December 2005
Inquiry To Be Told of Hidden Dangers In Individual Contracts
Due compensation for working overtime or in confined spaces had been denied to maintenance engineers at Boeing Williamtown under individual contracts at the centre of a 196-day dispute, the AWU will tell a NSW Inquiry today.
Christmas On The Picket Line
Twenty-seven Boeing aircraft maintenance engineers and their families are spending Christmas on the picket line.
Boeing Urged To Answer Its Workers' New Year Wish
Twenty-seven Newcastle aircraft maintenance engineers are calling on their employer Boeing to start the New Year on a positive note by making the compromise needed to end the 215-day industrial dispute.
200 Days On Picket Line For Boeing Workers
Boeing maintenance engineers in Williamtown, Newcastle marked their 200th day on the picket line TODAY.
Victorian Company Pays For 'Criminal Behaviour'
The Australian Workers’ Union has welcomed a Victorian company being held to account for providing an unsafe working environment that resulted in a worker suffering burns to 80% of his body.
October 2005
Chinese Buyer Should Guarantee 900 Aussie Jobs
The Australian Workers’ Union was reserving judgment on the sale of plastics company Qenos to a Chinese-government controlled chemical company, AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten said today.
Chinese Buyer Should Guarantee 900 Aussie Jobs
The Australian Workers’ Union was reserving judgment on the sale of plastics company Qenos to a Chinese-government controlled chemical company, AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten said today.
Le Pine Does Howard Government's Bidding
Melbourne funeral business Le Pine had taken a lead from the Howard Government by seeking to remove penalty rates for work undertaken on public holidays and after 6pm on weeknights, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Workers Forced To Jump Without Parachute
Prime Minister John Howard wanted to force all employees to take a parachute jump into a new workplace relations system while removing their parachute, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
2004-2005 AWU Victorian Branch Audited Accounts
AWU Victorian Branch Members can download the Audited Accounts of The Australian Workers' Union, Victorian Branch below for year ending 30 June 2005.
November 2005
2004-2005 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 2005.
New Campaign to highlight the plight of Boeing Workers
NSW Minister for Industrial Relations John Della Bosca has announced a new television campaign highlighting the plight of striking Hunter Valley Boeing Workers and their families will be aired from today.
Boeing Secret Ballot Decision Welcomed
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission’s decision to allow a secret ballot of Boeing aircraft maintenance engineers based at RAAF Williamtown has been welcomed by workers who have been on the picket line for 178 days.
Vale Robert Nichols
It is with deep sadness and a sense of loss that the AWU announces the passing on Sunday of a valued friend and Organiser with our Victorian Branch in Geelong, Robert John Nichols.
Pressure Exerted on Shareholders About Vaccine Withdrawal
The Australian Workers’ Union has written to shareholders in Australian biopharmaceutical company CSL Limited to protest the company’s callous decision to withdraw the world’s only vaccine against a debilitating disease.
The Australian Worker
Health experts fear for the wellbeing of Australian workers, with the Howard Government’s workplace changes set to reduce workers’ sense of control over their work and working conditions, the latest edition of The Australian Worker reports.
Government's Extreme & Radical IR Legislation Confirms Union Campaign
New workplace legislation introduced into Federal Parliament today will strip away one hundred years of respect for workers’ rights, remove legal protection for many employment conditions and will set a new low for the future workplace conditions of Australian workers, the ACTU said today.
September 2005
Netballers Take Step Forward
Australia’s elite netballers have gained strong backing in their negotiations for fairer wages and conditions, with the Australian Workers’ Union successfully amending its rules to include netballers.
Aussie Workers Sidelined - The Russians are Coming
Global Oil Giant ChevronTexaco has contracted cheap Russian Labour to begin work today on the world’s largest Liquefied Natural Gas project located off the coast of Western Australia.
Fight of Boeing Australia Workers Goes International
Australian and American unions have joined forces to uphold the rights of Boeing workers to collective bargaining.
Is Boeing's Stubbornness and Government's Inaction Compromising Our Safety?
Boeing’s refusal to negotiate with its trained engineers whose job is to maintain Australia’s FA18 Hornet fighter jets risks seriously compromising Australia’s defence readiness, the Australian Workers’ Union warns.
Boeing Running Scared
Boeing was running scared from its claim that the majority of its Newcastle maintenance engineers supported individual contracts, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
American Workers Horrified by Treatment of Australian Colleagues
Newcastle Boeing workers in dispute with their employer have visited their American colleagues on the picket line.
Boeing Workers Seek Vote on Collective Agreement
The 29 maintenance engineers locked in an industrial dispute for 100 days with their employer Boeing have voted to seek a secret ballot to determine support for a collective agreement.
100 Days and still waiting for a Fair Go
Boeing workers will mark their 100th day of being denied the right to choose a collective agreement at a rally outside the office of a Howard Government MP, near Newcastle today.
Boeing Fails To Answer Union Concerns
Boeing had failed to ease fears that a FA18 fighter jet had been damaged by strike-breaking, inexperienced workers, the Australian Workers’ Union said today.
Job Losses As Factory Shuts Down
Fifty-two people will lose their jobs today when Melbourne metal recycling plant Non-Ferral closes its doors
August 2005
Mum Sacked After Questioning Loss of Penalty Rates & Below Award Wages
In a sign of the times, a NSW mother has been sacked after she queried why she was being paid less than award wages and had lost her entitlement to penalty rates for work on weekends and public holidays.
AWU to Hold Crane to Job Security Guarantee
The Australian Workers’ Union has secured a guarantee from the Crane Group Limited that its workforce will not be disadvantaged by the sale of its aluminium business to Capral Aluminium.
Boeing Workers Ask: Do We Have The Rights You Say We Do Or Not?
About 20 maintenance engineers locked in an industrial dispute with their employer Boeing will visit Parliament House in Canberra today (Wednesday 10 August) to call on the Howard Government to support their right to choose a collective agreement in their workplace.
July 2005
Pilkington fined over worker's death
A $310,000 fine imposed on glass manufacturer Pilkington over the workplace death of Hung Nguyen Huu was equivalent to “a corporate speeding fine”, AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten said today.
2004-2005 AWU Whyalla-Woomera Audited Accounts
AWU members can download the Audited Accounts of The Australian Workers' Union, Whyalla-Woomera Branch below for year ending 30 June 2005.
Union Gives 'Fair Dinkum' support to Australian Farmers and Farm-Workers
The Australian Workers’ Union stands side by side with Australian farmers on the Fair Dinkum campaign trail, its National Secretary Bill Shorten told a rally in Shepparton today.
Howard Government Asleep At The Wheel on Defence Skills Shortage
Helping RAAF aircraft maintenance engineers employed by Boeing get back to work must be a top priority for the Howard Government, which had allowed a skills shortage to develop in the defence industry.
Racetrack Workers Record Win
Ground staff at Sandown and Caulfield racetracks have maintained their job security and won a 13.5% pay increase in the wake of legal industrial action yesterday.
AWU Thanks Premier Carr For His Stellar Service
The Australian Workers’ Union has thanked NSW Premier Bob Carr for improving the living conditions of his state’s working people during his 22 years of parliamentary service.
June 2005
Updating Workplace Privacy Protection - AWU Seminar
Industry leaders and experts on workplace privacy are speaking at the AWU’s annual Seminar in Melbourne (Friday June 25). Topics covered include electronic surveillance of workers – such as covert video surveillance and e-mail monitoring, Government plans to change protections for workers and the occupational health and safety impacts of electronic performance monitoring.
RAAF Jets Hit in Individual Contracts Row
Maintenance workers on the RAAF’s FA-18 Hornet jet fighter fleet have been stood down indefinitely today in a dispute over individual contracts that shows the danger of the Howard Government’s new industrial laws, The Australian Workers Union said.
Premier Shines Spotlight on Danger Ahead for Millions of Workers
AWU mechanical engineers stood down for nearly three weeks in a dispute over individual contracts have welcomed a visit by NSW Premier Bob Carr this morning.
New AWU campaign website against Howard’s changes to workplace laws
AWU members, delegates and activists are encouraged to log onto the new AWU website “AWU Your Rights at Work” Campaign.
May 2005
RAAF FA-18 stand-downs show danger of Howard's IR laws
The repeated standing down of maintenance workers on the RAAF’s FA-18 Hornet jet fighter fleet showed the danger of the Howard Government’s industrial legislation being considered by Federal Cabinet today, The Australian Workers Union said.
Call for ASIC and legal action over Ion failure
The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) is calling for legal action and ASIC prosecutions over the collapse of automotive parts maker Ion Ltd.
'PM's steelworkers' battle individual contract pay cuts
A group of New South Wales steelworkers are battling for the freedom to choose a union work agreement instead of individual contracts in a dispute the AWU says highlights how the Howard Government’s new industrial laws will cut people’s wages and conditions.
Howard shafts battlers with sackings law
John Howard has deserted a significant part of his popular support base by destroying industrial relations laws protecting working people as announced today, the AWU said.
AWU slams PM's Budget claims
The Australian Workers’ Union has hit back at Prime Minister John Howard’s comments verballing AWU steelworkers over the Federal Budget, saying the government has missed an opportunity for root and branch reform of a rotten tax system.
Individual contracts at Boeing going, going. . .gone?
RAAF aircraft mechanical engineers will stop work at Boeing’s maintenance plant on the Williamtown Air Base near Newcastle in New South Wales tomorrow (Wednesday May 4) to seek a collective work agreement instead of individual contracts being imposed by the aerospace multinational.
Boeing stands down RAAF FA-18 jet workers
Australian Workers’ Union maintenance workers on the RAAF’s FA-18 Hornet jet fighters have been stood down by the Boeing company in a dispute over individual contracts.
April 2005
Fires show need for staff improvements
The Victorian Government should immediately improve staffing levels and extend the controlled burning season to help prevent further blazes like those at Wilsons Promontory and the Dunmore State Forest, the Australian Workers’ Union said.
Funds for racing safety project
The Australian Workers’ Union has welcomed the Victorian Government’s launch today (Sunday April 3) of a safety taskforce into the horse racing industry.
Sacking case AWAs bite the dust at mushroom farm
Dozens of controversial non-union agreements have been cancelled at a Victorian mushroom farm after court action by the AWU revealed that workers were forced to sign the individual contracts or get the sack.
Notice to Members – Rule Change
An application has been made by the Union to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to alter the Eligibility Rules of the Union.
Casual job losses show need for permanency at Alcoa
The AWU has stepped up its push to increase the level of permanent status among workers at an Alcoa mine nursery in Western Australia after the outsourcing of several casual positions.
March 2005
400 jobs to go at Ion plant
The AWU renewed its criticism of the former management of the failed Ion Ltd group today after administrators announced 400 job losses from the closure of its Wingfield auto parts plant in Adelaide.
Eastlink Wages and Conditions
The following document sets out the rates of pay and other conditions for workers under the Certified Agreement for the Eastlink (formerly Mitcham-Frankston) road project in Melbourne.
AWU and VECCI back Port Phillip dredging
Victoria's leading employer group and the Australian Workers’ Union have joined forces to support the channel deepening project in Port Phillip Bay.
Sacked mums' evidence proves farm bosses' wrong
Evidence about the sacking of a group of mothers from a Victorian mushroom farm after they refused to sign Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) contradicts claims about the case by the farmers’ association, The AWU said today.
AWU safety ban stops steeplechase
Today’s (Wednesday March 9) steeplechase horse race at Melbourne’s Sandown racecourse has been cancelled after The Australian Workers’ Union began a safety ban on the use of outdated track equipment.
AIRC upholds union rights
The Australian Workers’ Union welcomed today’s decision by a full bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to include union rights in Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs).
Chicken growers win collective bargaining breakthrough in ACCC
The Australian Workers’ Union welcomed a landmark decision today by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to give collective bargaining rights to Victorian chicken growers.
Workers win in AWU Eastlink agreement
Workers on Melbourne's Eastlink road project (formerly known as the Mitcham-Frankston development) will benefit from better wages and conditions under a collective agreement negotiated between the Thiess John Holland joint venture and the AWU.
Fruit growers face legal action in AWU blitz
Some fruit growers face legal action as The Australian Workers’ Union follows up on its organising blitz for fruit pickers in northern Victoria over the next two weeks (Feb 28-Mar 10).
Ion job losses spark law reform call
The AWU is calling for corporate law reforms to protect workers from company failures after the loss of 400 jobs from the failed Ion auto parts plant at Wingfield in South Australia.
February 2005
Union protocol on workplace surveillance
One of Australia’s largest unions is to develop a detailed protocol to govern electronic surveillance in the workplace.
Sacked mums go to court over AWA's 25% pay cut
A group of mothers is launching a court challenge today against their sackings from a Victorian mushroom farm after they refused to sign up to a 25% pay cut under the Federal Government’s individual contracts, Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs).
AWU Conference targets Howard's IR laws
The AWU will develop its attack on the Federal Government’s planned new industrial laws at its biennial conference in Queensland this week.
AWU moves to protect HWE jobs
The Australian Workers’ Union is moving to save the jobs and entitlements of hundreds of workers concerned about their futures after major mining contractor Henry Walker Eltin (HWE) was placed in voluntary administration yesterday.
AWU-MUA Alliance delivers for sacked rig worker
The alliance for offshore oil and gas industry workers between the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and the AWU has paid off for a worker who was unfairly sacked from a rig in the Timor Sea.
Esso toilet troubles a first for new safety office
Multinational energy giant Esso has been forced into an embarrassing back down over malfunctioning toilets and an unhygienic build-up of bird excreta on two oilrigs in Bass Strait.
AWU backs tax cuts for middle earners
The Australian Workers’ Union today endorsed a plan for tax cuts for middle-income earners and the abolition of tax shelters for the rich.
Skills shortage triggers union claims on employers
Employers may face new claims from workers for extra training opportunities to help overcome the trade skills shortage plaguing Australian industry.
Minister Admits Fairness Is Not The Government's IR Agenda
Federal Workplace Relations & Employment Minister Kevin Andrews has today admitted that the Government is not interested in fairness in Australian workplaces.
Esso contractors win family rosters
Construction contractors across Esso’s oil and gas fields in Bass Strait today won the right to keep their 7-day rosters in a breakthrough agreement with construction contractor Kellogg Brown and Root.
AWU campaign for Mandatory Inquests in Workplace Fatalities successful
After a long campaign by the AWU, the Tasmanian Attorney-General Judy Jackson has confirmed that the Tasmanian Government, will introduce an amendment to the Coroners Act to ensure that Workplace deaths are the subjects of Coronial Inquests.
Netball stars join AWU
Australia’s top netball stars have joined The AWU in a new alliance to improve the incomes and health and safety conditions of netball players.
January 2005
Donate to the Union Tsunami Appeal
The Australian trade union movement, through it's overseas aid arm, Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA, is calling on all working women and men in Australia to donate generously to the union appeal for the victims of the tsunami in South Asia. If every member of a trade union gave just $2, it would raise over $4,500,000 for the victims.
AWU National Conference Draws Near
Next week over 250 AWU Delegates, Officials, Members and Activists will gather for the 2005 Biennial AWU National Conference "Stronger Together".
Fair go blitz for seasonal farm workers
The Australian Workers’ Union is stepping up its campaign to stamp out exploitation of fruit and vegetable pickers working on farms in northern Victoria.
Workers' help for tsunami victims
The Australian Workers’ Union is encouraging members to contribute to emergency appeals for victims of the tsunamis disaster in Indian Ocean nations.
Workers give $100,000 for tsunami aid
A group of workers from Geelong in Victoria are giving $100,000 to help victims of the Tsunami disaster in Indian Ocean countries.
AWU is back in the Goldfields
The Australian Workers’ Union is opening a new office in Kalgoorlie, six years after its’ last office closed in the West Australian mining district.
National Secretary: Paul Howes