Australian Services Union

Merri-bek City Councillors Sue Bolton and Monica Harte organised a community protest against the $368 billion AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines. Jacob Andrewartha reports.

Pressure on the City of Greater Geelong not to close libraries and cut services is mounting. Jackie Kris reports.

Socialist Alliance will likely gain another councillor in Victoria if the count back in the City of Greater Geelong proceeds in line with past practice. Sue Bull reports.

 

More than 500 people protested outside two libraries at the projected closures and cuts to services. The biggest was outside the Geelong West Library, as Sue Bull reports

Adele Welsh argues that no matter how it is dressed up, the 'let it rip' approach to the pandemic has caused untold harm to families, workplaces and communities.

The pandemic is serious and strong action needs to be taken to stop its spread. But punitive and paternalistic interventions, that remove people’s agency, is counterproductive, writes Sue Bolton.

This year will be forever etched in our collective memories as the year Labor lost what was widely seen as the unlosable federal election.

"The refugee crisis is a union issue, as well as a social justice issue," Australian Services Union (ASU) NSW and ACT deputy secretary Judith Wright told about 100 people on June 27 at the "Change the Rules for Refugees" forum organised by Unions for Refugees.

"The ASU has members in support services for refugees. They see first-hand the results of the oppression and violence suffered by asylum seekers," she said.

In the lead up to the South Australian election, Premier Jay Weatherill announced on March 5 that an incoming Labor government would introduce portable long service leave for community services workers.

Australian Services Union (ASU) members in all states have been campaigning for long service leave portability for many years. So far only Victoria and the ACT have been successful. Portability of entitlements will bring stability to the sector. Community Services is a growing industry in which recruitment and retention of qualified staff is an issue.

Australian Services Union (ASU) members at Melbourne’s Women’s Health West (WHW) took protected industrial action and walked off the job on November 29 to protest their employer’s actions in relation to stalled enterprise bargaining negotiations.

WHW is a not-for-profit organisation that provides a range of domestic violence and women’s health services to the community. The industrial action took place during the global “16 Days of Activism” campaign held from November 25 to December 10, which focuses on eliminating gender-based violence against women and girls.

Feminist NGO Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia (RDVSA) is urgently seeking funds to keep the phones switched on at the NSW Rape Crisis Centre (RCC).

The NSW RCC is the last remaining public 24 hour, 7 days a week sexual assault counselling service in the state.

Members of several trade unions rallied outside NSW government offices in Farrer Place on October 4 as part of a national day of action to demand 10 days of paid domestic violence leave for all workers.

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