Stick Together

Melbourne rally for the announcement of the Yes Vote for Marriage Equality. Unionist Support citzen's rights with solidarity.

On this week’s episode of Stick Together we go across the ditch to speak with Melissa Ansell-Bridges from New Zealand Equity about the Hobbit Law and the rules of collective bargaining on film productions in New Zealand. We’ll also hear from the Geelong Women’s Conference held last weekend in Victoria. This conference focused on issues facing working women, in particular Family Violence and the We Wont Wait campaign which calls for 10 days family violence Leave in the National Employment Standards.

The establishment at Victoria University has joined with Murdoch University in its anti worker stance. This time instead of cutting the eba like Murdoch Uni Vu has sacked the Union negotiating committee.  Workers and their supporters were down at the VU city campus on Flinders Street Melbourne while the secretive University Council met. Stick Together was there.News ItemsACTU calls for Living WageStreets Summer Campaign launched http://www.amwu.org.au/streets_free_summerTaubman Paints PicketCash sees fall in Apprenticeships & rise in youth unemploymentEvents: Geelong Union Women's Conference NOv 11/ Ged Kearney speech marking 10 years after Howard's Work Choices Nov 24

This week we deliver your wrap of union news and workers' stories. We also delve deeper into the AFP raids at the AWU, exploring their motivation and the fallout after leaks from the Employment minister's office. We also cross to hear the story of aged care nurses and carers, who are fighting for better pay and improved quality of care for their clients. We take you to their rally out the front of the Melbourne headquarters of Bupa.

The We Won’t Wait Campaign being run by Australian Unions is calling for 20 days paid Domestic Violence Leave. Paid family and domestic violence leave in the National Employment Standards will save lives the unions say. It already covers more than a million Australian workers and they are pushing for it to be a universal workplace condition. Stick Together went down to Flinders St Steps the main railway terminal in Melbourne for a recent demonstration.News: CFMEU Queensland, United Voice, Public Service Association (NSW), Industry Super, NUW, Phoenixing

Workers from the Bureau of Meteorology have gone 4 years without a pay rise as they negotiate their new agreement. Union members from the CSPU at the BOM have launched another round of rolling strikes while their bosses continue to push a hard-line agenda of unreasonable cuts to rights and conditions. On this weeks' show we hear from some of these CSPU members on strike at a rally in Melbourne.We also cover the Transport Workers Union who are demanding ALDI provide safe work condition throughout their supply chain.

Anti Poverty Network SA conference Oct 20 - 21 a focus on the connection between attacks on Social Security, Poverty and the Employed.Alex White from Unions ACT focus on the underperforming WorkSafe with WeakSafe Campaign.

In addition to your weekly wrap of union news, this week we explore the industrial dispute at ice cream giant, Streets.  Owned by multinational Unilever, the company is seeking to terminate the agreement covering its approximately 150 workers, which would see them forced back on to the minimum standards in the Award. This would be represent an approximately 46% pay cut. To make matters worse, the company has also enforced a social media gag on it's workers. We pass on some of the workers' anonymous messages about just how badly this employer hostility is affecting them.

The Maritime Union of Australia opened it’s doors to the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network IPAN  conference and we hear from MUA Assistant National Warren Smith and others about why Peace is Union business.

On this weeks show we hear from Zoe Angus at the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) to talk about the Union’s latest campaign which sees performers, producers, writer, directors and crew join forces to fight for the future of Australia’s screen industry. We also hear from Owen Bennett, president of The Australian Unemployed Workers Union which is currently collecting stories from unemployed people about their experiences with job agencies.  Links from this weeks showAustralian Unemployed Workers Union, Tell Your Story: www.unemployedworkersunion.com/tell-your-storyMEAA’s Make It Australian Campaign: www.makeitaustralian.com/home