GAT DISPUTE

This ongoing dispute with the Government Assurance Team (GAT) has now been referred to the Fair Work Commission. A conciliation conference is set for this Thursday. The main issue is a punishing roster and associated conditions.

COST OF LIVING CRISIS CONTINUES FOR WORKERS

Inflation for the year to December 2022 was 7.8%, the highest rate since 1990. Driven by non-discretionary items like food and beverages (9.2%), fuel (13.2%), electricity (8.6%) and housing (10.7%, and higher for renters).
Relief for workers must come in the form of increased wage growth, the reforms included in the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill will support this but more action is needed. The Albanese Government's commitment to act on wage theft and ending exploitation of casual and labour hire workers must be a priority.
Here is the history for the past 2 years- wages have not kept up!

  Jan-Mar 21    0.6%    1.1%
  Apr-Jun 21    0.8%    3.0%
  Jul-Sep 21    0.8%    3.0%
  Oct-Dec 21    1.3%    3.5%
  Jan-Mar 22    2.1%    5.1%
  Apr-Jun 22    1.8%    6.1%
  Jul-Sep 22    1.8%    7.3%
  Oct-Dec 22    1.9%    7.8%

MEDICARE WOULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT THE UNION MOVEMENT!

Medicare is so widely relied upon today that it is hard to imagine that there was a time when Australia did not have a national public healthcare system.
But Medicare didn't always exist- and the union movement played a massive, though under recognised, role in its creation.
was the Whitlam Government that first introduced a national healthcare system, known as Medibank, which the Fraser Government subsequently sought to dismantle after Whitlam's dismissal.
In July of 1976, the union movement realised we had to take a stand to protect public healthcare.
The ACTU, led by our President, Bob Hawke, organised a national strike to defend the universal healthcare system.
More than two million workers took action on the day - an event reported around the world!
But while we were able to delay Fraser's attacks, we weren't able to stop them entirely. By 1981 Fraser had abolished the national public healthcare system. The union movement, however, didn't give up.
For the full story see Australian Trade Union Institute - How unions helped build Medicare