Stick Together

When Brad Marsh went into bat to fight for his daughter against abysmal pay from her employer Baker's Delight he was just picking the scab off a pucsy sore. We speak to Brad and Retail and Fast Food Union organiser Mel Gregson for an update.The community have come out in protest WestConnex. This week the Sydney Branch of the Maritime Union of Australia joined residents at Sydney protesting the construction of the WestConnex.

2017 is going to be a year of fighting for our lives. These are words coming from the mouth of writer and union activist Van Badham the occasion the Women's March against Trump on Jan 21 in Melbourne. The full speech later in the programme. Diversity isn't just a word or a politically correct behaviour. It is what happened down in St kIlda on Sun Jan 29th as part of the Midsumma Pride March. Victoria Trades hall had a contigent and Stick Together's Matt Kunkell was there as well.

This week on Stick Together we speak with ACTU President, Ged Kearney about the year that was and look forward to what 2017 holds for the trade union movement.We also speak with Ella Fabry from the Timor Sea Justice campaign about recent developments in the dispute between Timor Leste and Australia over resources in the Timor Sea.The extedned interview with Ged Kearney can be found here.

Modern Award replaces EBA at Loy Yang more on the way.On Friday 14th of January the Fair Work Commission ordered the EBA between AGL and workers at  Loy Yang in Gippsland's La Trobe Valley, be scrapped, meaning workers will be covered by a modern award until a new agreement can be reached.Geoff Dykes from the CFMEU Victorian Mining and energy division goves the back ground leading up to this decision, to understand what a modern award means and why this decsion is a canary in mine to workers across Australia

Today with focus on Pensions and Penalty rates.David Thompson CEO of Jobs Australia lifts the curtain on some other scandals at the heart of our Centrelink system. Lou Wheeler from Fair Go for Pensioners gives an account of the Age Pension changes while Josh Cullinan from the Retail & Fast Food Workers Union goes into bat for the Baker's Delight workers who have been short changed.

The work of disabled workers, their laywers from the AED legal centre and pro bono work from barristers delivered back pay for up to 10,000 workers in Australian Disability Enterprises. We have words from Kairsty Wilson AED Principal Legal Pracitioner about this society changing out come.Federal Government  use of data matching and modeling techniques have been applied to social security recipients payments with extraordinary results. CEO of ACOSS, Cassandra Goldie, comes out fighting at the Governments latest stunt.

We are drawing near to the 12 month anniversary of the dramatic midnight raid which bought an end to the longest sit-in occupation of a vessel in Australian history.This week we look back at the MV Portland dispute and the MUA's struggle to save the future of Australian shipping.We talk to those involved, including the MV Portland's chief cook, Michael Pawson who tells us what happened on that fateful night.

The issue dominating the last week was the formal stages of the creation of a Super Union.The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the CFMEU and the MUA went ahead on Wednesday 14 of December at Victorian Trades Hall witnessed by a plethora of other Union officials, delegates and rank and file members. We were there will bring you a report from the mouths of those present.We also have a word from Nadine Flood (CPSU) re: eba negotiations for the Public Service & Angela McCarthy reports on a win at McCain's in Ballarat

The big news is that the CUB 55 have been reinstated. The workers were given a guard of honour on Monday 12th at 6.30 in the morning as they returned to work. We give you sounds of the morning thanks to the Victorian Trades Hall media.Teachers and their T-shirts are making the news this week. Teachers for Refugees have provoked the Turnbull Government into attack position because of T-shirts calling for Refugees to be welcomed.The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union launched in Melbourne earlier this month.

The Victory after 180 days of picket for the CUB 55 maintenance workers is a victory for all working Australia's. We take you to the Spirit of Eureka celebrations at the CUB picket to honour the CUB 55 and the anniversy of the Eureka Stockade where white Australian political resistance formally began. We talk to Duncan Storrar who was chased by Murdoch media hounds after he made a Liberal politican look silly on the ABC Q& A programme earlier this year. The question he asked was about unemployment.