WA Branch News: Latest Stories

Giving a voice to Rig Workers - the Offshore Alliance - 09 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.

GENERAL MEETING - 22 January 2008

Howard Government workplace watchdog approves $3 an hour wage for young worker. - 14 August 2007
The Howard Government's workplace watchdog has approved it was legal for a young woman to be paid less than $3 an hour for working eleven hour days for a Cairns-based diving and tour company.

HOWARD GOVT ADDS $70,000 INTEREST TO TYPICAL HOME LOAN FOR WORKING FAMILIES - 14 August 2007
Today's interest rate rise will put families under even more financial pressure and shows the Howard Govt is failing to manage the economy in the interests of ordinary working Australians says the ACTU.

New WorkChoices advertising scandal shows Howard Govt can't hide truth about IR - 14 August 2007
A new scandal to hit the Howard Government's IR ads today shows that it cannot hide the truth about its unfair IR laws - the fact is the laws leave young workers vulnerable to being exploited, says the ACTU.

Fed Govt's 'no AWA, no job' IR laws used to sack worker after 24 years service. - 14 August 2007
Despite saturation advertising by the Federal Government claiming that workers cannot be sacked for refusing to sign an AWA individual contract, another case revealed today shows an employer has used the IR laws to sack a service station worker after 24 years service.

Letter to Editor - 31 July 2007
Scott McDine, AWU Pilbara Organiser, wrote a letter to the Editor, which will be published in the North West Telegraph.

The AWU Pilbara Rank and File Update Vol. 2 - 31 July 2007
Scott McDine, AWU Pilbara Organiser, supplies frequent updates on the situation in the Pilbara Region.

FAIR PAY COMMISSION DECISION - RURAL WORKERS - 26 July 2007
Fair Pay Commission decision to defer the $10.26 award wage adjustment for rural workers.

The AWU Pilbara Rank and File Update - 26 July 2007
Flexibility is all one way under the current government laws: Working families worse off on AWA’s – new data shows.

New IR laws 'fairness test' is biased against employees - 26 July 2007
A statement issued today by the Howard Government's new Workplace Authority that it will only contact bosses and does not intend to contact employees if there is doubt over whether a job contract is fair has confirmed that the new IR laws 'Fairness Test' is biased against workers says the ACTU.

New report shows Howard Govt AWAs are used to cut workers' pay & avoid unions - 26 July 2007
A new Government report released today shows that typical Australians on AWA individual contracts earn 16% less than their counterparts on collective agreements.

IR laws used to deny sacked workers redundancy entitlements - 29 June 2007
After years of loyal service at Pele Curtains in the suburb of Mitcham, Denise and eight of her workmates were given just 15 minutes notice that they were being sacked. On Monday this week the workers were handed a termination letter and a cheque and told that they had to clear out their lockers and immediately leave the premises. One of the nine sacked workers had worked for Pele Curtains for 21 years, most of the others for more than ten years.

Rudd: Labor will rip up AWAs. - 29 June 2007
LABOR leader Kevin Rudd has vowed he will abolish all Australian Workplace Agreements, ending weeks of infighting over whether the ALP will preserve some of the individual contracts.

Collective Bargaining Rights - 28 June 2007
PODCAST - CRAIG EMERSON. Shadow Minister for Service Economy, Small Business and Independent Contractors.

Penalty rates traded away for coffee and a cheap muffin - 27 June 2007
160, 000 Workers lose overtime pay and Minister Hockey doesn't care!

"Tell them they're dreaming!" - 27 June 2007
Howard Govt IR laws would force individual workers to High Court to challenge ‘fairness test’ rulings.

"UNION CAMPAIGN AGAINST IR LAWS IS LEGITIMATE" SAYS ELECTORAL COMMISSION - 27 June 2007
The ACTU has welcomed a decision by the Australian Electoral Commission that the union campaign against the Federal Government's IR laws is legal and has not breached the Electoral Act.

Services from WA Opticians Associates to AWU Members - 19 June 2007
"Proudly WA Owned and Operated"

Att: Oil & Gas Industry Workers - 24 May 2007
Recently the AWU has been contacting each member of the Oil and Gas Industry, as our members in the Industry have been raising some concerns and issues for some time now.