Stick Together

Three reports. Community Dentists in Victoria took protected industrial action on Wednesday August 22 for more State and Federal funding for this essential health service. We turn to the call for bereavement leave for workers to be increased from 2 days to 10 days and finally report on what the South Australian MUA think about the idea of nuclear waste moving through South Australian ports.

Last Thursday ACT Unions called a rally in support of the Secure Local Jobs Package being put forward by the ACT Labor Government. What’s it all about? Alex White secretary of ACT Union says Canberra has a big problem with dodgy contractors winning ACT Government jobs, then ripping off workers, committing wage-theft, or disregarding workplace safety laws. We talk to Alex to find out more about why workers needed to go to the streets around the new laws. In our second report we go to The State of the Union Exhibition at the Ian Potter Gallery at Melbourne University. It looks at Union history and the importants of art in bringing the message of solidarity out. Backed by the National Tertiary Education Union the NTEU we hear from the State of the Union curator Jacqueline Dougherty as she goes through the exhibition during Blue Stocking week celebrating working women.

Today we go to the Downer EDI dispute in Queensland where workers at the unanimously voted to take industrial action over personal leave entitlements and cost of living wage increases. We then speak with Cam Walker campaign officer for Friends of the Earth about the Victorian Liberal Opposition leader’s statement that if elected he would scrap Victoria’s Renewable Energy Target. We want to know what this will mean to jobs especially in rural Victoria.

This week we bring you a special edition of Stick Together.  We spoke with Michele O'Neil, who last month was elected as the new ACTU President. In an extended interview, we ask Michele about her early political activity and her time at the TCFUA. We also discuss some of the political questions facing the Australian trade union movement and the next steps in the Change the Rules campaign.

This week we have two reports that look at two perspectives on mining in Australia. We hear from Dusty a retired Hunter valley coal miner and ex CFMEU activist Dusty about a major employee privacy breach at BHP Billiton and follows up with an overview of coal mining projects in the area. We follow this with a first nation’s perspective on the Northern Territory Intervention and it’s role in opening up traditional lands to mining.

This week we feature a report by Stick Together’s Queensland reporter Craig Garrett on ACTU Congress 2018 held at the Brisbane Convention Centre. We follow up with a look at the National Union of Workers next step in the campaign to get a living wage for direct sales workers – you know those people on street corners asking for donations for well known charities or knock on your door asking if you want a new deal on your power service.

This week on the show we bring you the story of the first Victorian bus strikes in more than 20 years. We take you to the picket, where 600 drivers are taking action for better pay. You'll hear from TWU officials and members about their struggle against multinational greed. We also bring you the news of the launch of the Young Workers' Hub in Queensland.As always, we bring you the regular wrap of the weekly union news, including the Irish workers engaged in the pharmacy sector's largest nation-wide strike in living memory.

The Esso/ Ugly dispute down in Longford, Gippsland Victoria has reached over the 374 day mark making it the longest industrial dispute in Australian history overtaking the Wonthaggi coal dispute in the 1940s coincidentally also in Gippsland. Stick Together’s Matt Kunkell joined 500 or so unionists who went down to the Longford community picket  on June the 28th to show support. More about that laterNews- Laverton Cold Storage win- Unfettered powers given to private jobcentre operators over breach system- Fed Parliament cleaners fired and rehired cheater- Earthworker success

Penalty cuts on July 1 and on Monday June 25 workers at Laverton Cold Storage in Tuginini a suburb of Melbourne started 24-hour rolling stoppages after negotiations for their first workplace agreement broke down. We speak to Junior a delegate with the NUW  National Union of Workers for an insight into the dispute.

Government funding for solar projects does not mean local jobs. The ETU and others want to know why Federal Government policy is stopping local people getting secure employment.News items:-Coles Laverton cold store industrial action-Telstra axes 8,000 jobs-Pension Age to 70?