Union) and Stevie Nolan (Trademark).
Coles tries to cut pay and conditions by shutting the meat workers union out of its latest EBA; interview with Paul Conway, Victorian secretary AMIEU. And the Greens push for portable long-service leave rights across Australia; interview with Greens MLA for South Australia Tammy Franks.
Calls for people working on 457 and 417 visas to be paid award rates and conditions. Recent scandals have show the bugs under the rock of the Abbott Governments employment policy rock as the government takes the country on a head long charge into the global rush to the bottom when it comes to labour hire.
Analyzing the results of the Queensland election, reporting on the progress of the Right2Water campaign in Ireland and hearing from the LAB trade union in the Basque country about the recent repression by the Spanish Civil Guard. Interviews with Ted Sussex (Victorian Trades Hall Council), Dave Gibney (Right2Water, Mandate Trade Union), Gaizka Zuriarain (LAB).
Workers occupy their lunch-room in Melbourne, after their employer tries to lock them out; interview with delegate Arthur Ingles. Reflections on SYRIZA's victory in the Greek elections, with Peter Murphy. And Jack Barry reports on the latest developments in Argentina's workers control movement.
The Premier Campbell Newman's been coasting along on a wave of unpopularity since the Liberal National Party government took an axe to the public sector and revealed their privatisation ambitions.QLD unionists are in fighting form although still reeling from the 10s of thousands of jobs lost and countless public services closed or outsourced.On the show this week QLD Nurses Union secretary Beth Mohle, Together QLD secretary Alex Scott and ETU organiser and Not4Sale rabble rouser Stuart Traill.
The Abbott Government gave the Australian Public a Christmas presnt of a two pronged attack on Penalty rates when it announced the Fair Work Commission review of Awards and the Productivity Commission inquiry into the Workplace Relations Framework. There was a side dish of a report from the Immigration Department discussing the possibility of a Short Term Mobility Visa. Talk with Ged Kearney (ACTU President) about Penalty Rates and to Chris Wright (Research Fellow at University of Sydney Business School) about skilled migration visa.
Stick Together producer, Denis Rogatyuk, is back from his trip with an exciting and fresh new topic - the Basque independence struggle, the question of political prisoners and the current negotiations between the Basque nationalists and the Spanish state. Interviews with Inakia Landa and Beatriz Morales (Etxerat), Teresa Toda (Sare) and Maite Ubiria (SORTU).
On the 16th of December a Hazara man called Gullistan was forcibly removed from Maribyrnong detention centre to be deported back to Afghanistan. We hear from Chris Breen from the Refugee Action Collective at the gates of Maribyrnong just minutes after Gullistan was taken away in a unmarked white van. We also hear from Robin Rothfield, national co-convenor of Labor for Refugees for a round-up of the current situation and about the role for organised labour and parliamentary Labor in fighting for justice for refugees.
The Victorian election saw the Napthine Liberal Government thrown out of office after only one term. The work of the United Fire Fighters Union and the Ambulance Employees Australia contributed significantly to this result.
Stick Together producer, Denis Rogatyuk, is back from his trip with an exciting and fresh new topic - the Basque independence struggle, the question of political prisoners and the current negotiations between the Basque nationalists and the Spanish state. Interviews with Inakia Landa and Beatriz Morales (Etxerat), Teresa Toda (Sare) and Maite Ubiria (SORTU).
This week on Stick Together we catch up with Martin Stewart, president of the Blind Workers Union of Victoria to check in on the vision-impaired workers sacked by Vision Australia from their warehouse last year. We find out about the impact of that decision on those workers and on the union and discuss what workplace justice looks like for workers in disability enterprises. That's coming up later on in the program. First up though, Kairsty Wilson from the Australian Employees with Disability legal service about the discriminatory use of wage assessment tools to determine how much beneath the award wage some people with disabilities will be paid.
Discussion about picketing of electorate office strategy and the connection between Government lack of representtion of electors in favour of Corporations. This is extended to a discussion about the Australian Chinese Free Trade Deal and the attack on local Aboriginal communities in the interest of the same corporations.
Interview about the G20 and its free trade agenda, with Pat Ranald co-ordinator of the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network. And in Mexico mass protests, led by the teachers union (CNTE), have been blocking roads and burning government buildings, after 43 students from a teachers college were disappeared by local authorities.
This week Stick Together comes to you live from the Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy in Musgrave Park, Brisbane. We're bringing you coverage from Decolonisation before profit, a week of resistance and protest against the capitalist powers meeting for the G20. We heard from Aunty Dawn Daylight about the theft of her wages as an aboriginal child removed from her family and indentured into domestic labour. And we spoke with Dr. Ros Kidd, a researcher whose work has uncovered much oif the documentation being used by thousands of QLD elders to demand decades of wages from the government.Stick Together is produced in the studios of 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne and broadcast on the Community Radio Network. This week we broadcast from Jaggera land and to lands stolen from Aboriginal people all over the country.
Employers fail to pass on wage increases won by the Australian Services Union in the Equal Pay campaign; inteview with Mitchell Coe, ASU. Victorian unions mobilise to urge Victorian voters to reject the anti-worker agenda of the Napthine Liberal government; interview with Luke Hilikari, secretary Victorian Trades Hall Council.http://www.3cr.org.au/node/483796/edit?destination=node/1560
Dr Joe Toscano, convenor ot the Anarchist Media Institute, looks at the forces that put the Whitlam Government in and those that lead to its demise. He looks at the importance of Australia's first reformist government.