Australia

Australia’s trade union movement, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has traditional and continuing strong links with the TUC, and sectoral links between individual unions in each country are also strong. The ACTU is influential in the world trade union movement with its President, Sharan Burrow, also holding the Presidency of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. A world leader in use of the web (see their website at http://www.actu.asn.auand especially the Workers’ Online journal at http://workers.labor.net.au/latest/ ), the Australian trade union movement is also at the forefront of the global organising agenda. At the moment, the ACTU is campaigning against the toughest Australian government assault on workers’ and unions’ rights yet. The ACTU runs a development arm, APHEDA, with which TUC Aid works in South East Asia

your rights at work logoThe ACTU are campaigning against government reforms to industrial relations law which would undermine the "fair go" traditions of Australia. The TUC is supporting their campaign, and is urging British trade unionists to register their protest too. Read more about the campaign here and below.


The most recent documents available on this subject are:

Sharan Burrow's speech to the Put People First Rally

International Trade Union Confederation President Sharan Burrow addressed the top bankers at the Put People First Rally: 'Here's a news flash from working people around the world: the party is over! The global financial crisis has demonstrated once a...

28 March 2009
Fair work and pay equity in Australia

Lisa Heap, Executive Director of the Australian Institute of Employment Rights, visited the TUC on 6 March 2009 to speak at a breakfast seminar co-hosted by the TUC and Unions21. She gave a presentation on proposals for labour law reform and updated ...

18 March 2009
TUC solidarity with Australian unions over bush fires

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has written to the leaders of the Australian trade union movement expressing sympathy and solidarity over this week's bush fires.

10 February 2009
TUC solidarity with Australian construction unions

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has sent a message of solidarity to the Australian Council of Trade Unions over the charges (eventually dropped) against building workers' union representative Noel Washington, who faced jail for not revealing wha...

27 November 2008
TUC calls on Aussie ex-pats to vote for a fair go down under

The TUC has today (Monday) issued a call to Australians living in the UK to vote to restore workers' rights in the Australian elections which will be held this weekend.

19 November 2007
Get Australians registered to vote on 'WorkChoices'

The TUC is backing an Australian Council of Trade Unions initiative to get Australians in Britain to register early to vote in the upcoming federal elections. Here's how.

PDF version available for download
27 July 2007



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