A group of local cleaners, currently employed on defence establishments in the ACT, have been told to sign an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA) or risk loosing their jobs. Serco Sodexho, the contractor that won the defence cleaning tender, has continued to deny the cleaners a chance to collectively bargain, even though an overwhelming majority want [...]
industrial relations
Senator Vanstone’s ‘own goal’ on hospitality worker underpayments
The Senate heard today that a shocking 164 workers were found to be underpaid by 48 Canberra restaurants in recent investigations. These investigations and results only occurred as a result of Labor raising complaints about underpaid skilled migrant cooks and chefs in Parliament – these complaints were ignored by the Government for months. The extent [...]
Women Rally Against Extreme Workplace Laws
As part of the ANU Women in Education Week, ACT Labor Senator Kate Lundy will be addressing the ‘Woman after Education’ rally at ANU tomorrow at 12.30. The rally has been organised to oppose the Federal Government’s unfair industrial relations laws. Under the Howard Government’s extreme industrial relations changes, many Australian women will have: no [...]
Radio Kate: Industrial Relations – Filipino chefs and cooks
Transcript There’s been another breakthrough in the dispute against the Canberra restaurants involved with the Filipino chefs and cooks. What we now know is that Zeffirelli’s Restaurant have paid all monies outstanding to the people who were in their employ when the dispute first started. This is an important breakthrough and a further vindication that [...]
Labor Senator Kate Lundy addresses LHMU Union Delegate’s
“A Federal Labor Government will rip up John Howard’s extreme industrial relations laws” Senator Lundy said today in her address to a delegate’s convention of the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) in Canberra this week. John Howard’s dog-eat-dog industrial relations world pits worker against worker. Labor will get rid of this brutal and unfair [...]
IR Protests across Capital Region
As part of the ACTU’s National Day of Protest, Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Canberra all hosted significant protests against the Howard Government’s extreme industrial relations changes today. ACT Labor Senator Kate Lundy addressed meetings in all three places, calling on workers to keep up the campaign until the next election. Senator Lundy addressed a packed hall [...]
Now Humphries has a bob each way on workers safety
The call for a Senate inquiry into silicosis in the workplace is a welcome move that may benefit health and safety of workers. In principle Labor supports an inquiry and will try to ensure that it is not limited to the issue of sandblasting, but encompasses other situations of exposure to silica in the workplace. [...]
Manufactured exports weakest in history
The Howard Government continues to ignore the precarious state of Australian manufacturing as the decline in manufacturing performance continues, according to the Quarterly Survey of Australian Manufacturing released today by the Australian Industry Group (AIG). The survey results showed that Australian manufacturing in the June quarter experienced the slowest growth for 4 years. Production growth [...]
Humphries has a bob each way on Georgiou bills
Senator Humphries needs to explain himself: He says he supports the Georgiou Bill BUT NOT the part that would release women and children from detention. He says he supports the Georgiou Bill BUT if he’s required to actually vote to support it, he WON’T. Senator Humphries can’t have it both ways – pretending to be [...]
Manufacturing annual growth well below average
The Howard Government continues to oversee a poor performance in Australian manufacturing according to the latest Australian Industry Group (AIG)-Pricewaterhouse Coopers Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) report released today. The report showed many manufacturing sectors are experiencing serious decline including clothing and footwear; wood products and furniture; paper printing and publishing; and construction materials. [...]
