Speeches & Opinions
Read speeches and opinion articles by ACTU officers and staff.
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.
Recent Speeches & Opinions
Jeff Lawrence: The Union Agenda for Working Australians
June 2, 2009
Delegates, friends and guests, the 2009 Congress is a time to set our goals and chart a course to achieve them. This is the first Congress since we got rid of the Howard Government. And that, in itself, is something to cheer.
Jeff Lawrence: Unions step up plans for workers’ safety
May 22, 2009
Every death has a shattering impact on the lives of those left behind, and the death of Tim Haynes, a 28-year old plasterer at East Maitland last week is another tragic reminder that too many lives are being lost at work.
Sharan Burrow: Women’s contribution to work valued at last
May 12, 2009
What a wait it’s been. Thirty years after Australian women and unions first began campaigning for paid maternity leave, the Rudd Government has finally delivered.
Sharan Burrow: High rollers can’t shake addiction to casino capitalism
April 1, 2009
Predictions that 50 million people worldwide may lose their jobs this year could turn out to be optimistic. More than 200 million more workers could be pushed into extreme poverty.
Jeff Lawrence: Moving Forward: labour rights and the Fair Work Bill
March 30, 2009
After a long time of speaking about the new IR system that Australian workers and their families want, and an even longer time discussing what went wrong with WorkChoices – it is exciting to speak here today on the Fair Work Act.
Sharan Burrow: Green Jobs and Green Skills
March 4, 2009
How to achieve a low carbon economy must be seen as both an imperative and an opportunity. As we rebuild our economy from the financial crisis, we can set Australia up for a sustainable future.
Jeff Lawrence: Speech to the Australian Workers’ Union National Conference
February 4, 2009
During 2008 I said there were three priorities (1)dealing with the economic crisis: jobs (2) getting the best IR legislation we can (3) growing unions
Today I would like to talk about these priorities.
Sharan Burrow: A city of two tales
January 21, 2009
This week Washington is a city of two tales – each compelling and globally significant. This is a city where optimism rules; a city that has hosted a grand party to welcome a new leader.
Sharan Burrow: Look at re-skilling, not redundancy
January 5, 2009
Smart employers will hold on to their employees during the tough times so they are well-placed to ramp up again when the recovery begins. The new business mantra for 2009 must be retain, re-skill and redeploy, not redundancy.
Sharan Burrow: Combating global warming is a shared task
December 19, 2008
We must now do everything to encourage the policy settings that ensure we drive the investment necessary to win a significant share of what will be a $US3 trillion global green market by 2020.
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