Events in the past few months show we can change the rules if we work hard together!
Queensland Unions have been working to make Queensland a fairer – and better – place to live and work.
New laws to license labour hire operators, a ban on 100 percent FIFO operations, and industrial manslaughter legislation to crack down on dodgy bosses who operate unsafe workplaces are three significant achievements in recent months.
The State Labor Government delivered these new laws after persistent union campaigning.
Real and lasting change for working Queenslanders comes after listening to members and their unions and effectively planning to achieve these wins.
That was the aim of five QCU Regional Congresses – finishing with a major state Congress in Brisbane – held through June.
Representatives at those Congress meetings identified job creation and insecure employment as critical issues in the next state election, and into the future.
Unions have also been leading on other fronts – aged care, safety on public transport, resourcing in tertiary education, protecting penalty rates, banning 100 percent FIFO in regional areas, as well as fighting to improve wages and conditions in workplaces across the state.
We continue to take on a federal government fixated on giving free kicks to the big end of town through a failure to crack down on wage theft and tax cuts for big corporations, all while wages growth stagnates at record low levels.
Queensland Unions are also urging union members to make sure they vote “yes” in the marriage equality postal survey being held this month. That’s because equality is union business!
We’ll keep working to change the rules to make sure Queenslanders and their families get a fair go.
Ros McLennan
General Secretary, Queensland Council of Unions