December 2006
AJAX workers take their fight on the road tomorrow
AJAX workers - stood down without pay for nearly a fortnight – will land on the doorsteps of Holden, Ford and brake manufacturer PBR tomorrow (Monday 11 December 2006), before marching through the streets of Geelong.
Sacked Ajax Workers Gather TOMORROW To Mark A Sad Christmas
More than 150 AJAX workers will gather TOMORROW (Saturday 16 December) to give each other and their families support during an anxious Christmas period.
AWU Satisfied With Progress of the Beaconsfield Miners' Family Support Fund
The Australian Workers’ Union was satisfied that the interests of the widow of deceased Beaconsfield miner Larry Knight were being upheld, as the trustees of the Beaconsfield Miners’ Family Support Fund prepare to release funds early in 2007.
AWU Qantas Members Welcome Qantas' Rejection of Take-Over Offer
The Australian Workers’ Union welcomes the Qantas Board’s rejection of a take-over offer from a consortium including Macquarie Bank and Texas Pacific Group.
AWU To Seek Answers On Queensland Mine Tragedy
The Australian Workers' Union extends its condolences to the family of a man killed while working at BHP Billiton's Cannington mine, east of Mt Isa, earlier today.
AWU Seeks Strong Assurances From Zinifex and Umicore
The Australian Workers' Union is seeking strong assurances that the proposed new owner of smelters in Port Pirie and Hobart will maintain all existing jobs and continue to negotiate wages and conditions on a collective basis.
Seasons Greetings from the AWU
On behalf of the Officials and Staff of The Australian Workers' Union I would like to take this opportunity to wish all members, delegates and their families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
AJAX Workers March To Holden Plant To Plead For Support For Aussie Jobs
Ajax workers - stood down without pay for more than a week - will march from their Braeside workplace to Holden’s Dandenong plant tomorrow (Wednesday 6 December) to put pressure on the car giant to back Aussie jobs.
AWU Secures Breathing Space For AJAX Workers
The Australian Workers’ Union will turn up the heat on the major car companies and Ajax’s majority owner after averting the mass sacking of more than 180 Ajax workers today.
New Qantas Owners Must Provide Guarantee On Job Security
AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten is calling on the new owners of Qantas to hold urgent discussions with the AWU and fellow Qantas unions to allay serious concerns held by its workforce.
November 2006
2005-2006 AWU National Office Audited Accounts
AWU members can download the Audited Accounts of The Australian Workers' Union, National Office below for year ending 30 June 2006.
AWU Bombardier Members Welcome Contract Announcement
AWU members at train manufacturer Bombardier are overjoyed with today’s announcement by the Bracks Government of an in-principle agreement with the company to build 14 new Vlocity carriages, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Amid All The Hoopla, Spare A Thought For Lot of Jockeys
Australian jockeys deserve a fairer crack of the whip, with many doing it tough despite the racing industry reaping record profits, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Bright Future For AWU Pilkington Workers
AWU Pilkington members are rejoicing following the company’s announcement of a $133 million investment that will secure their jobs and give them pride in producing environmentally advanced glass products, the AWU said today.
Sigh of Relief For Qantas Engineers
Qantas has made the right decision today in retaining its heavy maintenance operation at Tullamarine, backing the skills and dedication of more than 200 maintenance engineers, the AWU said.
Car Companies Do The Dirty on Loyal Ajax Workers
Holden and Ford had treated loyal, hard-working Australian workers disgracefully by today reneging on their agreement to keep car component factory Ajax operating until next March, the Australian Workers’ Union said.
Fight Against Unfair IR Laws Goes Up A Notch
Today's High Court decision in favour of John Howard's industrial relations power-grab will only strengthen the resolve of the labour movement to fight against the unfair laws, AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten said.
Take a stand against John Howards Work Laws on November 30
The AWU is urging all members and supporters across the nation to take a stand against John Howard's Work Laws and join the National Day of Action on November 30.
October 2006
Bittersweet Win For Boeing Engineers
The 25 AWU Boeing Newcastle engineers who went on strike for 265 days have had a bittersweet victory, with Boeing’s about-face abandonment of the unfair individual contracts at the centre of the dispute.
$27.36 per week increase
The AWU welcomes today’s announcement of an increase of $27.36 per week for Australian workers on the minimum wage.
Australia Last Port of Call For Doomed Ship
Joint MUA & AWU Media Release
Safety Boost for Victorian Miners and Oil Workers
The safety of Victorian miners and oil workers would be further protected under new Victorian Government arrangements, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
James Hardie Directors Reward Themselves With $2.5 Million Pay Rise
The Australian Workers’ Union has expressed its outrage following the revelation that James Hardie directors are lining their pockets with hefty salary increases while slashing their workers wages and conditions under individual contracts (AWAs).
September 2006
Australian Workers Deserve Better
Electrolux’s decision to send 500 Australian jobs overseas was a loud wake-up call to the Howard Government to do more to stop the haemorrhaging of jobs in the Australian manufacturing industry, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Light At End of Tunnel For Qantas Engineers
AWU Qantas maintenance engineers in Melbourne and Sydney have endorsed an in-principle enterprise agreement that would secure existing conditions and deliver a 9% pay increase without trade-offs.
August 2006
Brave Ajax Workers Return to Work
Ajax workers have voted unanimously to return to work tomorrow, following the striking of a deal between the major car companies and administrator Price Waterhouse Coopers.
WA Libs Need Hearing Check
Australian Workers’ Union National Secretary Bill Shorten has written to the WA Liberal Police Spokesman Rob Johnson demanding an apology for a misleading Press Release issued today.
189 Ajax Workers Occupy Factory
189 employees of auto component manufacturer Ajax Fasteners in Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs were stood down at 7 am this morning by the company’s Administrators Price Waterhouse Coopers.
AWU Welcomes 'Kiss of Life' For 300 South Australian Workers
The dedication of hundreds of former ION employees has been rewarded in today’s announcement of a deal between the South Australian Government and Harley Davidson, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
July 2006
Victorian Jockeys Get Fairer Ride
The increasing work demands on Victorian jockeys have been recognised under a new collective agreement that will deliver riders $100 more per week on average, and set a new Australian benchmark for jockey remuneration.
Decision to Replace Australian Seafarers with Foreign Crew "A National Disgrace"
The decision to replace an Australian crew with foreign seafarers on Australia’s last remaining flagged and operated chemical-carrying tanker was a threat to national security, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Call For End To Cemetery Trusts Acting as 'Secret Societies'
The Australian Workers’ Union has today called on the Victorian Government to crackdown on the state’s cemetery trusts, following the Auditor-General’s finding that some trusts had committed inappropriate acts, including paying cemetery executives too highly.
Hayman Island Resort trying to cut workers pay & conditions
The AWU has expressed serious concern at management’s plan to slash wages and conditions at Hayman Island Resort this week, where workers are being asked to agree to a non-union agreement without even being provided with a copy of what they are agreeing to.
June 2006
Australia's Oldest Continuous Union Notches Up Another Milestone
The Australian Workers’ Union will celebrate 120 years of continuous service to working Australians tomorrow (Friday 16 June) by returning to its roots in Ballarat for a commemorative march and dinner.
National Week of Action against John Howard's unfair work laws
Today marks the beginning of the National Week of Action against John Howard's unfair work laws.
May 2006
Beaconsfield Miners' Declaration
AWU members from the Beaconsfield Mine in Tasmania today issued the following statement thanking the Australian public for their ongoing support and thanking the Australian Parliament for today's reception.The statement also calls on Prime Minister John Howard to lift the Government's ban on workplace agreements that give miners, and millions of other working Australians, access to union occupational health and safety training and work-time meetings:
Lift IR Law Ban on Union Training: Miners' Unions Warn Minister
The ACTU and Australia's biggest mining unions the AWU and the CFMEU today said safety standards in Australia's multi-billion dollar mining industry will get worse if the Workplace Minister Kevin Andrews does not lift his ban on agreements giving miners access to union OH&S training.
April 2006
$25,000 Donation for Cyclone Larry Victims
The Australian Workers’ Union National Secretary Bill Shorten and National President Bill Ludwig will today present a $25,000 donation to the victims of Cyclone Larry in far northern Queensland.
Union Support For Trapped Miners and Their Colleagues
The thoughts and prayers of all Australian Workers’ Union members were with the three AWU members trapped in a mine in Tasmania and their families, the AWU said today.
Another Day, Another Victim of the Howard Government
A 28 -year-old chef terminated with no notice from a Melbourne restaurant is the latest victim of the Howard Government’s industrial relations agenda, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Fund Established For Families of Beaconsfield Miners
Australians are being encouraged to make donations to a fund established to support the family members of the three men trapped underground in the Beaconsfield mine.
March 2006
Howard's Power Grab: Workers the Losers
Australian workers will be horribly demoralised from next Monday, when the Minister for Industrial Relations grabs all power in their workplaces, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Howard Governs For Big Business, Not Working Families: Poll
New ACTU polling shows the Australian public is overwhelmingly opposed to the Government's new IR laws which commence today.
February 2006
Qantas Workers Campaign to Keep their Jobs in Australia
Qantas maintenance workers at Melbourne Airport will meet today as a part of their campaign against Qantas outsourcing their jobs to Asia.
262 Day Strike Set to Finish
The Australian Workers’ Union National Secretary Bill Shorten has welcomed the release of the report of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission inquiry into the 262 day strike by Boeing employees who maintain the Airforce’s F/A-18 Hornet jets at the Williamtown RAAF base near Newcastle.
A message from National Secretary Bill Shorten
Fellow AWU members, I am writing to tell you that this Friday I will nominate to be the Labor Party Candidate for the seat of Maribyrnong in the 2007 Federal Election.
Polling Vindicates AWU Campaign to Keep Qantas Jobs in Australia
The Australian Workers’ Union has welcomed the release of polling conducted by Roy Morgan Research and commissioned by the AWU which shows that 87 per cent of Australians want Qantas to keep their maintenance facilities in Australia and that 86 per cent of Australians support unions campaigning to keep those jobs in Australia.
January 2006
Jockeys Insurance Concerns Being Addressed
The Australian Workers' Union, Tasmanian Thoroughbred Racing Council, TOTE Tasmania and the Tasmanian Jockeys Association have agreed to establish a trust fund to look after jockey welfare.
IR Minister Wrong, Yet Again
Australian Workers’ Union official David Cragg is baffled by today’s announcement - by IR Minister Kevin Andrews - that he has been appointed to the Award Review Taskforce Reference Group.
Wine Workers Take Industrial Action
More than 50 workers at Hardy Wines near Mildura are taking legally protected industrial action today after the company refused to meet a minimum award condition, and to protect workers against being unfairly dismissed.
Call For Government Inquiry Into Skyrocketing CEO Pay
The Howard Government stands condemned for taking away safeguards for minimum wage workers while fostering an environment where Australian CEOs now earn more in a week than the average worker takes home in a year, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Give Us A Break, Workers Say
Employers who seek to penalise any worker for taking leave today deserve to be condemned, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
National Secretary: Paul Howes