Read current and past media statements from the ACTU.
You can also keep track of ACTU media releases by following the official ACTU feed on Twitter at @unionsaustralia.
All ACTU media enquiries should be directed to ACTU Media team:
T: 03 9664 7315 (24 hours)
E: media@actu.org.au
September 25, 2023
The ACTU welcomes today’s employment white paper which sets out the government’s commitment to full employment, where everyone who wants a job can find one, with the promotion of job security and strong sustainable wage growth as core objectives in the government’s economic and fiscal strategy.
September 14, 2023
Labour market figures released today show that unemployment rate remains steady at 3.7% with around…
September 13, 2023
In a massive win for union members, the High Court of Australia today ruled that…
September 6, 2023
New data from the ABS today reported the Australian economy has grown by 0.4 per…
September 5, 2023
The elevation of Michele Bullock as RBA governor from the 18th of September provides an opportunity for the RBA to prioritise its outlined objective of full employment.
September 4, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the news that Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce has decided to step…
September 4, 2023
Yesterday saw pushback from several employer representative groups over the employer’s role in payments for paid parental leave in a report tabled by the Senate Education and Employment References Committee
The ACTU has significant concerns about the recommendations made by the report, which include that the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010 be amended so that small businesses do not need to pay Parental Leave Pay instalments directly to their workers unless they opt to do so.
August 31, 2023
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has today released the results of the 2023 superannuation…
August 31, 2023
Harvey Norman will be sitting comfortably today after posting pre-tax profits of $1.13 billion for…
August 30, 2023
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has today announced that the date for the Indigenous Voice to…
August 25, 2023
The average woman in Australia effectively works an extra 56 days of the year to earn the same as the average man.
Today marks Equal Pay Day, a symbolic day dedicated to raising awareness of the gender pay gap.
The gender pay gap is the difference between the average earnings for men and women, expressed as a percentage of men’s average earnings.
August 24, 2023
Qantas profits have soared the last financial year to a pretax profit of $2.5 billion ($1.7 billion post tax)
Qantas’s profit margins have been supported by growing demand for domestic and international flights, higher airfare prices and lower operating costs.
Qantas received billions of dollars of government funding during the pandemic and over the same time were found by the federal court to have illegally sacked 1700 workers.
August 22, 2023
It’s a good day for Coles who announced a $1.098 Billion in total profits, with Woolworth due to announce their profits tomorrow.
In its release today, Coles has noted it has increased its gross margins in supermarket and liquor divisions.
Coles and Woolworths control two thirds of the supermarket sector, creating a chokehold over the prices we pay for essentials at the tills.
August 21, 2023
Australia top general insurer posted a net profit after tax of $832 million, up 140%…
August 17, 2023
Origin Energy, one of Australians biggest energy providers has today announced a surge in profits…
August 16, 2023
WHEN: 9am Wednesday 16 August 2023 WHERE: Fair Work Commission, 11 Exhibition St, Melbourne WHAT:…
August 9, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the new Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) bill which has also been…
August 9, 2023
The ACTU has committed to undertake an inquiry into price gouging by big business in…
August 1, 2023
The ACTU today has released polling by Essential Research showing very strong support for the…
August 1, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to hold the cash rate at…
July 27, 2023
New US study shows further evidence of the fatal impact of engineered stone The ACTU…
July 26, 2023
Today’s CPI figures show inflation is slowing to 6.0 per cent year on year, according…
July 25, 2023
The Rugby League Players Association addressed the ACTU for the first time in their fight…
July 24, 2023
The ACTU welcomes Minister Burke’s speech to the Sydney Institute today where he foreshadowed legislation…
July 24, 2023
The Union movement extends its thoughts to the loved ones of food delivery rider who…
July 21, 2023
The ACTU today welcomes Australia’s first ever national wellbeing framework “Measuring what matters”. The framework…
July 20, 2023
Labour market figures release today show that unemployment rate was steady to 3.5% with an…
July 14, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the appointment of Michele Bullock as the new RBA Governor. Michele Bullock…
July 12, 2023
The ACTU has called out former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett’s suggestion that staff working from…
July 4, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to hold the cash rate at 4.1%, but warns that the rate pause today is small comfort to workers bearing the brunt of inflation and low wage growth over the last decade.
June 30, 2023
From 1 July 2.67 million Australian workers will strata to see a boost to their pay packet thanks to
minimum wage and award wage decision by the Fair Work Commission argued and campaigned for by
unions. These increases apply from an employee’s first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2023
June 27, 2023
Today’s shocking media reports of the exploitation of migrant workers make the Albanese Governments improvements to the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme even more important.
June 25, 2023
The trade union movement is mourning the passing of Simon Crean 74, who died suddenly whilst in Europe on Sunday.
June 22, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the passing of the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting worker entitlements) Bill 2023.
June 21, 2023
The Albanese Government has introduced legislation that will capture, record and share the causes of deadly occupational respiratory diseases like silicosis.
June 15, 2023
Labour market figures released today show employment is steadily rising, up by 0.5% in the past month, with both full-time employment and part time employment on the increase.
June 14, 2023
The Albanese Government has ratified two ILO (International Labour Organisation) Conventions at the International Labour Organisation during its annual ILO Conference.
June 7, 2023
New data released from the ABS today reported that the Australian economy is continuing to slow, with GDP growth falling to 0.2% for the March quarter and 2.3% for the year, under the weight of sustained interest rate rises from the RBA.
June 7, 2023
The ACTU has today called out the Liberal opposition and the business lobby groups for trying to blame workers for inflation.
June 6, 2023
Today’s interest rate hike of 25 basis points to 4.1% will be a real hit to workers’ ability to keep their heads above water.
This hit will just hurt families purchasing power.
June 6, 2023
The bargaining reforms legislated in the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act start today.
Workers and their unions will be able to pursue higher wages to support their members through a cost-of-living crisis, with the changes to bargaining laws allowing unions to bargain for agreements that will apply to several employers, in what is known as multi-employer bargaining.
June 5, 2023
ACTU research has mapped the extensive use of labour hire companies by Qantas to drive down the wages and rights of Australian workers.
The research shows that Qantas has split its cabin crew workforce across 14 companies and contractors to drive down wages and conditions so they can post billions in profits, whilst workers struggle with the cost of living.
June 5, 2023
Today’s announcement that the Albanese Government will begin to tackle the systemic and widespread exploitation of migrant workers in Australia is an important step forward. Drivers of exploitation include temporary visa conditions that tie workers to single employers, no protection or guarantee that workers reporting workplace exploitation will not face deportation and weak regulation and enforcement.
May 31, 2023
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics today show that after three months of steady decline, inflation has again jumped – to 6.8% in the 12 months to April 2023. Over the 12 months to March 2023, inflation rose by 6.3%, so today’s figures reveal a rise of 0.5%.
May 29, 2023
Big business is outsourcing labour in Australia at rapidly rising rates, undermining wages, job security and conditions in all industries. The practice is rife in aviation, mining, manufacturing and transport, as well as hospitality, agriculture, meat processing, security and cleaning.
May 25, 2023
Chhim Sithar Sentenced to Two Years; Eight Others Receive Up to One and a Half Years
May 25, 2023
The number of workers on sham or “dependent” contracting is at record highs, and now outnumbers genuinely independent contractors for the first time, new research by the ACTU shows.
May 23, 2023
Qantas announced this afternoon it is set to post a record $2.48 billion full-year profit for the
2023 financial year.
The Guardian reports that this forecast is almost $1 billion higher than the airline’s previous
profit record of $1.6 billion in 2018
May 22, 2023
Casual workers are falling further behind their permanently employed counterparts, new research by the ACTU shows.
Across the board, casual employees earn $11.59 less per hour than their permanent counterparts: $28.95 per hour versus $40.54. This is a pay gap of 28.6% which has been growing steadily since 2016 and is now the highest on record.
May 22, 2023
Casual workers are falling further behind their permanently employed counterparts, new research by the ACTU shows.
Across the board, casual employees earn $11.59 less per hour than their permanent counterparts: $28.95 per hour versus $40.54. This is a pay gap of 28.6% which has been growing steadily since 2016 and is now the highest on record.
May 18, 2023
Labour market figures released today show unemployment is rising steadily: from 3.5% in March (later revised up to 3.6%) and now to 3.7% in April.
May 17, 2023
As the Fair Work Commission holds its hearing of the Annual Wage Review today, Wage Price Index figures released today show wages growth is 3.7% for the year to March 23, up from 3.3% for the year to December 2022.
May 9, 2023
The Albanese Government has taken another step towards delivering on its mandate to get wages moving for working people and to provide cost-of-living relief.
May 9, 2023
The Rotterdam Convention again remains paralysed by the tactics of Industry and a small group of countries, that block the listing of highly hazardous chemicals and pesticides, including chrysotile asbestos, that cause death and significant harm to human health and the environment.
May 8, 2023
The ACTU welcomes today’s announcement that the Labor Government will raise the age cut-off for the Parenting Payment (Single) from 8 to 14.
May 7, 2023
The ACTU welcomes changes to the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) announced this morning that will raise $2.4 billion by closing loopholes on offshore liquefied natural gas projects.
May 5, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement today of a new National Net Zero Authority to support workers and their communities and to deliver a just transition to a net zero emissions economy.
The new Authority will help maximise the benefits and minimise the risks of Australia’s energy transition, driving the creation of good jobs in new industries and ensuring no worker or community is left behind.
May 4, 2023
The McDonald’s franchisee in Murray Bridge, South Australia, has admitted to unlawfully discouraging workers from joining their union and paid a penalty of $275,000.
The SDA, the union which brought the case, believes it is a world-first that a McDonald’s franchise has admitted to engaging in an unlawful campaign to deunionise its workforce.
May 2, 2023
The union movement welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement today that superannuation is to be paid on the same day as wages.
April 28, 2023
Every year on April 28, the trade union movement unites around the world to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day. We mourn those who have died at work or because of their work, and we fight like hell for the living.
April 28, 2023
As the Liddell Power Station in Muswellbrook, NSW, closes its doors today after 50 years in service, the ACTU acknowledges the impacted workers, their families and communities, and again calls for a National Energy Transition Authority to ensure no one is left behind in the nation’s transition to net zero emissions.
April 27, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the reforms of the migration system outlined by Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil today.
In our submissions to the Review of Australia’s Migration System, the ACTU called for a shift away from short-term visas back towards permanent migration; to integrate migration with our skills and workforce planning systems; to engineer exploitation out of the system; and for a tripartite system that engages employers and unions in line with international best practice.
April 27, 2023
The ACTU has reaffirmed its call for the Fair Work Commission to raise minimum and award wages
by 7% in its reply submission to the Annual Wage Review filed this week
April 24, 2023
On April 24 2013, the eight-storey Rana Plaza building housing 5 garment factories in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed, crushing 1134 workers to death and injuring more than 2500.
April 20, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the review of the Reserve Bank of Australia, which calls for it to have a stronger focus on its full employment goal, and the need to have labour market expertise on its board.
April 20, 2023
In submissions to Safe Work Australia made public today, unions, along with medical professionals and health and safety experts, have amplified their call for a full ban on all engineered stone products that contain deadly silica.
April 4, 2023
The latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report into mesothelioma was released today.
March 31, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the appointment of five new commissioners to the Fair Work Commission, a first step in rebalancing the Commission.
March 30, 2023
The ACTU announced today it will seek a 7% increase for Australia’s minimum and award wages as part of its submission to the Annual Wage Review.
March 28, 2023
In a speech at the National Press Club today, ACTU President Michele O’Neil says a National Energy Transition Authority (NETA) is the missing piece in Australia’s climate and energy policy, and must be delivered in the May budget.
March 15, 2023
The Business Council of Australia, Australian Council of Trade Unions, World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia and the Australian Conservation Foundation are re-joining forces to represent Australian businesses, workers, and our environment in a joint submission to the 2023-24 Federal Budget.
March 8, 2023
Union members have won significant changes to improve the lives of women at work since last International Women’s Day. While we know there’s more to do to close the gender pay gap and achieve full gender equality at work, Australian unions are proud to have seen the result of decades of campaigning by union members in just one year.
March 7, 2023
The ACTU calls on the RBA Board to stop hurting workers with interest rate rises after its 10th consecutive interest rate rise today.
March 7, 2023
The ACTU calls on the RBA Board to halt interest rate rises at its meeting today.
March 1, 2023
The RBA and big business are pushing workers and the economy closer to a cliff edge, today’s National Accounts figures show.
February 28, 2023
Workers suffering from deadly silicosis today welcomed a major step forward in their campaign to commence consultation and analysis in the introduction of a ban on the use of engineered stone products.
February 24, 2023
New research from Australia Institute economist Dr Jim Stanford has confirmed that excessive corporate profits are the main driver of inflation, not wages.
February 23, 2023
While figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showing that Australia’s gender pay gap is narrowing are welcome, women still receive, on average, $255 per week less than men.
February 16, 2023
Today’s labour market figures clearly demonstrate that Australian workers are going backwards, and that both the Federal Government and Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) need to adopt a sharper focus on maintaining full employment.
February 10, 2023
The ACTU welcomes the appointment of Adam Hatcher SC as the new President of the Fair Work Commission.
February 7, 2023
Today’s interest rate rise of 0.25% per cent announced by the Reserve Bank of Australia will make things even harder for workers, adding a further $92 a month to repayments for someone with a $600,000 mortgage.
February 7, 2023
The expanded Paid Parental Leave is another step closer to being made law as the Federal Parliament discusses the new laws in the second reading debate today.
February 1, 2023
The ACTU has today condemned the military coup and crimes against humanity that took place exactly two years ago in Myanmar and congratulated the Australian government for imposing new sanctions against coup leaders and military organisations.
January 31, 2023
New laws to provide 10 days paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave will come into force tomorrow for workers in businesses with 15 or more employees after unions campaigned and won the reform for workers leaving a violent relationship.
January 25, 2023
Inflation for the year to December 2022 was 7.8 per cent according to data released this morning by the ABS, the highest rate since 1990. Driven by non-discretionary items like food and beverages (9.2 per cent), fuel (13.2 per cent), electricity (8.6 per cent) and housing (10.7 per cent, and higher for renters).
January 19, 2023
Despite unemployment remaining stable at 3.5 per cent, today’s underlying figures show a concerning loss of jobs and hours worked.
