Media Releases 2021
Read current and past media statements from the ACTU.
All ACTU media enquiries should be directed to ACTU Media team:
T: 03 9664 7315 (24 hours)
E: media@actu.org.au
Recent Media Releases
2.5% increase for minimum wage and award workers, but increases for hard-hit sectors delayed
June 16, 2021
Unions have won a 2.5 per cent pay increase for a quarter of all workers through the Fair Work Commission’s annual minimum wage case, despite hard-line opposition from the Federal Government and big business. However, unions are disappointed that the Commission has decided to delay this increase for hundreds of thousands of workers, including those in retail where many companies have posted record profits.
ACTU calls for transparency on UK-Australia Free Trade Deal
June 16, 2021
The UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement has been negotiated in secret for almost a year and the legal text of the agreement still have not been released, with the only detail about the deal coming from Prime Ministers Morrison and Johnson.
ACTU/TUC joint statement on proposed UK/Aus FTA
June 12, 2021
The UK and Australian Government are set to announce an in-principle agreement at the G7 summit this weekend on the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement that has been negotiated in secret for almost a year.
Federal Government must provide four days paid vaccination leave for aged and disability care
June 11, 2021
The ACTU has written to Prime Minister Morrison to call on his government to provide two days special paid leave per vaccination for all workers in aged care and disability support services, as well as ensuing that all workers are paid for travel to and from getting vaccinated.
Business groups seek to exploit lockdown to block min wage increase
June 8, 2021
Business lobby groups, who today have also demanded the Morrison Government renew attacks on workers’ rights, have made last minute submissions to the Fair Work Commission exploiting the Victorian lockdown to argue against an increase to the minimum wage to over 2.2 million workers from 1 July.
Government must act on incurable silicosis that affects 1 in 5 engineered stone workers
June 7, 2021
The ACTU calls on the Federal Government to urgently act on silicosis as 1 in 5 of those working with engineered stone are diagnosed with the incurable disease.
ACTU calls on Government to save lives and support a waiver on vaccine patents
June 7, 2021
Australia is just one of 12 countries stopping a waiver on patents for COVID-19 products which would allow developing countries to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. The ACTU calls on the Federal Government to change their position at tomorrow’s meeting of the WTO Trade Related-Aspects Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council.
Morrison Government inches closer to yet another ideological attack on super
June 3, 2021
The ACTU condemns the passage of the Your Future Your Super bill through the lower house. This bill represents an ideological attack on the superannuation system driven by the fanatics on the government back benches, and would leave millions of working people worse off in retirement.
Federal payment too little, too late, and will not ensure connection to jobs
June 3, 2021
After a week of delay the Morrison Government has been forced to provide tokenistic support for the millions of Victorian workers who have been suffering through a lockdown caused by the failure of the Federal Government on the vaccine rollout and on quarantine.
ABC survey finds majority of Australians feel effects of insecure work as society becomes more unequal
June 2, 2021
The ABC’s 2021 Australia Talks survey shows the effect insecure work is having on the way young workers and women are thinking about their lives and their jobs, as Australia becomes a more divided society.
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