Stick Together

In today's program we go to a demonstration outside the Park Hotel in Melbourne in support of refugees being held there.We ask, has the political capital of successive Federal Government’s in Australia reaped from cruel refugee policies been spent? Have the fears  working people have  afraid for their jobs, and safety been calmed by cruelly treating refugees and paying big business billions to run detention centres?

We hear more excerpts from the stories of four comrades who were members of the Communist Party of Australia. Noel Counihan, Kath Williams, Brian Manning and Joyce Stevens.Get your copy of Comrades! at the New International Bookshop

Today we have an interview with Don Sutherland, former Chief Industrial Officer for the AMWU, and a founding member of LIFE Living Incomes for Everyone about the cuts to Jobseeker and why it has knock-on effects for every working Australian in the LNP's game plan for a future Australia.

We speak with Kristin from the AUWU, Loukas from RAFFWU and Giles from CUPUW about the year that was and the challenges for precarious workers across society in one of the most challenging and bizarre years in recent memory.

This week we give an update on the sacred trees on Djab Wurrung country and then hear about the launch of Hospo Voice's new app called mobilise.

We speak with Alison Pennington, Economist from the Centre for the Future of Work, about the Industrial Relations Legislation introduced into Parliament during the last week of Parliament before Christmas. What it will mean for Australian workers if the legislation is passed. Here is a link to Alison's most recent article for Jacobin on the IR legislation.

This week we'll hear Bernard Collaery's speech upon receiving this year's Spirit of Eureka award. The speech was made at the 166th Eureka Rebellion Commemoration.We also hear about why the Morning Star flag was raised at Trades Halls in Melbourne and Ballarat on December 1st.

On today's program we have a look at one man's experience of the cashless welfare card and follow with a word with Mich-Elle Meyers National Women's Liaison Officer at the Marine time Union of Australia the MUA about their commitment to stop gendered violence in the work place.

We cover the true cost of precarity as is relates to the recent South Australian COVID-19 scare, and speakwith Anastasia from CUPUW (Casualised, Unemployed and Precarious University Workers), about how casual university workers are fighting to save their industry. Get in touch with CUPUW (and RSVP to the picnic(!)) here: https://sites.google.com/view/cupuw/home

Hear from the Bendigo Lactalis picket line and what the Renters and Housing Union think about Victoria's social housing announcement.