workers at the major dairy milk processing factories have walked off and supermarket shelves are starting to empty. Cheese, yoghurt, and ice cream could follow. Victorian farmers are getting just $1 a litre of milk, and many of them don’t know how long they can continue to stay in operation. Continue reading Victoria’s dairy workers on strike for decent wages and conditions
The United States autoworkers strike is a long way from Australia. It is still important, because it is a sign if what is going wrong in that country, and major developments there will have an impact here. This is how closely Australia is enmeshed into the economic and political power of the United States. Continue reading The American autoworkers strike is important for the United States and Australia
Australia has been crying out for years for something to be done to put an end to blatant exploitation of workers by greedy employers. One of the biggest abuses had been the rise in the use of labour hire intermediaries to pay lower wages than would otherwise be entitled. There is the use of insecure work and the gig economy. Don’t forget sham subcontracting and the fact that women are still often paid less than men. Continue reading Wage theft is a major problem that must be corrected
Back on 18 January, cannery workers at Visy in Shepparton took strike action for 24 hours over stalled negotiations between their union and management for a new agreement. They walked of the job again on 25 and 17 January, and again on 17 March. Strikes have continued for 2 shifts each week.
Visy is Australia’s largest privately-owned company with an annual turnover of $7 billion. Continue reading Visy workers are fighting for a liveable deal
Peak Australian union body, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), has called for a 7 percent rise for lower paid workers to keep up with rising living costs due to inflation. Critics, such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, are already saying that this will cause a great deal of damage to the economy. They are wrong and the ACTU is in the right. Continue reading An increase in the minimum wage is both justified and necessary
The Albanese government is working to bring in a change to the Fair Work Act. It is going to be amended to allow bargaining across multiple workplaces. Or is it? Continue reading Industrial relations change will fail to answer rising cost of living
Contributed Country Road is a well-known clothing chain in Australia, which likes to market itself as an ethical business. The local parent company has a highly visible retail profile. In addition to the Country Road stores, it owns Witchery, Mimco, Politix and Trenery. The owner of all is the South African multinational Woolworths Holding Limited (WHL). Continue reading Country Road workers take industrial action for equal and decent pay
Among industrialised nations, Australia has for some time led as the land with the highest number of hours worked by full-time employees. Australia is also up there with the number of underemployed workers. This is not surprising. Overwork and underwork dovetail neatly into a labour market designed to squeeze the worker by any means available Continue reading Australians are now working more unpaid hours
Last Friday, the Port of Melbourne was shut down by determined members of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA). They did this to send a message to tugboat operator Svitzer. The dispute is over negotiations for a new workplace agreement have stalled for 18 months, causing growing uncertainty. Continue reading The new battle on Melbourne waterfront to defend rights at work
A report from the McKell Institute says average wages growth has been falling since 2013. Average wages are now $250 a week below where they would be if their growth had continued as before. Continue reading A changing labour market has stolen from the incomes of most Australians
