Stick Together

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 interns...

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...

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...

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 runni...

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 act...

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 Repre...

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 als...

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 campa...

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 J...

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 AC...

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...

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 s...

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 Childhoo...

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...

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 wh...

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 openin...