Media Releases: 2022
ACTU welcomes action on energy prices
Media Release - December 15, 2022
The ACTU welcomes the measures put in place today by the Albanese Government to control energy prices which have been contributing to the economic hardship faced by millions of Australian workers.
Cost of living crisis forces 1 in 4 Australians to skip meals
Media Release - November 30, 2022
56 per cent of Australians have cut back on essential items and 24 per cent have skipped meals due to the current cost of living crisis, according to a poll conducted by the ACTU.
Albanese Government follows through on commitment to Respect@Work
Media Release - November 25, 2022
The ACTU welcomes the passage of the Respect@Work Bill, which enacts several of the key recommendations of the Respect@Work report which were ignored by the previous Government.
Multi-employer bargaining will tackle gender pay gap
Media Release - November 23, 2022
The introduction of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill will restart progress on closing the gender pay gap through multi-employer bargaining and strengthen equal pay laws, making it easier for women, especially in women-dominated industries, to address systemic unequal pay.
Tasmania Needs a Pay Rise, now
Media Release - November 22, 2022
Tasmanian workers earn on average $200 a week less than their mainland counterparts; equating to around $10,000 a year.
High court to rule on Qantas outsourcing
Media Release - November 18, 2022
The High Court has granted Qantas special leave to appeal two Federal Court findings which concluded that nearly 2000 staff had been sacked in a deliberate effort to avoid staff exercising enterprise bargaining rights.
Svitzer refuses to put down weapons as union offers ceasefire
Media Release - November 16, 2022
Svitzer, the tugboat operator currently threatening to lock out workers around the country and shut down significant portions of the Australian economy rather than grant workers a pay rise, has refused to back down at hearings convened by the Fair Work Commission today. The company is continuing with threats of mass economic disruption despite offers from the unions involved in the dispute to find a way to end the bargaining stalemate.
WPI figures show growth in awards is not enough
Media Release - November 16, 2022
Despite significant pay rises for minimum wage and award-dependent workers being included in today’s WPI data – released this morning by the ABS – average wages are still going backwards by 4.2 per cent due to high inflation and ongoing anemic wage growth across the rest of the economy. This breaks the previous record for all-time real wage cuts, set by the last set of wage growth numbers.
Bargaining directly linked to wage rises
Media Release - November 15, 2022
The collapse of bargaining over the last 10 years has led directly to the loss of wage growth for Australian workers, and every incremental increase in bargaining coverage will result in meaningful wage increases, according to a new study from the Centre for Future Work.
ACTU calls for RBA overhaul
Media Release - November 11, 2022
The ACTU has called for a comprehensive overhaul of the RBA which would include shifting the focus of the Bank to real wage growth and job creation, and ensuring the board has a diversity of skills and experience, including understanding of the labour market and wage setting systems.
