31 Dec 2022
This year, wide strides in the advancement of workers was made locally and nationally all thanks to the power of Unions.
Hunter Workers supported and participated in countless rallies, strikes and events, including but not limited to:
‣ International Workers Memorial Day
‣ International Womens Day March
‣ Women of Steel screening
‣ NAIDOC Week
‣ May Day Parade
‣ Reclaim the Night
‣ Newcastle Pride Fair Day
‣ Secure Jobs Rally and Forum
‣ Newcastle TAFE Rally
‣ Nuclear Free Zone Rally;
As well as supporting the local rallies of IEU, NTEU, NSWNMA, NSWTF, AWU, RTBU, ASU, HSU, and more.
The Coalition federal government was finally voted out in May, replaced with the Albanese Labor government. The election was a light at the end of the tunnel for workers who have struggled through a long decade of active wage suppression under the Coalition.
Unions successfully campaigned for the Fair Work Commission to raise wages at the highest rate in more than a decade, 5.2%, in a massive and well-deserved win for minimum wage workers. This took the minimum wage to $812.60 a week or $21.38 an hour.
Ten days paid family and domestic violence leave was finally enshrined in our national employment standards after years of campaigning by Unions. The introduction of this entitlement will save countless lives, as maintaining income and stability greatly increases chances of a survivor successfully escaping an abusive situation.
Pay secrecy clauses were banned earlier this month, finally doing away with the dodgy practice that allows employers to conceal gender pay discrepancies and hinders workers from bargaining for better wages.
Multi-employer bargaining was made law earlier this month as part of Labor's Secure Jobs and Better Pay Bill. The welcome changes to Australia's industrial relations laws will allow more workers to bargain for better wages and conditions.
This year's achievements are a true testament of the power of Union! Thank you all for your support and solidarity over the last year. Happy New Year comrades.