Speeches and opinion Our collection contains speeches delivered at conferences, forums, summits, rallies and events by Executive and senior ACTU staff.  It also contains op eds - previously published in mainstream media - by the ACTU President, ACTU Secretary or ACTU Assistant Secretaries. An archive of ACTU President Ged Kearney's fortnightly columns for The Punch website is available here.

Brian Howe address to the National Press Club 18.04.12 | Speeches & Opinion If there is one story that cuts right across our economy and its changes in the last 20-30 years, it is the story of the growth of insecure work, and of risk and uncertainty being shifted from employers to workers, from employers to taxpayers.

Ged Kearney 2012 International Women's Day Address 08.03.12 | Speeches & Opinion | Equal Pay On IWD we acknowledge our achievements we have won over the past few years: Paid Parental Leave, the landmark SACs equal pay case, reform of Equal Opportunity legislation and FWA such as protection from discrimination on grounds of family and caring...

Jeff Lawrence speech to Justice Geoffrey Giudice farewell dinner 24.02.12 | Speeches & Opinion Justice Geoffrey Giudice Comments by ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence Ceremonial sitting of Fair Work Australia Melbourne President, Members of Fair Work Australia, Ladies and Gentlemen. It’s an honour to recognise the second longest-serving...

Ged Kearney address to CEDA Economic and Political Overview 23.02.12 | Speeches & Opinion | Secure Jobs. Better Future We have told Treasury and the Government that the protection and growth of secure jobs across the workforce must be the focus of the 2012-13 Federal Budget and of all economic policy.

Jeff Lawrence opinion piece: Fair Work Act review needs to be based on evidence 12.01.12 We are a week into a new year but the coordinated Liberal Party-employer group attack on workers has continued with the same fervour we saw in 2011. It came as absolutely no surprise that this alliance spent much of 2011 whining about the...

Ged Kearney address to ALP National Conference in Sydney, Sunday, 4 December 2011 04.12.11 | Speeches & Opinion | International Now is not the time to be weakening our position on Fiji, ACTU President Ged Kearney told delegates to the 46th Australian Labor Party National Conference in Sydney, on Sunday, 4 December 2011.

Jeff Lawrence address to ALP National Conference, Sydney, Friday, 2 December 2011 02.12.11 | Speeches & Opinion | Secure Jobs. Better Future Labor must provide further rights at work and ensure that the workplace system advances workers’ living standards and their rights, ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence told the 46th Australian Labor Party National Conference in Sydney on Friday, 2 December...

Jeff Lawrence address to Committee for Economic Development of Australia 25.11.11 | Speeches & Opinion In recent weeks we have begun seeing something new: a growing employer militancy, and a lack of respect by business for the industrial relations system Australian voted for.

Ged Kearney opinion piece: If a union did this, all hell would break loose 01.11.11 | Speeches & Opinion | Secure Jobs. Better Future First Alan, congratulations on your pay rise, and congratulations on Qantas’ profit in the last financial year. But sadly, I can’t congratulate you on your decision to take your bat and ball, and your aeroplanes, and go home. Just some of the...

Tim Lyons speech to Industrial Relations Society of Victoria 14.10.11 | Speeches & Opinion I want to talk to you about productivity and its relationship to IR, and about the series of lies being peddled about the Fair Work system.

Ged Kearney address to Future Jobs Forum 06.10.11 | Speeches & Opinion Two million of these workers have no paid leave of any kind and no right to ongoing work.

Ged Kearney address at launch of Secure Jobs. Better Future campaign 28.09.11 | Speeches & Opinion | Secure Jobs. Better Future Today, we are launching a campaign to help the 40% of the workforce who have insecure jobs.

Ged Kearney address to National Press Club: Voices from Working Australia 07.09.11 | Speeches & Opinion Today, I want to publicly release the results of this “census”. Consider this a snapshot of working life in 2011. These are the concerns and aspirations of the bulk of Australian society, the people driving our economy.

Ged Kearney address to Biennial Conference of the NZCTU 18.08.11 | Speeches & Opinion It is no overstatement to say that few countries are as close as Australia and New Zealand. We share a common culture, a love of sport, and an easygoing nature. We are blessed that both our nations are prosperous and stable.

Ged Kearney address to Transforming Australia conference 25.07.11 | Speeches & Opinion These are big numbers and big opportunities, but if we don’t take strong action on climate change and invest now, the economic opportunities will pass us by.