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.

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.

Jeff Lawrence opinion piece: The Liberals just don't get it 30.06.11 | Speeches & Opinion Almost two years to the day since the Fair Work Act began operation, Tony Abbott finally declared his intention to attack our new system of workplace relations.

Jeff Lawrence address to Growth Challenge: 2011 Economic and Social Outlook Conference 30.06.11 | Speeches & Opinion Tomorrow is the second anniversary of the Fair Work Act and an opportunity to evaluate where things are up to in the Australian workplace.

Investing in a fairer nation: Address by Jeff Lawrence to the ACTU Investment Forum, 17 June 2011 17.06.11 | Speeches & Opinion ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence delivered the keynote address at the annual ACTU Investment Forum in Sydney on 17 June.

Speech by Jeff Lawrence to Rights at Work rally, NSW Parliament House, 15 June 2011 15.06.11 | Speeches & Opinion | Rights at Work ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence on 15 June 2011 addressed 12,000 workers protesting outside NSW Parliament against the O'Farrell Government's attack on rights at work.