Stick Together

August 28th was Equal Pay Day or rather the day that brings into focus that there is still a 14% gap between women’s pay for comparative work of men’s and that there is a systemic bias in favour of men that leaves women carrying the weigh of social cohesion but in poverty in old age. Today’s program follows part of the panel discussion hosted by Victorian Trades Hall Council and will be facilitated by the co-Leads of the Women's Team, Jodi Peskett and Pia Cerveri. We hear from panel members Tanja KovacCEO Genvic, Melbourne, Victoria  Andrea CarsonPolitical scientist and an Associate Professor in journalism in the Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria  Nareen YoungIndustry Professor, Indigenous Policy (Indigenous Workforce Diversity) at Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research at University of Technology, Sydney, NSW.

This week we hear from Adam, an organiser with the Housing Defence Coalition in Warrang (so-called Sydney) about a sucessful eviction defense campaign.Later we have someone from the brand new Psych Patients' Union, learning about issues with psychiatry and how patient's are organising to defend themselves.Get in touch with the Psych Patient's union on discord (https://discord.gg/jCrrTZv) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/MadAnarchism)

Patricks have given wharfies a non-negotiable offering which will set the clock back for their conditions. We revisit the 1998 dispute and the move to protected action on our Ports. We ask the question why do employers attack conditions despite the importance of Port workers during covid?

This week we've got plenty of news to update you on some of what's been happening for workers during the pandemic. We also hear from Brett Edgington, Secretary of the Ballarat Regional Trades and Labour Council about ACM's announcement that it will close their printing factory in Wendouree with over 130 jobs lost. We continue the discussion Annie started last week about the huge impact COVID-19 is having on regional media. Then we'll hear from Scott Collom, an outreach organiser with the Young Workers Centre about how apprentices are struggling to continue their training at TAFE and on the job due to ongoing restrictions and uncertainty.

Country newspapers & cuts to the ABC - what’s at stake and the MEAA s Our Communities campaign. From the media to HALT a suicide prevention initiative aimed specifically at Tradies.

This week we're bringing you highlights from public meetings demonstrating the wealth of grassroots activism taking place across the continent.First we have UWU secretary Tim Kennedy speaking at the Living Incomes For Everyone campaign launch, which aims to fight against the austerity measures and poverty-level welfare arrangements being proposed currently by the federal government.Then we listen in to some highlights from a public meeting of the NTEU Fightback campaign and hear how grassroots union members plan to transform their union over the coming months.

ACTU President Michele O'Neil launches the ACTU's National-Economic-Reconstruction-Plan and we will hear from Walid, the security guard who blew the whistle on the subcontractor involved in the Quarantine hotel security breakdown in Victoria.

First we hear from Kacie Duncan, a Community Projects Officer at Gippsland Trades and Labour Council, about her work with disadvantaged people entering the workforce. Then we hear a chat with Dave Fox, AMWU organiser and history buff, about the state of the movement and where to from here.

First up the Australian Unemployed Workers Union pushes back as the Federal Liberal National Government tries to Govern using Gossip by saying employers can't get workers because the jobseeker/jobkeeper payments are too high - people are too comfortable and aren't interested in taking jobs.  We follow this with a report about the alleged bashing of CFMEU officials on a construction site in the salubrious suburb of Hawthorn Melbourne last week. Seven men, a length of wood, and an unprovoked attack. Just a note the Victorian Trades Hall Council is working with Australian Refugee Council to provide food to residents of the nine public housing towers that have been put into extreme lockdown with 500 police deployed to keep them in their flats because over 100 cases of covid has been found in the towers which house 3000 residents. Money is being raised to support these families by the VHTC. go to https://supportpublichousingresidents.raisely.com/

We hear news about the AUWU's #keeptherate campaign, the NTEU fightback, job cuts and news from regional Victoria, including EBA negotiations at Australian Paper and ATO job uncertainty in Geelong.The First Nations Workers Alliance launched their new advocacy course called "Voice Treaty Truth" this week, we hear from members who developed the training about the content and what they're excited about.We also hear Tim Kennedy UWU National Secretary, and Jess, an Early Childhood Educator answering questions for the Senate Inquiry into the Australian Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.