AWU backs global campaign for striking Mexican mine workers threatened by para-military
21 February 2010
The Australian Workers' Union has joined a global campaign to support striking miners in Mexico demanding the right to have their voices heard loudly and clearly at work.
AWU leader warns of more bushfire tragedy ahead
19 February 2010
Victorians continue to face devastating loss of lives because the state is not employing enough people to fight bushfires, the Australia Workers' Union Victorian State Secretary, Cesar Melhem, told the Bushfires Royal Commission on Friday.
Leverage foreign investment into improved infrastructure, skills and secure jobs
17 February 2010
Australian governments should leverage investment from foreign sovereign wealth funds to improve national infrastructure investment, skills and industry - through a new Sovereign Capital Trading Scheme, and a related Australian Endowment Fund, The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) said today.
Union welcomes regulation of traffic control industry
10 February 2010
The Australian Workers' Union will pursue a nationwide campaign to improve conditions in the safety industry following Minister for Main Roads, Craig Wallace's decision to regulate the Traffic Controllers Industry in Queensland.
Imported steel will cost 2000 jobs at Gorgon project
09 February 2010
The announcement that Chevron intends to import 25 000 tonnes of steel for the Gorgon Project in Western Australia means an opportunity for 2000 jobs including 300 apprenticeships will be lost.
Rig workers meeting a great success
04 February 2010
Workers from five rigs attended a meeting in Fremantle on the 2nd of February to hear reports from AWU/MUA Alliance officials on the many positive developments in the campaign to organise workers in the exploration industry.
Reserve Bank has done the right thing by working families by keeping rates on hold
02 February 2010
The Reserve Bank has done the right thing by keeping interest rates on hold, with the recent sequence of rate hikes putting extra pressure on household budgets, say unions.
Manufacturing workers and their families would take a big hit if Joe Hockey became Treasurer
21 January 2010
Joe Hockey's announcement that he wanted to slash subsidies to key Australian manufacturing industries would put at risk the security of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing workers and their families.
Meeting of Offshore Alliance rig workers in February
14 January 2010
Oil rig workers are holding a meeting early in February to discuss the rig workers campaign in 2010 and the growth of the Off-Shore oil workers alliance.
Australia's strategic interests threatened by refinery shutdown: AWU
03 January 2010
Australia's strategic interests are threatened by the shutdown of the Caltex Lubricating Oil Refinery at Kurnell and should immediately be reconsidered, the National Secretary of The Australian Workers' Union, Paul Howes, said.
New Years' Eve rang in new work place rights for AWU members
04 January 2010
AWU members returning to work after the summer vacation may have queries about the new Modern Awards which came into place on New Years' Eve.
New protections and minimum standards will be better for all Australian workers
30 December 2009
New minimum employment standards that come into effect on New Year's Day will be good for all Australian workers and represent a major step forward from WorkChoices, say unions.
Happy Holidays from Paul Howes & The AWU
23 December 2009
Paul Howes, on behalf The AWU would like to wish all our members, delegates, their families and friends a happy Holiday Season and a safe and prosperous New Year.
AWU supports the International Migrants' Day Campaign
17 December 2009
Events in countries around the world are about to begin to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW) in 1990.
AWU backs World's Biggest Relief Package
14 December 2009
This holiday season The Australian Workers' Union is backing the creation of the World's Biggest Relief Package a project of the UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, who provide and coordinate international relief for refugees and displaced people.
Increase in workplace deaths means health and safety laws need to be strengthened: new data
11 December 2009
A sharp rise in work-related fatalities last year shows that proposed new workplace health and safety laws need to be strengthened, not watered down, say unions.
Abetz will prosecute with extra emphasis Tony Abbott's war on working people
08 December 2009
Tony Abbott has signaled that he is not going to pull any punches in his war on workplace rights with the appointment today of Senator Eric Abetz as his IR spokesperson, AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes, said today.
Union seeks talks over Alcoa job losses
04 December 2009
The Australian Workers' Union Victorian Branch is angered by plans to cut 90 jobs at the Geelong Plant of Alcoa Australia Rolled Products.
Abbott's promise to bring back WorkChoices will make jobs less secure: unions
02 December 2009
New Liberal leader Tony Abbott's promise to bring back WorkChoices under a different name will mean the jobs of working Australians will be less secure if the Coalition is elected.
AWU believes industry leaders must talk sense into Lib Senators
01 December 2009
The Australian Workers' Union is hoping that in the next few hours industry leaders will let Liberal Senators know that any vote to delay the Federal Government's CPRS legislation is unsustainable.
National Secretary: Paul Howes