Publications

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

    16/02/2023

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    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.

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  • Unions NSW 2022 Annual Report

    28/02/2023

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    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.

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

    05/12/2022

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    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.

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

    10/10/2022

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    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.

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  • Jobs worth fighting for: Five ideas to reform Australian workplaces

    22/08/2022

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    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.

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

    04/07/2022

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    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.

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  • Wage Norms And The Link To Public Sector Salary Caps

    05/06/2022

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    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.

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  • Unions NSW Response to Women’s Economic Opportunities Review

    06/03/2022

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    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.

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  • Unions NSW 2021 Annual Report

    24/02/2022

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    In 2021, Sydney Trades Hall celebrated 150 years of fighting for working people. However, the actual celebration has had to wait like so many other celebrations. Across our state, hundreds of thousands could not do their jobs due to lockdowns, especially in Sydney’s west and south-west.

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  • Gender Equality Position Paper

    27/10/2021

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    Unions NSW values equality, justice, integrity and progressing the lives of working people. Unions NSW will, in partnership with affiliates, use its powerful civil society voice and formidable industrial influence to advocate to government and employers for workplace gender equality.

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  • Final Joint Submissions re Migration Amendment

    01/09/2021

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    The Department to consider altering discretionary provisions to vest courts with powers to make additional enforcement orders including adverse publicity orders and banning orders prohibiting employers from employing migrant workers and people under the age of 25 for a fixed term following a finding of non-compliance.

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  • Current publications

    No Community Left Behind: Survey of Workers in Lockdown

    11/08/2021

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  • Unions NSW Annual Report 2020

    18/02/2021

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    COVID-19 touched every industry, workplace and worker in 2020. It drove us into lockdowns, isolation, social distancing and working from home. For some, the greatest challenge was turning themselves off mute or maintaining personal space. However, for many workers the very viability of their industry was threatened.

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  • Procurement

    Build it here: The economic cost of offshoring major transport projects in New South Wales

    18/06/2021

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    Public procurement is a major driver of economic activity, constituting 15% of GPD – higher than the OECD average of 11%. Through competitive tender processes, governments in Australia have awarded 13% of all public procurement expenditure to international bidders. In awarding tenders for major projects, governments must balance public expectations with the need to ensure that major expenditure commitments represent value for money.

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  • Working for $9 hour

    17/06/2021

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    Labour is vital to the Australian horticulture industry. Seasonal variation and the transient nature of the work makes the farmworker population difficult to measure. It is estimated that approximately 142,000 people work in the horticulture industry. Fruit grape and nut farms employ around 104,000 workers and vegetable farms employ 38,000 workers.

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  • Young, free and living precariously

    05/06/2021

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    There has been significant media reporting and public commentary on the impact on young people of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic recession. However, there is limited empirical research into the experiences of young people during the height of the 2020 pandemic. This discussion paper is the result of a survey of over 300 respondents conducted during the final months of 2020.

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  • 24-hour childcare and tradie toll relief needed in State Budget

    05/06/2021

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    A new report finds tradies and shift workers were the state’s forgotten people during COVID and recommends a trial of 24-hour day care and toll relief to help our blue, pink and fluoro-collared workforce. The McKell Institute research for Unions NSW will be presented to Treasurer Dominic Perrottet as a State Budget option paper. It finds many of the workers in question suffered greatly reduced incomes and work hours at the height of the pandemic, all while facing a higher degree of exposure to COVID.

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  • Inquiry into Job Security

    12/04/2021

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    The industrial environment in Australia over recent decades has seen increases in productivity and flexibility with the majority of benefits geared towards business. Flexibility has manifested as increasing levels of casualisation, part-time work, short-term contracts and the use of independent contractors, all inherently insecure and precarious forms of work.

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  • Wage Theft: Horticulture report

    19/03/2021

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    At time of writing migration to Australia is at an all-timelow. Many nations have begun their roll out of vaccines for the COVID-19 virus however the pandemic still poses a serious threat to lives and economies. To limit the spread of the virus in Australia the federal government has continued its restriction on international arrivals and particularly its halt on immigration to Australia.

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  • Inquiry into the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020

    05/02/2021

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    Unions NSW is the peak body for trade unions and union members in New South Wales with 48 affiliated trade unions and Trades and Labour Councils, representing approximately 600,000 workers across New South Wales. Affiliated trade unions cover the spectrum of the workforce in both the public and private sectors.

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  • Wage Theft: Lighting up the Black Market

    27/07/2018

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    In some sections of the workforce underpayment of wages has become routine. Employers are unashamedly advertising below Award rates for vacant positions. This seedy underbelly of exploitation and wage theft has been exposed through high profile examples of migrant worker exploitation. Workers have been threatened against making complaints, with employers taking advantage of workers who have poor English, are on temporary work visas and are young.

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  • Wage Theft: the Shadow Market

    14/12/2020

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    The exploitation of temporary migrant workers in Australia is a common and known problem that appears to be endemic throughout Australian workplaces. This exploitation persists despite numerous government inquiries,¹ legislative reforms and in 2019, the establishment of The Migrant Workers’ Taskforce whose recommendations are yet to be implemented.

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  • NSW Independent Bushfire Inquiry

    22/05/2020

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    This submission will provide an overview of union concerns in relation to the 2019-20 NSW bushfires, and make several recommendations with respect to primarily industrial concerns. The submission will be structured around the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry. For the purposes of this submission, “Bushfires” will refer to the bushfires in NSW over the devastating 2019-20 season which are the subject of the Inquiry.

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  • Visa Assist Annual Report 2020

    14/10/2020

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    Visa Assist is a partnership between Unions NSW and the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre (IARC), designed to advocate for and advise union members with immigration matters.

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  • Premier’s lack of confidence in local industry an opportunity missed

    01/06/2023

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  • No Worker Left Behind – Survey Results 2020

    17/08/2020

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    Unions NSW’s survey is the first large-scale data set regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related govern-ment economic and social restrictions, upon temporary migrants. Temporary migrants have been particularly impact-ed because of the reluctance of the Australian government to extend access to its JobKeeper and JobSeeker schemes to visa holders.

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  • Future Work

    Future Work report: A robot took my job

    12/08/2020

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    Unions NSW commissioned YouGov to conduct a survey of Australian attitudes and feelings towards automation. This research demonstrates a deep anxiety about automation, and a hunger for governments to intervene and help.

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  • ‘The robot apocalypse is coming — and they will take our jobs’

    20/02/2020

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    Secure, well-paid jobs are slowly evaporating and being replaced by electronic and digital alternatives. But if we don’t take action soon, our economy will be ruined.

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  • Hazardous Air Quality: The New Normal?

    23/01/2020

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    New South Wales has experienced an unprecedented drop in air quality over the 2019-2020 summer. Bushfire smoke has blanketed rural and urban areas for days at a time. With experts warning that climate change will cause more intense and frequent bushfires, New South Wales must prepare for the new normal. Unions NSW has produced this document to propel this discussion forward into concrete actions the NSW Government can take to protect people’s health.

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  • Ensuring Integrity Bill – Submission to Senate Inquiry

    29/08/2019

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    The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2019 (Cth) provides excessive and unnecessary external oversight of the leadership, staffing and internal operations of registered trade unions. It confers significant power to the Minister, employers and broader corporate interests to interfere with the democratic operation of trade unions.

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  • award
    below award
    CALD
    culturally and linguistically diverse
    international students
    job ads
    migrant workers
    minimum wages
    right of entry
    temporary migrant workers
    underpaid
    underpayment
    wage theft

    Wage Theft Report

    07/12/2018

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    Unions NSW undertook an audit of job advertisements on Chinese, Korean and Spanish language websites. The audit found 78% of businesses advertised rates of pay below the minimum Award wage.

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  • AD Act
    adverse action
    AHRC
    anti-discrimination
    Australian Human Rights Commission
    change the rules
    discrimination
    harassment
    me too
    metoo
    safety
    SD Act
    Sexual harassment
    women
    work health and safety

    Sexual Harassment Discussion Paper

    04/10/2018

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    This discussion paper arises out of the #MeToo movement, which has created significant momentum for change to prevent sexual harassment and provide avenues for justice. In the context of significant media attention and a social media storm there was leadership from law firm Maurice Blackburn, which developed several legislative asks to make it easier for women to come forward and seek justice if they have experienced workplace sexual harassment. Now Australia was formed in March 2018 to help guide those currently experiencing sexual harassment or those with historical experiences of sexual harassment to the appropriate legal and psychological support. In May 2018 Unions NSW began to organise a roundtable discussion at NSW Parliament to discuss possible options for reform. Then in July 2018 the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) announced a national inquiry into sexual harassment.

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  • electricity
    NSW not for sale
    privatisation
    privatised
    public assets
    public infrastructure
    public services
    stop the sell off

    Privatisation of State Assets – Submission to Senate Inquiry

    09/02/2015

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    The Federal Government’s Asset Recycling Initiative seeks to incentivise State Governments to privatise assets. The initiative emphasises the short term profits of privatisation, but overlooks the broader policy implications and long term economic issues.

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  • electricity
    NSW not for sale
    privatisation
    privatised
    public assets
    public infrastructure
    public services
    stop the sell off

    Electricity Privatisation – Submission to Senate Inquiry

    03/08/2015

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    Despite claims about the economic advantages of privatisation made by the NSW Liberal Government, the privatisation agenda of the last three decades has resulted in cuts to public services, finalisation of few large scale infrastructure projects and an ongoing budget deficit.

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  • dad and partner pay
    Paid parental leave
    PPL
    primary carers
    superannuation
    women

    Paid Parental Leave, Submission to Senate Inquiry

    03/08/2015

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    Unions NSW is vocal in the campaign for universal paid parental leave (PPL) that is guaranteed through government legislation and paid at wage replacement rates for 6 months. Access to PPL provides the best outcomes for new parents and babies while also encouraging women’s increased participation in the workforce.

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  • : budget
    NSW budget
    NSW Liberal National Government
    public sector efficiency dividend
    wages growth

    NSW Budget Briefing 2018

    04/10/2020

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    The NSW Liberal/National Government delivered a classic ‘election budget’ with short-term spending announcements and limited commitments to recurring expenditure for services and staffing.

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  • 417
    457
    backpacker
    exploitation
    international student
    student visa
    temporary migrant workers
    TSS
    visa
    wage theft

    Temporary Work Visas – Submission to Senate Inquiry

    27/03/2020

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    NSW believes temporary work visas should be built around a framework that provides workers with a timely and accessible mechanism to lodge claims against exploitative employers and are paid on par with local workers.

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  • code of practice
    Intern
    unpaid internship
    unpaid work trials
    work placement

    Unpaid Work Placements – Submission to NSW Inquiry

    07/02/2014

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    Unpaid work such as internships, need effective regulation and enforcement to ensure they promote learning and development opportunities. Unions NSW believes all forms of unpaid work should be covered by a national code of practice, enforceable through the Fair Work Commission.

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  • Airtasker
    casualisation
    disruptive employment
    exploitation
    gig-economy
    independent contractors
    NDIS
    sham contracting
    technological change
    wage theft

    Future of work and workers – Submission to Senate Inquiry

    20/02/2018

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    The pace and scale of changes in work are impossible to accurately predict. It is the role of Government to ensure we enter the uncertainty of the future well prepared; to ensure the benefits of technological advancement can be shared fairly and safeguards are put in place to ensure technology isn’t used as a tool to undermine pay and working conditions.

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  • Airtasker
    disruptive employment
    exploitation
    gig-economy
    independent contractors
    sham contracting
    transfer of business
    wage theft

    Avoidance of the Fair Work Act – Submission to Senate Inquiry

    02/02/2017

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    The nature of work, technology and trading hours have changed significantly since our industrial relations framework was established. However, there are ample provisions for employers to accommodate the needs of the ‘modern workforce’ built into the Fair Work Act. Deliberate attempts by employers to avoid the Fair Work Act to meet the needs of their business and promote ‘efficiency’ are lazy and often driven by greed and profit.

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  • agreement
    Airtasker
    Airtasker agreement
    disruptive employment
    exploitation
    gig-economy
    independent contractors
    injury insurance
    innovation
    safety
    sham contracting
    wage theft

    Airtasker report

    04/10/2016

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    A case study into the employment practices and employment conditions available to workers who use the online platform Airtasker.

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  • campaign
    election campaigning
    electoral communication
    electoral expenditure
    expenditure caps
    political communication
    third party campaigner
    union campaign

    Political Freedoms – Submission to Federal Inquiry

    25/09/2015

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    Unions NSW is concerned by state or federal government attempts to place restrictions on the implied freedom of political communication by seeking to restrict the spending of specific groups of third party campaigners during election periods. Such a move would be contrary to the principles of supporting the current freedoms associated with people’s right to participate in the democratic process of elections and would burden the implied freedom of political communication.

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  • campaigning
    election funding
    elections
    electoral expenditure
    political donations

    Political Donations – Submission to NSW Inquiry

    07/05/2015

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    Unions NSW response to the NSW Government’s 2014 Panel of Experts on political donations.

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  • acting in concert
    election
    electoral expenditure
    electoral funding act
    expenditure caps
    local government
    state government
    third party campaigner
    union campaign

    Local Government Expenditure Caps – Submission to NSW Inquiry

    18/09/2018

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    The Electoral Funding Act introduced expenditure caps for local government elections where previously there were no limits on spending. The caps are inconsistent, inequitable and are set at a level too low for candidates or third party campaigners to engage meaningfully in the electoral process.

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  • build a better future
    campaign
    election campaigning
    third party campaigner
    union campaign

    Federal Election – Submission to Senate Inquiry

    03/11/2016

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    Unions NSW and affiliated unions participated in the 2016 Federal Election as a third party campaigner through the ‘Build a Better Future’ campaign. Third party campaigners play a crucial role in the electoral process, providing voters with an avenue to collectively pool their resources and raise issues important to them. Unions NSW opposes any changes to the Commonwealth Electoral Act, 1989 which would restrict the ability for third party campaigners to participate in electoral campaigns.

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  • campaigning
    election
    NSW not for sale
    third party campaigner
    union campaign

    Campaigning at Polling places – Submission to NSW Inquiry

    17/07/2015

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    Third party campaigners play an important role in elections, raising the profile of issues important to voters. As member based organisations, unions work to educate and mobilise large number of activists and members to take part in political activities, including polling day. It is important NSW legislation supports this civic engagement and does not seek to limit the ability of third party campaigners and their volunteers to participate in election campaigns.

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  • acting in concert
    briefing paper
    campaign
    elections
    electoral expenditure
    electoral funding act
    expenditure caps
    NSW government
    state government
    third party campaigner
    union campaign

    Brief of Electoral Funding Act

    04/10/2018

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    The Electoral Funding Act (NSW) significantly restricts the ability of third party campaigners, like trade unions from participating in state elections. The Act halves the expenditure cap for third party campaigners and restricts third party campaigners from acting in concert.

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  • domestic violence
    dv
    family violence
    paid domestic violence leave
    paid family violence leave
    we won’t wait

    Domestic Violence Leave – Submission to Senate Inquiry

    26/09/2018

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    There is an urgent need for a universal entitlement to ten days paid domestic violence leave. This submission draws on evidence from front-line union members on the cost and time involved in living with and leaving violence and the urgent need for paid leave.

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  • 1800 RESPECT
    domestic violence
    dv
    family violence
    privatisation
    RDVSA
    violence against women

    1800 Respect – Submission to Senate Inquiry

    06/10/2018

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    Unions NSW response to the Federal Liberal Government’s move to privatise the 1800 RESPECT telephone counselling service. Under the Government’s plan, high value jobs will be replaced with lower paid, insecure work. This will undoubtedly affect service delivery and impact thousands of Australians who have come to rely on the service in their darkest hours.

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  • Apprentice
    Apprenticeship
    TAFE
    Trainee
    Traineeship
    Training
    Vocational Education

    Apprenticeships and Traineeship – Submission to NSW Review

    04/10/2018

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    The Unions NSW submission makes recommendations which support the current apprenticeship and traineeship model and advocate for greater safeguards against the exploitation of apprentices and trainees. The submission is based on surveys conducted with TAFE students in Nirrimba, Ultimo and Mount Druitt.

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  • Unions NSW Annual Report 2019

    14/02/2019

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    A major win early in 2019 was the High Court decision to overturn the draconian electoral funding laws that stopped community-based organisations, churches or unions pooling their financial resources to advocate for their issues and members during a state election campaign.

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  • Unions NSW Compulsory Third Party Insurance Scheme Submission
    Unions NSW CTP Submission
    Unions NSW WC Submission
    Unions NSW Workers Compensation Submission

    Submission to the 2018 review of the Compulsory Third Party insurance scheme

    17/06/2018

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    Unions NSW welcomes this opportunity to make a submission to the 2018 review of the Compulsory third Party insurance scheme. Unions NSW supports the submissions of its affiliated unions.

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  • Model WHS Legislation review
    Model Work Health & Safety Review
    Review 2018 model act
    Unions NSW Model Act Review Submission

    Submission to 2018 Review of the model WHS laws

    13/04/2018

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    Unions NSW is the peak body for Trade Unions in NSW representing over 60 affiliate unions with a membership of over 600 000 members from both blue and white collar industries.

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  • 2012 workers compensation cuts
    2016 submission
    first statutory review
    injured workers
    return to work inquiry
    Unions nsw submission
    Workers compensation

    Submission to 2016 Review of Workers Comp system

    09/10/2016

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    It was Mahatma Gandhi that said “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”.

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  • Unions NSW Dispute Resolution Submission
    Unions NSW WC Dispute resolution submission
    Unions NSW WC Submission
    Unions NSW Workers Compensation Submission
    WC Dispute Resolution Review
    Workers Comp Dispute Resolution Review Submission by Unions NSW

    Submission re Workers Comp Dispute Resolution

    16/02/2018

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    Unions NSW welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation on improving workers compensation dispute resolution in NSW

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  • 100 stories
    2012 workers compensation cuts
    2016 submission
    first statutory review
    injured workers
    return to work inquiry
    stories
    Unions nsw submission
    Workers compensation

    100 Stories from Injured Workers

    30/10/2018

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    In 2016 Unions NSW conducted a Return to Work Inquiry taking evidence from injured workers about their experience of the workers compensation system. The 100 stories from injured workers formed a central part of the Unions NSW submission to the 2016 review of the workers compensation system.

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  • CAM Review
    SIRA CAM Review
    SIRA Claims Administration Manual Review Unions NSW
    Unions NSW CAM Submission
    Unions NSW WC Submission
    Unions NSW Workers Compensation Submission

    Submission re Workers Comp Claims Administration Manual

    25/05/2018

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    Unions NSW welcomes the opportunity to provide a response to the Claims & administration manual guidelines (CAM) review discussion paper.

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