Publications Archive

by Jack Williams / in Current publications, Publication Topic

Not Just Numbers: A Blueprint of Visa Protections for Temporary Migrant Workers

In June this year, the Labor government publicly recognised the ‘crisis of exploitation’ afflicting migrant workers in Australia. That recognition is long overdue. Everywhere we look, migrant workers are having to battle against underpayment, exploitation and unsafe conditions at work.

by Jack Williams / in Current publications, Publication Topic

Unlocking Talent: Empowering Migrant Workers with Equal Opportunities

Migrant worker experiences of discrimination and exclusion summarised in this report reflect the need to put migrant workers at the centre of future reforms and to create a system that attracts talent, while providing equal work opportunities for migrant and Australian-born workers.

by Jack Williams / in Publication Topic

Labour supply and essential worker shortages in key health, education and transport occupations report - David Peetz 2023

Essential workers are the ones most in demand in the NSW labour market. Read the latest Labour supply and essential worker shortages in key health, education and transport occupations report by David Peetz 2023.

by Jack Williams / in Publication Topic

Unions NSW 2022 Annual Report

2022 was declared as the year of the strike. Exhausted workers not getting a pay rise in years, current workplace conditions, staff shortages and resource cutbacks show the failure of the current NSW government.

by Jack Williams / in

Wage theft - The shadow market empowering migrant workers to enforce their rights

This Unions NSW research demonstrates that the exploitation of migrant workers in Australia is endemic and a direct result of the current visa system that makes workers reliant on their employers due to the precarious nature of their visa status.

by Jack Williams / in Publication Topic

Overworked, overloaded, overlooked and preparing to leave - 2022 NSW Public Sector Survey

This report reflects the experiences of a section of this workforce; those who worked for the NSW Public Service during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of these workers continued going into work, putting themselves and their families at greater risk of COVID-19, while experiencing increased workloads and a public sector wide pay freeze.

by Jack Williams / in Publication Topic

Jobs worth fighting for: Five ideas to reform Australian workplaces

Unions NSW is bringing together unions, employers, civil society and governments to address the nation’s shared economic challenges and some of the most pressing issues in our workplaces.

by Jack Williams / in Publication Topic

It's Broken: Workers' Compensation in New South Wales since 2012

This report by the McKell Institute outlines the inadequate state of NSW’s workers’ compensation framework since major reforms to the system occurred in 2012. Workers’ compensation is a fundamental workers’ entitlement, and is central to every Australians’ safety net, having operated in some form for over 100 years, and in New South Wales since 1910. While all responsible policy makers, businesses, and trade unions are on a unity ticket when it comes to ensuring Australian workplaces are safe, the unfortunate reality is that hundreds of thousands of Australian workers are hurt on the job each year, necessitating workers’ compensation schemes to ensure that those who suffer workplace injuries are not driven towards poverty.

by Jack Williams / in Publication Topic

Wage Norms And The Link To Public Sector Salary Caps

This report addresses the nature and effects of wage norms and their links to public sector salary caps. Questions addressed include: what are the recent patterns of nominal and real wages growth? What is the role of wage norms in explaining these patterns? What influences does public policy have on those norms, particularly through public sector pay. What would be the result of changing those policy settings? It pays particular attention to the role of public sector ‘salary caps’, and makes special reference to the situation in the New South Wales public sector.

by Jack Williams / in Publication Topic

Unions NSW Response to Women's Economic Opportunities Review

Unions NSW’s submission to the NSW Government’s Women’s Economic Opportunity Review focuses on ten recommendations to support women in the workforce, create the opportunities and conditions for women to succeed and improve women’s economic security throughout their lifetime.