Workers and Unions
Unions are organisations of employees, set up to help other employees. Joining a union means that they can help you at work, and that you can help your fellow workers.
The struggle for fair working conditions led to the establishment of the Labor Party in the late 19th century, and its first electoral victories in the early 20th century. Unions remain a vital part of the ALP.
FAQ
- What is Labor doing for workers and unions?
The newly elected Federal Labor Government abolished WorkChoices in the first piece of legislation it introduced to Parliament. The Government in its Forward with Fairness plan is working towards a set of ten National Employment Standards which will contain key minimum entitlements for all Australian workers.
NSW Labor is committed to protecting working families. The NSW Government created industrial relations laws to protect public sector workers from WorkChoices, and to protect the entitlements of NSW workers from Federal changes.
The NSW Government has recently signed an historic 40 year agreement with James Hardie Industries to secure a compensation fund for suffering asbestos workers of more than $4.5 billion.
- How will Labor’s industrial relations plan help workers?
Australian Labor’s Forward with Fairness Bill will prevent any new AWAs (Australian Workplace Agreements) from coming into effect, and re-establish the no-disadvantage test which had been abolished by the Howard Government.
Employers and employees will be able to bargain fairly and honestly. Forward with Fairness reinstates workers’ rights at work.
- What have been Labor’s achievements for workers?
Protecting Your Rights At Work has always been a core value of the Labor Movement.
Labor has more than a century-long history of achieving progress for workers. In the relatively recent past, the 1983 Accord between trade unions and the Government set the stage for the economic progress and reform made in the 1980s and 1990s, while the creation of Enterprise Bargaining Agreements have allowed employers and employees great flexibility with fairness in negotiating.
In New South Wales, faced with the threat of WorkChoices from the Howard Government, the Labor Government:
- Shielded 186,000 public sector workers from the effects of the IR legislation
- Protected the conditions of young workers, ensuring that the conditions of under-18s cannot fall below NSW awards
- Introduced a procurement policy so that workers on Government projects enjoy fair pay and conditions.
- How can I help or be involved?
If you are not already a member, you should join your union. Trade union members on average receive higher wages, enjoy better conditions and are more likely to receive paid leave than non-union workers in the same industry. Every worker can join a union, and there is a union for every worker. The ACTU can tell you which one you should join.
If you’re not working, consider becoming a Your Rights At Work supporter.