Unions

Industrial action the key to ending CFMEU administration

CFMEU administrators get snouts in the trough

EXCLUSIVE: Bosses’ letter to Labor reveals conditions, union rights the real reason for attack on CFMEU

Threat to CFMEU EBAs shows need to keep fighting administration

For the second time in a month, tens of thousands of CFMEU members across the country took strike action on 17 and 18 September to oppose the Labor-imposed administration of the union.

Support grows for CFMEU across the union movement

Support for the CFMEU has grown in the weeks since Labor imposed administration.

CFMEU members stand firm against lockout from emboldened bosses at Etex

Around 40 CFMEU and ETU members at the multinational building materials manufacturer Etex in Matraville, Sydney are standing strong after being locked out for almost five weeks.

All out to defend the CFMEU—Stop Labor’s foul union busting attack

The Albanese Labor government has imposed administration on the whole CFMEU construction division.

Why the CFMEU is right to break bad laws

Australia has some of the most restrictive anti-strike laws in the developed world.

Union power on display as CFMEU rallies against administration

Tens of thousands of construction workers walked off the job to protest the attack on the CFMEU on Tuesday in a nationwide strike.

Urgent need for resistance as Labor passes laws to seize control of CFMEU

Labor has struck a deal with the Liberals to pass savage new legislation allowing the takeover and gutting of the CFMEU, in one of the most appalling acts of union-busting in decades.

Resisting the attack on the CFMEU

The CFMEU is facing a major attack that could leave the union seriously weakened and strip back safety, conditions and wages across the industry.

The truth about the claims against the CFMEU

Solidarity looks at the justifications for attacking the union and what administration will mean.

How Labor’s union busting broke the BLF

There are lessons for the CFMEU today from the way Labor succeeded in breaking the Builders' Labourers Federation in 1986, argues Tom Orsag.

Negotiations have failed—NSW nurses must call a strike now and prepare for sustained action

The Minns government has shown no sign of backing down from their paltry pay offer of 10.5 per cent over three years for all nurses and midwives.

Why are union leaders dragging their feet over Palestine?

Chris Breen examines why most union leaders still haven’t mobilised their members to support Palestine, despite the efforts at rank-and-file action

University, submarine, sugar and dairy workers strike

Read Solidarity's round-up of workers fighting back around the country.

CFMEU strikes for safety and conditions on Brisbane’s Cross River Rail

Construction workers on Brisbane’s $7 billion Cross River Rail project staged a one-week strike last month as part of a major dispute over substandard conditions.

Public servants attacked over open letter opposing Israeli arms trade

More than 2000 public servants have signed an open letter since 30 May, condemning the Australian Government for its complicity in the Palestinian genocide.

NTEU at Sydney Uni backs the academic boycott of Israeli universities

Sydney University staff have passed an unprecedented motion that will push forward the movement in Australia for the boycott, divestment and sanction of Israel.

Firies, sparkies and pilots fight cost-of-living pain

Read Solidarity's monthly round-up from the frontline of workers' struggle.

Strike action heats up at RMIT University

There’s an upbeat mood among RMIT workers after an all-out strike for three and a half days in the week leading up to Easter.

Setback in early childhood pay campaign as action called off

After campaigning since 2018, Early Childhood Educators are demanding a 25 per cent pay rise. But a walkout planned for this week was called off.

ASU members walk off work for Palestine

Union members in social and community services in Melbourne took up to four hours of unprotected strike action for Palestine on Friday 22 February.

DP World workers make big gains on pay but fall short on rosters

After more than four months of determined industrial action, wharfies at DP World port terminals have won a 25.6 per cent pay rise over four years, while accepting changes to rostering.

CPSU officials undermine federal pay campaign

After four months of fragmented but defiant industrial action, Commonwealth public servants have accepted the latest government pay offer of 11.2 per cent over three years, plus a 0.92 per cent sign-on bonus.

Big Pharma meets big resistance

About 65 maintenance workers at CSL Behring, in the northern Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows, having been on rotating strikes since August.

DP World workers strike against attack on rosters and pay

Workers at all four DP World port terminals around the country, members of the MUA, took strike action on 16 November as part of their escalating bargaining campaign.

SA teachers strike again for more staff and pay

Thousands of South Australian teachers, members of the Australian Education Union (AEU), went on a state-wide strike again on 9 November against a poor pay agreement offered by the Malinauskas Labor government.

Workers shouldn’t hold their breath for Labor’s new IR laws

In September the Albanese Government introduced its Closing Loopholes Bill to Parliament. The Bill is the second tranche of Labor’s industrial relations legislation.

Union strategies: segmented, staggered and piecemeal

Welcome to Solidarity's monthly round-up of workplace struggles.

Brotherhood campaign ends with sector-leading enterprise agreement and stronger union

Workers at the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Melbourne have voted up a new enterprise agreement, ending 16 months of bargaining that saw strikes for the first time in the 93-year-old anti-poverty charity’s history.

Ingham’s strikes show the way to fight for real wage rises

Workers at Ingham’s chicken plants in South Australia and West Australia have won an improved pay offer, better in-housing of labour-hire workers and improved breaks after five days on strike.

Time to hunt building bosses, not ducks

Instead of talk about duck hunting, the unions should be doing something about the 50 and 60-hour weeks that are the rule on construction sites.

Melb Uni’s week-long strike for secure jobs and a real wage increase

On Monday 21 August, following a half day campus-wide strike by Melbourne University NTEU members, five areas including Arts and Law went on to strike for the rest of the week.

Pay rise for NSW teachers, but no workload relief and future wage caps looming

Some teachers in NSW will receive large pay rises following a deal with the NSW Labor government. But the agreement stretches over four years and contains other disturbing clauses.

Labor learns a lesson as teachers have a spring in their step

Welcome to Solidarity’s monthly round-up of working class struggle.

Nothing less than 7 per cent: API workers beat inflation

After four weeks of strike action, UWU members at Australian Pharmaceutical Industries in Melbourne have won an immediate 7 per cent cost-of-living pay rise, better than official inflation.

‘You don’t fight poverty with pay cuts’: Brotherhood workers escalate fight to beat inflation

More than 100 ASU members at anti-poverty charity the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Melbourne went on strike for a full day in their campaign for a better enterprise agreement.

Engineers face down threat of ‘intractable’ arbitration

Solidarity’s monthly industrial round-up reports on workers fighting back around the country.

Sydney Uni struggle wrapped up, but much more to fight on

The Sydney University strike campaign ended in June, with 80 per cent of union members voting to accept management’s offer, and 96.5 per cent of workers supporting the agreement in the final ballot.

API still on strike after three weeks in fight for a cost of living pay rise

Workers at a pharmaceutical warehouse in Melbourne that employs 190 people have been on strike for three weeks fighting for pay rises to match inflation and equal rates for casual workers.

Living on tuna and rice—fighting for cost of living pay rises

Our monthly industrial round-up reports on industrial disputes across the country in June.

Rank-and-file unionists at Brotherhood show organising can win gains

Workers at the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Melbourne have rejected management’s proposed enterprise agreement in a non-union ballot, 61 per cent to 39 per cent.

‘Words are cheap’: Workers fight wage cuts

Our monthly industrial round-up reports on disputes in NSW, Victoria and WA.

Victorian university staff move into action

University workers across Victoria are moving into action over enterprise bargaining, with a Melbourne-wide strike-day meeting overflowing Trades Hall on 3 May.

Strikes at Onelink win higher pay

Over 50 workers at hospital and health care supplier Onelink in western Sydney have won higher pay and improved redundancy payments after five days of strike action over two weeks at the end of May.

ASU members fight to beat inflation

Australian Services Union members at Melbourne-based not-for-profit the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) stopped work on 16 May for a better enterprise agreement.

New sector benchmark, but NTEU officials scupper fantastic Sydney Uni fight

After a historic nine days of strike action over the past 21 months, NTEU members at the University of Sydney have voted 364-290 against a further three days’ strike in their current enterprise agreement campaign.

Garbage workers reject rubbish EBA offer

Cleanaway garbage collectors, members of the Transport Worker Union, staged a 24-hour strike on 11 April at four Sydney depots and in Canberra against the company’s EBA offer which would cut wages and conditions.

Construction workers march in their thousands

Thousands of construction workers took to the streets around the country today, demanding a decent pay rise, an end to the scourge of silicosis and the cancellation of vicious prosecutions against their unions.

Historic strike campaign at Sydney Uni wins sick pay for casuals, but fights on for quality education and pay

Staff at the University of Sydney staged their eighth day of strike action on Friday. It followed the biggest mass meeting of the campaign so far where more than 700 members voted to reject Management’s latest offer and to hold two more days of strike action.

Visy workers can lousy wage offer

The 40 workers at one of Visy’s can-making factories, in Shepparton, Victoria, are planning to walk out for four days after today's Labour Day public holiday, bringing their strike days this year to 17.

Biggest strike yet as Sydney Uni staff plan for escalating action

A successful 24-hour strike at the University of Sydney last Thursday kicked off plans for a semester of escalating industrial action.

Workers take a stand against sexual harassment

McDonald’s workers at Traralgon Central Plaza walked out on 17 February in protest at sexual harassment at work and joined a 100-strong rally outside the store, organised by the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU).

A summer of struggle on the picket line

Workers kept up the fight over the normally quiet summer period, with disputes fuelled by high inflation and issues relevant to each workforce.

Torrens Transit drivers get on board to win

Adelaide bus drivers struck on 9 January, picketing depots and bringing most public buses to a standstill.

Pastry workers strike for the dough

Striking workers at the Pampas factory in West Footscray, Melbourne, are standing strong three weeks into an indefinite strike.

Lockout fails, but Svitzer uses anti-strike laws to hobble unions

Last month tug boat operator Svitzer dramatically escalated its attack on its workforce, moving to lock them out indefinitely at 17 ports around the country.

WA nurses’ union faces deregistration threat

The nurses’ union in WA says it has avoided deregistration, after a threat from the IRC following its strike in defiance of Commission orders.

NSW nurses strike again as health system chaos continues—but electing Labor not enough to fix it

Nurses and midwives across NSW joined a 24-hour strike yesterday, their fourth strike day in nine months.

Nurses in WA take on Labor government over staffing and pay

WA nurses have begun industrial action, after more than two years of the pandemic, crisis level ambulance ramping at hospitals, short-staffed shifts, and a paltry pay offer from the state Labor government.

Labor’s IR bill is no solution for low-pay crisis

If we want pay rises that at least match rampant inflation, it will take strike action to win them. And effective strike action involves breaking the industrial relations laws, not begging for their reform.

Knauf workers stand firm and show how to win

Workers at the Knauf plant in Fishermans Bend in Melbourne have returned to work triumphant after almost two months of strikes and lockouts.

Don’t wind down NSW public sector fight into a campaign for Labor

The NSW public sector union campaign has stalled, after the teachers’ union called off a strike day in October and the rail union delayed further industrial action following legal threats.

NSW Labor’s promises on nurse ratios fall short

NSW Labor leader Chris Minns has announced plans for new safe staffing levels in hospitals if he wins next year’s state election.

Knauf workers: you lock us out, we’re on strike

Workers at Knauf’s Melbourne have responded to a management lockout by declaring an indefinite strike.

Can industry-wide bargaining make a difference?

For decades, industry-wide bargaining was the bedrock of Australia’s industrial relations system.

Strike days up: now fan the flames of resistance

The number of strike days between April and June increased sharply, to the highest in one quarter since 2004.

Bookshop workers write next chapter of struggle

Workers at the Readings bookshop chain in Melbourne are closing in on an inaugural enterprise agreement.

Educators not babysitters: childcare workers walk off the job

Thousands of early educators walked out to join protests around the country on Wednesday, demanding pay rises, lower workloads and recognition for their skills.

Socialist Alternative shamefully preferences the right in Sydney Uni NTEU elections

Socialist Alternative is preferencing the right in a serious union election in what has been the most left-wing NTEU branch

NSW nurses strike again as pressure builds on Perrottet

Nurses across NSW walked off work for 24 hours yesterday in their fourth day of strike action this year.

Strike slams brakes on rotten pay offer

AMWU members at Knorr-Bremse in Brisbane walked out on strike on Wednesday.

UQ staff kick off ‘Striketember’ with first stoppage

Members of the NTEU at the University of Queensland kicked off their “Striketember” with a short strike and protest.

Back the workers at Readings: union action to beat inflation

Unionists have rallied twice outside Readings bookshop in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton to protest the owner’s grubby decision to freeze wages for two years.

Sydney Uni shut down again in fourth strike day

Staff at the University of Sydney have taken their fourth day of strike action since May this year against an aggressive and hostile university management.

Anti-union ABCC defunded, but unions still need to fight for the right to strike

One surprise since Labor's election win in May is its immediate move to almost totally defund the anti-union ABCC.

Fed-up NSW nurses vote for more strikes over staffing and 7 per cent

Nurses in NSW have reaffirmed a decision to demand a 7 per cent pay increase, rejecting the NSW Liberal government’s pay cap of just 3 per cent.

Tram depot workers rail against bosses

Almost 90 maintenance workers at East Preston tram depot in Melbourne struck for four days last week and are preparing to walk out again.

NSW Liberals’ increased strike fines a sign of weakness

The NSW Liberals have ramped up their attacks on public sector workers with a plan to increase fines for striking.

Teachers stage united strike against NSW Liberals—but looking to state election not the answer

About 20,000 teachers marched on NSW parliament on 30 June in a taste of the action needed to force Dominic Perrottet to act on the workloads and staffing crisis.

Public sector wide strikes needed to take the fight to the NSW Liberals

Public sector unions in NSW are stepping up their campaign against the state Liberal government.

Sydney University strikes show how to fight back

Three days of strike action at Sydney University in May have turned the political mood on the campus around.

PSA members join the public sector strike wave in NSW

Workers across the public service in NSW took strike action on Wednesday, with thousands of members of the PSA marching on state parliament.

Workers at NDIS provider walk out for pay and dignity

Support workers at NDIS provider Bedford in South Australia struck in late May for two days, for wage equity and better treatment by management. In a separate dispute, Bedford workers with disabilities are also gearing up to win wage justice under a new agreement.

Union fight for wage rises needed as cost of living set to keep rising

Anger at low wages growth and the cost of living were major factors in the election result. But how bad are things going to get?

Teachers, aged care, transport workers strikes show how to fight for wage rises

Wage rises and the cost of living were a major issue in the federal election campaign, with inflation now running at 5.1 per cent and set to increase further.

Strike shuts down Sydney Uni for 48 hours as staff and students fight together

A 48-hour strike saw Sydney University almost completely shut down on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Workers up for a fight against ‘progressive’ council

Council workers and community supporters rallied outside Brunswick Town Hall in Melbourne to demand workers employed by Moreland City Council get a fair pay rise.

NSW teachers strike back against the Liberals—step up the strikes to win

Teachers across NSW took strike action today for the second time in five months, with more than 15,000 marching on parliament house.

Whoever wins the election, unions will need to fight to boost wages

Workers are feeling the squeeze after a decade of low wage growth, in the face of rising inflation. But the Liberals are still determined to attack union rights and undermine workers’ ability to win pay rises.

Action by mental health workers wins concessions from Victorian Labor

Stop work action by Victorian public mental health workers has forced the Victorian Labor government to sign off on a statewide enterprise agreement.

Victorian school staff can still vote down below-inflation pay deal

The Australian Education Union has completed ratification meetings to make a recommendation about the draft 2022 Victorian Government Schools Agreement, which will determine pay and conditions for school staff for the next four years.

Striking nurses rage against lack of staff in NSW hospitals

Nurses have taken strike action across public hospitals in NSW for up to 24 hours, with around 5000 marching on state parliament.

Companies using EBA termination to get their way

Several major employers have rushed to the Fair Work Commission in an effort to terminate workplace Enterprise Agreements (EBA), no doubt mindful of the looming federal election.

Vote NO to the proposed Victorian Government Schools Agreement

Essential workers can win better wages AND conditions, write Solidarity members of the AEU.

NTEU’s failure to condemn transphobic academics no grounds for quitting

A national council motion in the NTEU has reignited the debate within the union over trans rights and academic freedom.

Fed up NSW teachers strike over workloads, pay and staffing shortage

Public school teachers in NSW walked off the job for our first strike in a decade on Tuesday, with almost 400 schools completely shut.

NSW teachers deserve a pay rise and planning time—fight till we win

Thousands of NSW Teachers Federation members took strike action today. Planning needs to begin for escalating action, including further strikes, in the first weeks of first term 2022.

Country Road workers fashion a victory

United Workers Union members at Country Road Group’s Truganina warehouse in Melbourne have scored a victory after 12 days of industrial action, a first for that site.

Union campaign wins up to $10 million for casuals

On the back of a wage theft campaign by casuals, RMIT University in Melbourne will pay thousands of low-wage workers up to $10 million.

Victorian teachers begin industrial action over excessive workloads

Teachers in Victorian public schools have commenced industrial action to secure a new agreement that reduces excessive workloads and delivers wage justice for the lowest paid staff.

Transport strikes win gains on job security

Around 3000 workers at Fedex are planning rolling four hour stoppages nationwide, in response to the company’s refusal to improve job security as part of enterprise bargaining.

Country Road strikers turn up the heat on Country Rogues

Union members at Country Road’s distribution centre in the Melbourne suburb of Truganina have walked out on indefinite strike.

University of Sydney concedes gender affirmation leave

The National Tertiary Education Union has won 30 days of paid gender affirmation or transition leave at the University of Sydney, setting an industry-leading standard.

Strike shuts down Sydney trains as workers fight for jobs and safety

Workers on Sydney’s train system took a four hour strike yesterday morning, bringing the rail system to a complete halt.

Stopwork action shows how to fight for COVID safety

As NSW begins to ease COVID-19 restrictions, workplace transmission remains a significant threat. But recent stopwork actions provide a glimpse of the type of fight we need for safety at work.

Delivery drivers strike for job security at Toll and StarTrack

StarTrack workers are set to strike for 24 hours this Thursday. This follows a strike of over 7000 truck drivers at Toll in late August.

1971 accident pay strike showed how to fight for safety

The right to accident pay, or workers’ compensation, was only won after a major strike in 1971 that united unions across the construction industry, explains Tom Orsag

Stopwork at Coles warehouse shows companies can’t be trusted to stop COVID’s spread

Companies are still risking workers’ lives by cutting corners over COVID safety through Sydney’s lockdown.

Police crackdown targets unionists’ convoy demanding income support through Sydney lockdown

Police have launched a crackdown against a car and bike protest convoy in Sydney demanding adequate income support payments and improved safety at work.

Fair wages are long overdue: Geelong library workers strike for a pay rise

Workers at Greater Regional Libraries took six hours of strike action on Friday 2 July as part of their Enterprise Agreement campaign against low wages and attacks on penalty rates.

Economic recovery for some, millions still struggling

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg boasts that “Australia is leading the global economic recovery” and that living standards have risen by a “remarkable” 5.8 per cent over the past year.

NSW teachers set for action on workloads, staff shortages and pay

Public school teachers in NSW are gearing up for a major campaign to improve wages and conditions.

Nurses and paramedics force NSW Liberals to lift workers’ pay

Stoppages and strike action by paramedics, nurses and teachers forced the NSW Liberals to back down on their proposed public sector pay freeze in last week’s budget.

General Mills workers stage indefinite strike for a decent pay rise

Workers at General Mills in Sydney have been on strike for 11 days, fighting efforts to attack their conditions and demanding a decent pay rise.

McAlevey’s union organising model decentres rank-and-file activity

Marcus Banks, NTEU delegate at RMIT university, looks at the organising model developed by union organiser Jane McAlevey

Jane McAlevey’s organising strategy and the NTEU

Solidarity NTEU discussion document by Marcus Banks, NTEU member

Sauce workers taste victory after six-week strike

Workers at the McCormick factory in Melbourne have scored a tremendous victory, beating back their multinational employer after six weeks on strike.

Sauce strike simmers on at McCormick

Workers at McCormick Foods in Clayton, Victoria, are entering their sixth week of strike action and are standing firm.

Smeaton Grange starved back to work—But Coles workers could have won

The United Workers Union has a well deserved reputation among the union movement for organising and militancy. James Supple examines what went wrong at Smeaton

CFMMEU split a diversion from fight for a just transition

A major left-wing union, the CFMMEU, is in turmoil, with its mining division looking to split away. Tom Orsag argues why demerger won't help win the fight for a just transition.

Sauce workers’ anger boils over

About 100 workers are on indefinite strike at McCormick sauces factory in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton South after five years without a pay rise.

Casuals win against wage theft at the University of Melbourne

Union members at the University of Melbourne have dealt a massive blow against systemic wage theft.

Militant fight shuts down scab operation on the waterfront

In a decisive victory, Ausport lines workers (who tie up vessels in port) have forced a non-union operator in Port Botany to shut up shop in just nine days.

Stop the Liberals’ attacks on people with disability

This year the government plans to introduce changes to the NDIS that will restrict the range and amount of supports disabled people can access through NDIS funding.

More stalling from union as Smeaton Grange starves

Smeaton Grange workers are facing further attempts to delay action, wear down workers and wind up the dispute.

Locked out for 11 weeks, but Smeaton Grange workers reject Coles’ redundancy plan

In an incredible vote yesterday, UWU members at Smeaton Grange Coles distribution centre have voted—for the sixth time—to reject Coles’ redundancy offer.

Heroic fight, but union inaction helps Coles starve Smeaton Grange back to work

The heroic resistance of 350 Coles workers at Smeaton Grange distribution centre has ended in a bitter and unnecessary defeat in week ten of the 12-week lockout imposed by the company.

Morrison wants workers to pay for COVID recovery—make the rich pay

Instead of extending support to workers, Morrison wants to give bosses more “flexibility” through new industrial relations laws to allow them to cut workers’ pay and conditions.

Smeaton Grange Coles workers vote NO to non-union agreement

In a fantastic show of determination, workers at the Coles Smeaton Grange Distribution Centre voted down a non-union agreement on Friday. The vote comes after eight weeks locked out without pay.

Vote No, step up the action—Coles moves for non-union agreement at Smeaton Grange

After successive mass meetings decisively rejected the redundancy deal, Coles management is holding a non-union ballot in an effort to get Smeaton Grange back to work.

Five day strike pushes back against casualisation at Hanes

Workers at Hanes’s warehouse in Melbourne have won some job security protections and a pay rise after a five day strike.

Crunch time at Smeaton Grange—Step up the pickets to stop Coles’ bullying bosses

After three weeks locked out, workers at Coles’ Smeaton Grange distribution centre are facing a stark choice. After meeting with the union, the company has refused to offer any further concessions.

Morrison’s laws deliver wage cuts to fuel COVID recovery for business

Scott Morrison and the Liberals are determined to use the COVID crisis to benefit business and strip away workers’ rights.

Shut down Coles’ corporate profiteering at Smeaton Grange

Action to stop Coles’ replacement warehouses has to be stepped up to force them to the meet workers’ demands.

Coles warehouse workers determined to fight despite three month lockout

More than 350 workers at the Smeaton Grange Coles distribution centre in Sydney staged a legal 24 hour strike last week—and were immediately locked out by the company for three months in response.

Medical Science academics hold afternoon stop work to protest job cuts

Academics in the School of Medical Sciences at Sydney Uni staged an “Afternoon of Action” on Wednesday in protest against forced redundancies in the School.

Ten days on strike and counting as Hussmann workers fight for pay rise

Workers at Hussmann (a subsidiary of Panasonic) in Western Sydney are still out on strike after ten days on the picket line, fighting for a pay increase to cover cost of living increases.

MUA should defy effort by Patrick bosses and the Liberals to ban strikes

Scott Morrison has threatened wharfies at Patrick Terminals with federal government intervention for daring to request a pay rise “in the middle of a COVID-19 recession” accusing them of “a campaign of extortion against the Australian people”.

No time for delay in fight to save uni jobs

Across the Tertiary Education sector job cuts are coming in thick and fast. But we can’t accept voluntary redundancies as inevitable.

Pay cut for NSW workers on pandemic frontline

Over 400,000 public sector workers in NSW will have their pay rise slashed to just 0.3 per cent this year, following a decision in the Industrial Relations Commission.

Pay cut for nurses on NSW’s COVID frontline ‘a real slap in the face’

Damien Davis-Frank talked to Solidarity about working in the medical system during the pandemic and what NSW nurses think about losing their 2.5 per cent pay rise this year.

National assembly of university workers discusses strikes against cuts

An unprecedented national assembly of university workers has condemned the job cuts and funding cuts to the university sector and resolved to mobilise against them, including going on strike.

Woolies workers win big on permanency and pay, but more to be gained

After almost two weeks outside the gates, members of the United Workers Union at Woolies' Wyong distribution centre in NSW have won big pay rises and an increase in permanent jobs.

Woolies workers stand strong despite indefinite lockout in Wyong

Workers at the Woolies distribution centre at Wyong in NSW have been locked out indefinitely since Friday after taking strike action demanding equal pay and reduced casualisation.

Strategy needed to halt uni bosses’ job cuts

Around the country, university Vice-Chancellors are launching massive attacks on jobs, on top of their previous cuts to casual and fixed term staff.

Morrison’s ‘Accord 2.0’ talks are a trap for the unions

Scott Morrison has set a trap for the union movement and the ACTU has walked straight in.

Melbourne Uni no vote on cuts to pay and conditions boosts fights elsewhere

NTEU members at the University of Melbourne have dealt a decisive blow to management, voting No to a non-union ballot to vary the existing enterprise agreement.

Higher ed day of action builds confidence to fight

A higher education National Day of Action on 21 May saw university workers mobilise demanding the Morrison government fund the $4.5 billion shortfall across the sector.

Teachers pay the price as COVID-19 exposes school inequality and workload crisis

There can be no talk of a return to “normal” in schools. The COVID-19 crisis has exposed pre-existing inequalities in education.

Warehouse walkouts force bosses to put safety before profits

Workers in a number of warehouse distribution centres have won increased safety measures against coronavirus after walking off the job.

Pressure builds for action as uni staff face savage cuts

Momentum is growing at universities to take collective action to defend our jobs and conditions.

Hutchison wharfies win COVID-19 safety measures

After a ten-day standoff with Hutchison, Sydney wharfies returned to work on Sunday 12 April after winning dramatic safety improvements to manage the risk of coronavirus at work.

Uni staff shouldn’t accept wage cuts for management promises on jobs

Union members at Sydney University have sent a strong message to the NTEU leadership to reject the strategy of accepting cuts to wages and conditions in return for promises of jobs.

Shocking Hutchison Covid-19 cover-up puts profits before safety on the waterfront

Profits are being put before safety and lives at Hutchison Ports’ Sydney terminal, where two employees have now tested positive for COVID-19.

No just transition for Holden workers after failure to fight for jobs

The final end of the car-maker General Motors Holden came in February. But there was never a serious fight for the one thing that could have saved the jobs—nationalisation.

Uni staff plan for month of Climate Strikes in May

Two major strikes in May will see unions and students out in force for climate action. Last year School Strike for Climate brought 350,000 to the streets on 20 September.

Strikes banned at DP World in attack on right to strike

The Federal Court has issued an injunction preventing 1800 DP World wharfies from taking strike action for six weeks until mid-March, despite it being legally “protected” action.

Strike wins big pay rises for 1000 Woolies workers in Sydney

Woolies Warehouse workers in Sydney have won a 16 per cent pay rise over three years after a solid 24 hour strike.

University of Melbourne casuals are fighting back

Casuals at the University of Melbourne have delivered a blow to the myth that casual workers are too insecure and vulnerable to stand up and fight for their rights.

Woolies warehouse workers strike back for pay equality and respect

Woolworths’ warehouse workers from one of the biggest distribution sheds in Sydney went on strike for 24 hours last Friday to send a clear message to management.

Unions back climate strike for jobs and secure future

The union turnout on 20 September was a crucial step towards putting jobs and workers’ rights at the centre of the climate fight.

Tram and train companies attack workers and the right to strike

Workers at Yarra Trams and Metro Trains in Melbourne are fighting private operators who want to increase casualisation and deny workers the right to strike.

Morrison’s new attack on CFMMEU and the right to strike

The Morrison government has launched a fresh attack on trade unions with a new bill that would even further hamper their ability to organise.

DP World strike action forces company to lift job cuts threat

DP World’s threat to cut 200 jobs was, “corporate bullying and intimidation using the livelihoods of wharfies in an attempt to intimidate the workforce into accepting anything the company wants,” according to Warren Smith, Maritime Union of Australia Assistant National Secretary.

Deregistration—union busting the BLF

Tom Orsag looks at how deregistration in 1986 virtually destroyed the Builders Labourers Federation, in a warning for unions facing the same thing today

Fast ferry workers strike against casualisation and low pay

Workers at Manly Fast Ferries in Sydney have staged a series of strikes fighting for better pay, secure jobs and safety.

Interview: Fast Ferry workers fight for safety, fair pay and secure jobs

Workers at Manly Fast Ferries in Sydney have staged a number of strikes as they fight for a decent enterprise agreement and push to reduce casualisation. Solidarity spoke to Maritime Union Australia delegate for Manly Fast Ferries Brock Mamo about the dispute

The Liberals are the real thugs, Albanese is doing the bosses’ dirty work—But Setka should stand down

The campaign against John Setka, Victorian branch secretary of the CFMEU, has reached fever pitch. But the domestic violence charges against Setka are a very serious issue.

Casuals’ rally wins key gains at Melbourne Uni

A rally of around 100 staff at Melbourne University has forced management to cave on two key demands of casual staff.

Change the Rules never seriously mobilised workers

Thousands of union members gave up their time to doorknock, phone-bank and staff polling booths for Change the Rules. But the campaign has been a spectacular flop.

The push to ban NAPLAN at Mount Alexander

There has been more criticism of NAPLAN after outages disrupted this year’s online tests. State governments are continuing to push to replace it.AEU members at Mount Alexander College first took a...

Chemist warehouse strikers win stunning gains on pay and casualisation

Striking Chemist Warehouse workers have had a stunning victory, winning large pay rises and permanent jobs for many workers.

The proud union history of defying the law—needed now more than ever

“Our movement’s most important achievements were won by breaking unjust laws, because it has nearly always been illegal to take strike action”, writes ACTU Secretary Sally McManus in her...

Coal workers’ strike wins big victory against casualisation

Workers at a coal mine in NSW have won a big victory against casualisation after four days of strike action.

Port Kembla Coal Terminal fights for job security as termination looms

Workers at Port Kembla Coal Terminal (PKCT) continue to fight to protect their jobs.In April last year the Fair Work Commission sided with the bosses and terminated the workers’ enterprise bargaining agreement. The...

Wharfies strike to stand up to Hutchison’s attacks

Wharfies in Sydney and Brisbane are a month into their campaign of industrial action to secure a decent Enterprise Agreement (EA) with Hutchison Ports.They are fighting for improvements to safety, training,...

Victory at Boom cranes after defiant five week strike

Crane workers have won a five-week strike against Boom Logistics through widespread action in defiance of the law.

Unionists stop work to Change the Rules—but we can’t rely on Labor

Thousands of unionists walked out of work to join Change the Rules rallies on 23 October in Sydney and Melbourne.

Boom cranes strike into its fourth week

Workers at Boom Logistics cranes in Singleton, Newcastle and Port Kembla were into their fourth week of an indefinite strike as this article was written.

Why do the union leaders back Labor?

Union leaders see the Labor Party as a vehicle for their interests in parliament, argues David Glanz, even though Labor ultimately governs in the interests of capitalism

Victorian delegates meet, but electoral campaign for Labor on the agenda

More than 1700 workers attended Trades Hall’s mass delegates meeting on 25 September, to plan for the next Change The Rules stopwork rally on 23 October—this time branded in Victoria as “Australia Needs a Pay Rise”.

Sydney Uni staff rally against job cuts and deskilling

Over 150 Sydney University workers have held a feisty rally in their bid to stop forced redundancies and deskilling in support services.

Hutchison signals plan for savage attack on workers

Hutchison Ports Australia have submitted a savage log of claims which would decimate conditions of wharfies at its Sydney and Brisbane terminals.

Thousands join Sydney stopwork against Morrison’s anti-worker laws

Five thousand striking workers took over the streets of Sydney’s CBD on Thursday 6 September, demanding fairer laws for workers, the abolition of anti-union bodies, and the right to strike.

Alcoa workers out on indefinite strike for job security

Over 1600 workers at Alcoa in WA are continuing an indefinite strike after five weeks.

We need a total NAPLAN ban

The release of the 2018 NAPLAN results should be the death knell of the national testing regime.

Strong showing for the left in NTEU elections

Left activists have won a strong presence in the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) at Sydney University, alongside an upset defeat for the incumbent state secretary of the union in Victoria.

NSW crane drivers’ strike banned

Crane drivers in NSW at WGC Cranes and Boom Logistics have been banned from striking by the Fair Work Commission.

ACTU Congress—union demands far more than Labor will deliver

The ACTU Congress in July spelled out the union movement’s demands for change on industrial relations, targeted at influencing an incoming Labor government.

‘Those campuses that organised got the best outcomes’

Solidarity spoke to Melissa Slee, who is running for Victorian division Secretary in the National Tertiary Education Union elections about what’s at stake for the union

Bureau staff accept dud deal after public sector campaign fizzles out

In early July the Bureau of Meteorology secured staff support for a substandard Enterprise Agreement offer. The vote was very close, with only 51 per cent voting Yes, the difference being 36 staff.

Left contests union elections at Sydney Uni

Union branch elections at Sydney University are seeing a political contest over strategy, led by the left activist network, Union Action.

Port workers walk off for the right to strike

Four hundred unionists in Sydney led a boisterous march on the bosses’ court, the Fair Work Commission on 29 May, demanding the right to strike—and pledging to fight for it.

Labor must deliver right to strike, says union leader

Victorian CFMEU Secretary John Setka has called on Bill Shorten and Labor to lift restrictions on the right to strike and union right of entry should they win the next election.

Ark Tribe, unionist who defied the ABCC

Unionists around the country have paid tribute to Ark Tribe, a construction worker and CFMEU member who took on the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). He died unexpectedly in late May.

Call for amnesty for migrant workers: ‘Our campaign is about dignity’

Solidarity's Chris Breen spoke to Shawfikul Islam, a Rohingya refugee and National Union of Workers organiser in Melbourne, about the union’s organising amongst farm workers and its call for an amnesty for migrant workers in the industry.

Fighting Casualisation—union power and the right to strike

Casualisation and insecure work is a growing problem. Union organising and industrial action have defeated it before, and can do so again.

UNSW staff strike against casualisation and restructuring

Last Wednesday NTEU members at UNSW took part in a successful 24-hour strike. Union demands focus on job security in the face of a series of restructures at UNSW as part of its “Strategy 2025”.

120,000 stop work in Melbourne to Change the Rules

Around 120,000 workers took over the streets of Melbourne on 9 May in an awesome display of working class power.

Esso bosses’ tactics show need to break the rules

Workers at Esso in Gippsland, Victoria have been on the picket line for over 320 days.

How much would a Labor government change the rules at work?

The modest scope of changes Labor wants to make to workplace laws is starting to become clear. The party’s official draft platform, released in preparation for its national conference in July, shows what to expect.

Laws against strike action hit MUA at Patrick

Maintenance workers at Port Botany are coming up against the anti-union Fair Work Commission and anti-strike laws in their bargaining campaign.

Teachers say no to NAPLAN, and no to Gonski’s testing tool

NAPLAN does not have many friends left, but some of its critics just want more relentless testing. But NAPLAN must be replaced with greater time and respect for teachers, and fully funded public schools, rather than with more tests.

Hutchison continues to put lives at risk as safety dispute escalates at Port Botany

Members of the MUA at Hutchison Ports Australia, Port Botany are currently staring down legal threats of prosecution for “illegal industrial action”, following a devastating incident on Thursday 19 April.

Victorian union delegates ready to fight—but what about the right to strike?

Two thousand unionists filled Melbourne Town Hall and spilled out onto Swanston Street for the “Change the Rules” delegates meeting on 17 April.

Sydney meeting pushes for right to strike campaign

Just over 100 people packed into the Maritime Union’s Sydney office on 14 April to discuss the right to strike.

Bosses use termination threat to force Oaky North miners back to work

Workers at Glencore’s Oaky North mine have voted 70 per cent in favour of a deal they’d rejected in January by over 90 per cent.

Defending the union—the war on the waterfront 20 years on

Twenty years ago, Patrick Stevedores sacked its entire workforce in the most serious union-busting effort in decades. Solidarity spoke to Bob Lee, a union delegate at the time, and Glen Woods, then Deputy Branch Secretary of the MUA in Sydney about what happened.

Right to strike must be at the centre of union campaign

The push for the right to strike to be at the centre of the ACTU’s “Change the Rules” campaign will have to come from rank-and-file union members and union branches.

Strike action stepped up as termination looms at Port Kembla terminal

Workers at the Port Kembla Coal Terminal have stepped up industrial action as Fair Work prepares its decision on whether to terminate their enterprise agreement.

Eight week strike beats back Australian Paper

Over 90 workers at Melbourne’s Australian Paper factory, members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, have pushed back their boss with a solid eight-week strike.

Sydney rail worker: ‘We should strike anyway, we should just walk off’

Solidarity spoke to a Sydney rail worker about the ban on strike action and why rail workers deserve a better agreement

Defy the ABCC—Fly union flags, not Eureka

The announcement of “more stringent” guidelines by the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), banning union signs and the Eureka flag from display on building sites has sparked a wave of flag-flying defiance.

Locked out Oaky North miners now facing termination

Workers at the Oaky Creek coal mine in Queensland are the latest to face termination of their enterprise agreement. The 175 workers have been locked out for over 220 days.

Rail workers should defy Fair Work and smash the pay cap

The industrial relations laws are broken and rigged against workers. The only way forward is to vote down the government’s offer. Rail workers should vote to strike on 8 March, when the ban runs out, call depot meetings to build support and prepare to break the laws.

Sydney’s rail strike banned—time to fight for the right to strike

Sydney's proposed 24-hour rail strike has been ruled illegal in a snap hearing of the “Fair Work Commission”. The decision exposes how far the law is now stacked against strike action.

Mass picket shuts down Webb Dock—and shows the need to defy the law

For three weeks in the lead up to Christmas a mass picket shut down operations at the Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) on Melbourne’s Webb Dock.

Back the Sydney rail workers’ strike

Rail workers are set to shut down Sydney’s transport system, voting to strike for 24 hours on Monday 29 January and impose days of overtime bans. They deserve everyone’s support.

Lockout at Port Kembla as company moves to terminate agreement

Around 100 workers and supporters have picketed the Port Kembla coal terminal, after 60 workers were locked out for four days starting at 7pm on Sunday. They are the latest to face bosses’ new tool bosses for slashing workers’ conditions—applying to terminate their Enterprise Agreement.

United strike action can stop Sydney bus privatisation

Although government plans to privatise Sydney’s buses have moved forward, the fight to keep the buses in public hands is not over.

NTEU maintains conditions, but fight to beat casualisation needed

After a semester punctuated by short strikes at Western Sydney University (WSU), UTS and the University of Sydney, both WSU and the University of Sydney have agreed to new enterprise bargaining deals, while Charles Sturt University moves to industrial action, and University of New South Wales (UNSW) members are set to kick off their campaign.

Third Sydney stop work rally as unions take on Turnbull

Thousands of workers in Sydney took illegal strike action on 16 November to rally against the Liberals’ anti-union laws.

University bosses out to strip pay and conditions

In the wake of the cancellation of the union agreement at Murdoch University by the Fair Work Commission, the NTEU is bargaining with confident and aggressive university managements.

Termination—bosses going for the ‘nuclear option’

Train drivers, coal miners, university staff, power workers and ice cream makers—just some of the workers who have fallen foul of a new employers’ tactic, cancelling enterprise bargaining agreements.

Our 24 hour strike shows there’s no UTS without us

UTS staff in the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) took the first serious step in our enterprise bargaining campaign with a successful 24 hour strike on Thursday 19 October.Our...

Sydney Uni EBA campaign could have won more—but the fight’s not over

The NTEU vote to settle at Sydney University does not mean the end of the fight; we still need to stop casualisation and protect courses, jobs and conditions.

Fight for jobs and pay at unis ramps up

The termination of the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement at Murdoch University has sent a shock through the university system.

Despite leadership wobbles, bus drivers still fighting privatisation

Despite an aggressive state Liberal government, and court orders against industrial action, the fight by Sydney’s inner west bus drivers against privatisation is very much alive.

Construction union ends non-compliance with Turnbull’s Building Code

The CFMEU’s defiant stance against signing enterprise agreements that comply with the anti-union “Building Code” came to an abrupt end in August.

Latrobe Valley’s 1977 power strike

Workers in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley showed their clout when they shut down the power, writes Tom Orsag, but the support they needed to win was never mobilised.

NSW universities move towards strikes

Workers at three NSW universities are moving closer to strike action in the face of their managements’ attacks on working conditions and pay.

Bureau outlook stormy as staff step up industrial action

CPSU members at the Bureau of Meteorology have been ramping up industrial action.

How enterprise bargaining traded away our conditions

The acceptance of enterprise bargaining has seen union officials trade away rights like penalty rates, preparing the ground for the Fair Work decision, writes James Supple

NSW delegates meeting calls October stopwork rally

Union delegates in NSW have voted to hold a union-wide stopwork rally on Wednesday 18 October to step up the fight against the Turnbull government’s war on workers.

Construction strike takes the fight to Turnbull

Thousands walked off construction sites around the country on 20 June as the CFMEU construction union took its second national day of action against the Australian Building and Construction Commission and the new Construction Code.

Victory against casualisation at Sydney Uni

Casuals have had a significant win against outsourcing at Sydney University, as negotiations continue for a new enterprise bargaining agreement.

Back Sydney’s bus drivers, No to privatisation

Bus drivers in Sydney’s inner west are fighting privatisation, staging strike action in defiance of the Industrial Relations Commission.

Construction workers strike over industrial manslaughter

Thousands of Brisbane CFMEU construction workers took another day of illegal strike action on 23 May, marching off the job to Parliament House to demonstrate against the Labor state government delaying industrial manslaughter legislation.

Sydney Uni staff move towards strike action

A packed meeting of 250 NTEU members at Sydney University on 8 June voted to begin balloting for industrial action.

New unions join Victorian teachers in workplace refugee actions

Unionists across Victoria joined a week of action in support of refugees in early May. Inspired by the success of the Teachers for Refugees t-shirt actions in December, nurses, librarians, health workers and university staff all staged their own actions.

Opposition to new Year 9 NAPLAN hurdle

Parents and teachers are campaigning to reverse a NSW government decision to make NAPLAN scores a requirement for passing the HSC.

Enterprise bargaining and the un-Fair Work Act

The system of Enterprise Bargaining restricting lawful strike action to bargaining periods is at the core of laws that have removed the right to strike explains David Glanz

CFMEU workers’ defiance keeps union flags flying at Watpac

For three days, Watpac bosses in Brisbane tore down CFMEU flags and posters on building sites, but stop work action has kept the union flag flying on the job.

Inside the Fairfax strike: details from the frontline

As Fairfax journalists head back to work after seven days on strike, Solidarity spoke to a journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald on the impact of proposed job cuts and how the unlawful strike unfolded.

Patrick’s rank and file face down fines: Industrial action is key

A magnificent struggle at the Sydney Patrick docks, backed by community pickets, has stalled Patrick’s attempt to fragment the workforce and put cheap labour on the wharf.

Building unions prepare to defy code

The CFMEU construction union has pledged to fight new laws aimed at stripping workers’ conditions and pushing the union off building sites.

Wharfies stop work as Patrick tries union busting again

On 9 April, wharfies and activists held a three-hour blockade of the Patrick terminal at Port Botany in Sydney, to protest the latest attempt at union busting on the waterfront. Then, in a significant escalation, on Thursday 20 April, workers refused to load a train and began an almost 24 hour sit-in.

Defy the law to defend penalty rates and fight Turnbull

New ACTU leader Sally McManus gave heart to unionists everywhere when said that workers were right to break unfair laws. This is exactly what we will we need to do to stop the attack on penalty rates, scrap the ABCC and win basic union rights.

‘Fair Work Commission’ process designed to benefit the bosses

The Fair Work Commission’s cut to penalty rates is the latest in a long line of Arbitration Commission decisions attacking workers.

Construction workers defy the law to protest Turnbull’s war on workers

Thousands of construction workers defied the law to join stopwork rallies around the country on 9 March. This is the kind of action needed across the union movement to fight Turnbull’s war on workers.

Penalty rates fightback needed after savage cuts

Workers are seething after the industrial umpire slashed penalty rates for some of the lowest paid workers in the country. An immediate union response can stop the cuts.

Unions prepare to resist as return of ABCC speeds up

Construction unions are gearing up for a fight, after the Senate approved changes to speed up the re-introduction of the anti-union Australian Building and Construction Commission.

NSW disability workers strike against privatisation

NSW disability support workers have defied a legal order to strike for 24 hours, in a bid to halt the state government’s callous privatisation push.

Centrelink workers join fight against robo debt

Workers at Centrelink are opposing the scandalous “robo-debt” collection process, despite bullying and the threats of action under their Code of Conduct. Whistleblowers have fed crucial information about the scheme to the media.

Relief at CUB but boycott campaign no model

In December, electricians and fitters at the Carlton and United Breweries, known as the “CUB 55”, won a return to work on their previous wages and similar conditions.

Murdoch Uni’s brazen assault on staff

As the holiday wind down began last December, management at Murdoch University in Western Australia delivered a nasty Christmas surprise that could have drastic implications for university workers across the country.

Josh Cullinan: ‘We needed a union for retail and fast food that would fight’

Solidarity spoke to Josh Cullinan, secretary of the newly-established Retail and Fast Food Workers Union

New union no short-cut to mobilising the rank-and-file

A fight against the SDA and employers is entirely justified. But setting up a new bureaucracy is no quick-fix for the terrible situation retail and fast food workers find themselves in. What is essential is struggle organised from the rank-and-file.

Three week picket humbles Harrison boss

After three weeks on strike, workers in Brookvale, North Sydney have won demands for union representation and a 2.5 per cent pay rise.

Anti-union ABCC is back, but where was the fight?

The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) is set to return, with the aim of breaking the power of the construction unions.

Strikes not arbitration needed in public service

Workers in Immigration and Border Protection are headed to compulsory arbitration, after three years of bargaining across the federal public sector where there government has refused to even negotiate.

Shut down production to win CUB 55 jobs

Workers are in their fourth month of picketing outside the brewery for reinstatement at their original wages and conditions.

ACTU insider blasts union focus on electoral campaigns

Having left the ACTU, Tim Lyons, its former assistant secretary for six years, has served up a critique of the union leadership’s inability to do the basic organising necessary to re-build unions, in an article in the September issue of Meanjin.

Public servants strike for 24 hours

Thousands of federal public servants were set to strike as Solidarity went to press, continuing the campaign against plans to cut working conditions in exchange for a miserable 2 per cent a year pay rise.

Striking back against the new economy at Deliveroo

Around 200 workers at Deliveroo in London stopped the imposition of a new unfair work contract in August after six days of strikes. Their victory showed that even workers in the new so-called “gig economy” can still organise collectively to fight back.

Polar Fresh pickets win gains in strike against Coles

After a decisive three day strike, workers at a cold storage warehouse for Coles in Melbourne have won wage rises and more secure jobs.

CUB workers offered jobs back with 65 per cent pay cut

Maintenance workers have been picketing the Carlton & United Breweries plant in Melbourne for the past seven weeks after they were sacked and offered their jobs back with a 65 per cent pay cut.

Pull out all stops as CPSU starts new round of strike action

CPSU members in the Immigration and Border Protection will kick off a new wave of industrial action starting Friday 12 August. Other public servants will join in, with members meetings in Tax and other agencies at end of August, culminating in a major APS-wide strike on 9 September, including rallies.

Time to reignite CPSU campaign

The severely weakened Coalition government should give confidence to unionists in the federal public service.

Construction union’s pay victory what Turnbull wants to stop

Construction workers in Victoria have secured a 5 per cent pay rise each year for three years in a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement signed with major builders.

The Big McRipOff—retail workers stripped of penalty rates

Australia’s biggest companies are raking in profits while keeping their workers some of the lowest paid in the country, signing agreements with the shoppies union, the SDA, that undermine penalty rates for weekends and shifts.

Turnbull backs big corporates over safety and truckies’ pay

In April the Liberals abolished the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT), in another gift to big business.

Sacked for being Australian? No sacked for being union

Since February, the maritime union’s ad “Sacked for Being Australian” has been playing on TV and radio, and is part of a marginal seat campaign saying the union is fighting for “Australians and Australian jobs’”. But the ad, and the nationalist ideas behind it, are counter-productive to building a real fight for jobs.

Patrick threatens wharfies with nationwide lockout

Patrick has threatened wharfies at its container terminals with an indefinite lockout in response to any further industrial action, as a bitter dispute over a new agreement drags on.

Left union leader on ABCC: ‘The Greens’ actions are helping the government’

Peter Simpson, Queensland ETU State Secretary spoke to Solidarity about The Greens’ decision to pass Senate voting reform, ignoring the risk that this gives Malcolm Turnbull his best chance yet of passing the ABCC legislation.

How unions fought back the ABCC last time

The ABCC has only ever set out to criminalise basic union organising on building sites.

Public service: we need more industrial action to win

Federal public servants staged their first 24-hour strike on 21 March, after nearly two years of insulting non-negotiable pay offers and attempts to strip conditions.

Nationalise to save steel jobs at Arrium

The jobs of 1100 workers at the Whyalla steelworks in South Australia are at risk after their employer, Arrium, went into administration in early April. Altogether 7000 jobs across the country are threatened if the company collapses.

Workers and the Second World War: Trotskyism and the 1945 Balmain docks dispute

As workers tired of wartime sacrifices, imposed with the aid of Communist Party union officials, Trotskyists in Balmain led a fight for democratic unionism, writes Tom Orsag

Refugee politics at work—how did teachers say ‘Let them Stay?’

When hundreds of photos of “Teachers say Let them Stay” actions at schools poured through social media in February, everyone fighting for justice for refugees stood taller and felt bolder.

Blackmail charges latest front in war on CFMEU

Two leading officials of the Victorian branch of the CFMEU Construction Division faced court in March on ludicrous charges of blackmail, for industrial action against Boral, a building supplies company.

Federal public servants strike again

Federal public sector workers will strike on 21 March and across Easter as the government continues to push attacks on conditions and pay offers below inflation.

Public servants set to strike again

Federal public sector workers are again ramping up their campaign to win better enterprise agreements. In February the largest agency, DHS, rejected a government-approved offer a second time, with an overwhelming 79.5 per cent voting “no”.

The Trade Union Royal Commission—a right royal union bashing

After 18 months and almost $46 million, the Trade Union Royal Commission, delivered its final report in December. The Liberals' loyal servant, Commissioner John Dyson Heydon, delivered volumes of excuses for the Coalition to continue its union bashing.

Don’t let the courts send these unionists to jail

At least 5000 Melbourne building workers joined a strike and rally in early December as CFMEU officials John Setka and Shaun Reardon faced court. The two Victorian Construction union officials face charges of blackmail under the Crimes Act.

Hard-fought wins at Hutchison, but clear victory means defying the law

The inspirational three-month long struggle by Hutchison wharfies in Sydney and Brisbane ended on 16 November, when Maritime Union members voted to accept a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.

NSW council mergers a Trojan horse for privatisation

About 600 people, including many council workers, rallied at Martin Place on 18 November to protest the NSW government’s drive to merge local councils across the state.

Organising the unemployed: Dole strikes and the 1930s Depression

Amid the mass unemployment of the Depression, the Communist Party did some of its best work, organising the fight for high dole payments and more jobs writes Tom Orsag

Are amalgamations the answer to union membership woes?

The talk of union amalgamations and the latest statistics on union membership have again raised the question of how to build unions.

Turnbull takes up Royal Commission anti-union agenda

Malcolm Turnbull wants to make industrial relations a “frontline issue” at the next election and will use the findings of Abbott’s Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption to go on a union bashing offensive.

Royal Commission bias now out in the open

The farce over Dyson Heydon’s links to the Liberal Party has exposed the Trade Union Royal Commission for what it always was—a political stunt aimed against Labor and the unions.

Protests continue over Hutchison sackings

Sacked wharfies are continuing to maintain a “community assembly” and protest camp outside terminals run by Hutchison Ports Australia in Sydney and Brisbane, demanding re-instatement.

The 1917 general strike

Geraldine Fela starts a Solidarity series on great strikes, with a look at the largest strike in Australian history, the 1917 general strike during the First World War

Hutchison workers defy company, courts, Abbott to fight for jobs

Ninety-seven wharfies are fighting for their jobs after being callously sacked by text message and email from Hutchison’s port terminals in Sydney and Brisbane on 6 August. But the workers are fighting the sackings with pickets in Sydney and Brisbane, ongoing as we go to press.

Strike action hits airports as CPSU campaign continues

Workers in Border Force, Immigration and Agriculture took stop work action again on 3 August, with rolling four-hour stoppages across the country. There was significant disruption to international airport queues, with management forced to move into frontline positions to cover for striking workers.

Defend Johnny Lomax: in court for winning a pay rise for workers

Lomax is an organiser with the building union, the CFMEU. He is charged with blackmail. His crime? Lomax put pressure on an employer to sign an Enterprise Agreement and pay higher wages, up from $17 an hour to $26 an hour.

Port workers fight sacking in new war on the waterfront

A ship was in but cranes were idle at the Hutchison container terminal at Sydney’s Port Botany on Friday morning while security guards lined up across the gate. Workers, many of whom had been sacked the night before, were gathered in a group across from the entrance while MUA flags and banners lined the fence.

Industrial action winning gains in public service

Industrial action in the federal public service has already forced concessions, as endless negotiations, which have rolled on in slow motion, continue.

Shorten and the AWU: The best friends Abbott and the bosses ever had

Shorten and the AWU’s model of unionism short-changed workers through doing favours for the bosses writes Mark Gillespie

Parliament house cleaners lay down their brooms

It was a moving moment. On International Cleaners Day, 41 striking cleaners walked out of Parliament House.

ACTU Congress launches ‘more of the same’ electoral campaign

A campaign to get Labor elected in 30 marginal seats was the centrepiece of the triannual ACTU Congress held in Melbourne in late May.

ACTU opposes turnbacks, detention on Manus and Nauru

A high point of the recent ACTU Congress was the adoption of a strong asylum seeker and refugee policy.

Is the working class still a force for change?

Mark Gillespie looks at the changing nature of the economy and whether this means the working class is disappearing

Public sector workers unite to strike against Abbott

Workers have staged federal public sector-wide strike action for the first time in a generation, with the first of a series of national half-day strikes on Thursday.

Public servants strike against Abbott’s cuts

Public servants are staging one-hour rolling strikes in a dozen agencies this month, as their union, the CPSU, ramps up what it says is the largest campaign of industrial action in 30 years.

Power sale fight must spark into strike campaign

Workers at the NSW state-owned energy network operators went on strike in a series of stoppages over a stalled workplace agreement in March. They are also demanding job protections...

March 4 rally shows appetite to fight Coalition’s cuts

Thousands of unionists took strike action against the Abbott government as part of the Australian Council of Trade Unions March 4 day of protest.

Liberals’ inquiry prepares attack on rights at work

The vicious overreach of the Coalition government is on display in the recently-announced Productivity Commission inquiry into workplace relations.

Sweet victory for flavour factory workers

Workers at the International Flavours and Fragrances factory in Dandenong have won a significant victory following a four-day occupation.

First charges as union Royal Commission does Abbott’s dirty work

Tony Abbott’s union Royal Commission has recommended charges against a series of union officials from the CFMEU, AWU and HSU.

CPSU members set for industrial action

Union members in the Department of Human Services (DHS) have overwhelmingly voted in favour of taking protected industrial action.

Federal public sector moves towards strikes

A huge fight is looming between workers across the Australian Public Service (APS) and the Abbott government.

ACTU plans another marginal seats campaign

The ACTU’S recently produced “Campaign Operational Plan: defending the living standards of working Australians” confims what we already knew. Firstly that the ACTU has given up campaigning to Bust the Budget; and secondly, that its campaign to defeat Abbott is overwhelmingly focussed on campaigning in marginal seats.

Trade union officials and the working class

Caitlin Doyle-Markwick looks at the role played by trade union officials in the unions, and why they are a naturally conservative force.

Ausreo workers win pay rise after ten week lockout

After a ten week lockout, striking workers at Ausreo’s Wetherill Park factory in western Sydney have won a victory against management. Ausreo supplies concrete reinforcement materials to the building...

NSW union delegates push to revive budget campaign

Unions NSW used a meeting of around 250 delegates yesterday to announce plans for a community-based state election campaign. But a group of rank-and-file activists won a resolution calling...

ACTU industrial strategy won’t stop budget measures

The ACTU has announced what is says is an industrial strategy to fight the budget. The recognition that unions have the power to fight the budget through strike action to make bosses pay is welcome.

CPSU members in the firing line—time to fire back

The CPSU says that over 1000 workers in the Australian Public Service (APS) have joined the union in the past two weeks. Officials say they are gearing up for...

NSW Catholic teachers walk off the job

NSW Catholic Teachers and support staff have taken strike action for the first time in over a decade.

Management tries on divide and rule at UTS

On 20 August academic staff at UTS will strike for 24-hours in their year-and-a-half fight for a decent agreement.One of the key battlegrounds is workloads. While UTS is spending...

Rank-and-file action wins on class sizes

Teachers at a high school in Melbourne’s North West won a victory against our principal’s penny-pinching plan to over-fill classes.After months of excuses for crowding more kids per...

Are the unions too weak to beat Abbott?

In the face of Abbott’s budget attacks on workers’ living standards, James Supple looks at whether union decline prevents the movement fighting back

Bust the Budget rallies can mark the beginning of the fightback we need

Up to 20,000 marched across the country on Sunday 6 July to bust Abbott’s budget, as part of a national coordinated union day of protest.

Union activists start budget strike action push

Around 200 unionists have signed an open letter urging Unions NSW to convene a one-day stopwork rally against the Abbott budget. The signatories including delegates from the CFMEU, NTEU, CPSU, the Teachers Federation and a number of PSA central councillors.

No excuses for job and mail service cuts at Australia Post

Nine hundred jobs are going at Australia Post amid speculation letter delivery services could be reduced to three days a week by the end of the year.

NSW Teachers’ Federation wants to squander the fight

The 2014 Annual Conference of the New South Wales Teachers Federation fell only days before the Unions NSW Bust the Budget rally, and amid a wave of anger against Abbott’s budget.

Melbourne unions stop work to stop Abbott

Melbourne got a taste of the power that could stop Abbott when over 20,000 workers joined a weekday stopwork rally to bust the budget on 12 June.

Sydney unions begin moving to fight budget

Unionists from across Sydney gathered in a mass delegates meeting on 12 June to launch a major rally against the budget for Sunday 6 July.

Sydney Uni campaign for BDS has controversial start

On 4 June, a 130 strong meeting of the Sydney University branch of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) voted 68-56 against a motion to devote branch time and resources to discuss BDS.

UTS staff strike back at management

National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) members at UTS picketed the campus as part of a 24-hour strike on 21 May.

Strike out Abbott’s budget

Tony Abbott’s budget has been met with outrage right across the community. We need to call on the ACTU to hold nationally coordinated industrial action until Abbott backs down.

Super-A-Mart workers win victory against low pay

Low paid workers at the Super-A-Mart warehouse in Somerton, Victoria have won their first union agreement following a six-week lockout.

Opposition on the home front: Strikes, conscription and the First World War

Solidarity examines the campaign against conscription and opposition to the First World War in Australia

How the unions brought down Howard

James Supple looks at the lessons from the union campaign that defeated Liberal Prime Minister John Howard in 2007

Axe flies at Qantas—but where’s the fight for jobs?

Tony Abbott has cheered on the announcement of 5000 job cuts at Qantas, salivating at the prospect of a company prepared to take on the unions. But neither Labor nor the union leaders are prepared to back the fight to save the jobs that is sorely needed.

WA workers face fines as Liberals begin war on CFMEU

The Abbott government has the CFMEU construction union in its sights.

After March: Grassroots resistance and union action can drive out Abbott

Every week Tony Abbott’s government unveils new horror plans. To get him out, we need to build ongoing grassroots resistance.

Media corruption frenzy boosts Abbott’s attack on unions

Tony Abbott has seized upon reports alleging corruption in the construction union to press his case for a Royal Commission and a new round of union busting.

Media corruption frenzy boosts Abbott’s attack on unions

Tony Abbott has seized upon reports alleging corruption in the construction union to press his case for a Royal Commission and a new round of union busting.

Abbott has the unions in his sights

Tony Abbott deliberately portrayed himself as an industrial relations moderate before the election. But he is no moderate. On the second day of the new parliament he passed laws re-establishing the Howard-era anti-union Australian Building and Construction Commission.

Blacktown shows how to beat the Liberals

A campaign by unionists and the Blacktown community has scored a victory. Plans to sell off Blacktown City Council’s 24 child care centres were derailed, following protests by parents and child care workers, when three Liberal Councillors crossed the floor to support a motion to continue providing the services late last year.

Nationalise Holden: fight for every job

After 64 years manufacturing in Australia, and taking billions in government subsidies, General Motors Holden has announced its Australian factories will close in 2017. At least 3000 workers face the sack and up to 45,000 jobs in the auto component industry are at risk.

Cambodian strikers shot down by military

On Christmas eve, as Australian retailers like K-Mart and Big-W tried to maximise holiday sales profits, the Cambodian workers who make their clothes and footwear (as well as for Adidas, Levi Strauss, H&M, the Gap and Puma) were walking out on strike.