AWU National News: Latest Stories

Union warns against being wrong-footed on Climate Change - 04 July 2008
The Garnaut Draft Report’s recognition of the importance for Australia, as an exporting nation, of the big resource, energy and metallurgical mining industries, is welcomed by the Australian Workers' Union - our biggest resource and energy union.

Global energy giant facing more claims of misuse of guest workers - 01 July 2008
The Australian Workers Union has called on the Federal Government to urgently stop a global energy industry corporation moving a barge from Australia to Indonesia, while investigations into their misuse of foreign labour are completed.

New AWU Secretary for WA plans aggressive push into mining heartland - 30 June 2008
Australia’s biggest resource and energy union will begin an aggressive new campaign to re-establish the Australian Workers’ Union back into Western Australia’s mining heartland with the election of a new WA branch secretary, Stephen Price.

EastLink welcomed by those who built it - 30 June 2008
Australian Workers’ Union members who built the $2.5 billion EastLink project are filled with a sense of pride as the nation’s biggest road project opens to the public.

AWU pushes for 5 per cent- above inflation - pay rises - 27 June 2008
The AWU is pushing for minimum wage claims of 5 per cent a year at several major listed companies, including a planned strike at a strategic CSR sugar refinery, just as the Queensland cane harvest gathers pace.

USA must pressure China to adopt decent global emissions trading standards: AWU - 25 June 2008
Australian Workers’ Union National Secretary Paul Howes this week met with Republican and Democrat Senators to lobby them for a global emissions trading scheme which protect the jobs of resource industry and manufacturing workers in Australia and the USA.

Collective bargaining lifts pay and community standards say unions in new TV ads - 21 June 2008
Unions will ramp up the campaign to scrap Work Choices and bring in new laws that protect workers’ rights with the release of two new union TV advertisements that highlight the value of collective bargaining for Australian workers.

Support the Big Picture in Zimbabwe - 19 June 2008
You can help support democracy and workers' rights in Zimbabwe - just by showing your face.

Union thankful no one killed at Varanus Island - 19 June 2008
AWU members at the Varanus Island gas explosion site in Western Australia have told their union that many of the workers believe it was more by luck than good management that no one was killed.

Are you under debt stress? So is the worker on the other side of the counter - 17 June 2008
When was the last time you were able to visit your local bank branch without being offered a credit card or a loan?

AWU wants Govt to look at plan to trap CO2 under depleted offshore gas fields - 16 June 2008
Australia’s biggest energy and resources union – the Australian Workers Union - wants the Federal Government to provide R&D funds to research and study the potential of creating new climate change jobs in Australia based on trapping CO2 offshore.

New employment standards: Step towards plugging gaps left by Work Choices - 16 June 2008
The Labor Government's new National Employment Standards (NES) announced today are an important step towards plugging the gaps in workers’ rights and entitlements that have been left by Work Choices say unions.

Safety campaign honours BlueScope steel worker - 11 June 2008
BlueScope Steel in Port Kembla have begun a Stop for Safety campaign in response to a NSW-wide ban by the Australian Workers' Union on the use of high pressure hoses.

Boeing - recognize the union at Hawker de Havilland - 11 June 2008
AWU members are being asked to send e-mail protest letters to the big Boeing aircraft firm who are denying union rights to Sydney professional workers who want a sister union, the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists & Managers, Australia (APESMA) to represent them.

Time to energise the Bush - writes AWU leader - 10 June 2008
The biggest selling daily newspaper in Australia the, Melbourne Herald-Sun, has this morning run a major Opinion piece by the AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes, arguing the union’s case why business and government must accept that it is Time to Energise the Bush.

Labour Day crowds turn out in force to dance on Workchoices' grave - 08 June 2008
Thousands of Queenslanders have turned out throughout the state to dance on the grave of the Howard Government's Workchoices laws at the annual Labour Day marches.

Maternity leave plan put by ACTU important 1st step to decent Paternity leave - 07 June 2008
The Australian Workers Union has called for the inclusion of ‘Daddy Days’ or Paternity leave in a submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Maternity leave.

Pacific guest worker program must include union rights! - 06 June 2008
The Australian Workers Union will back a Federal Government scheme to allow Pacific Islanders to come to Australia under a pilot scheme for guest workers in the agricultural sector.

Giving a voice to Rig Workers - the Offshore Alliance - 05 June 2008
Around 2000 Australian workers on drill rigs who really want secure jobs and good pay and conditions are now being dudded, Paul Howes AWU National Secretary has warned.

Tasmanian Inquiry must deliver dramatic improvements to mine safety standards - 02 June 2008
The AWU believes the Tasmanian Government should take immediate steps to introduce new mine safety regulations which address specific issues identified by the Coronial Inquiry into the Renison mine fatalities.