Stick Together

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.