We kicked things off in February with a landmark victory when Qantas was forced to pay $271,000 for wrongly standing down Theo Seremetidis, a brave HSR who spoke up about safety concerns during COVID-19. It was the first time an airline had been criminally prosecuted and convicted for breaking health and safety laws.
The airline now faces a multi-million-dollar compensation bill after illegally sacking hundreds of workers during the pandemic, with the Federal Court ordering a payout of $170,000 to three former employees.
In August, Transport Reform legislation was passed into law after more than two decades of relentless campaigning by you. This historic win means we now have our own road transport division of the Fair Work Commission. This is a powerful tool to lift standards for all transport workers, combat the exploitative Amazon Effect, and save lives on our roads. But the fight isn’t over; we must test these groundbreaking tools and push them to their full potential.
In the waste sector, we fought back against the NSW Coalition’s attempts to undermine workers’ conditions by trying to remove legal amendments that protect fair tendering practices. We stopped them in their tracks.
On top of that, the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission handed down its first and second-ever workplace determination decisions, marking historic wins for waste workers at Cleanaway’s Erskine Park and Unanderra sites. This meant significant wage increases, workers keeping their current hours, no reductions in classification and a judge declaring Cleanaway failed in its good faith bargaining obligations.
Meanwhile in the bus sector, our members scored a major win at the Charles Street Bus Interchange, with Transport for NSW committing to a dedicated meal room and toilet facility for drivers to rest during shifts. This is part of an $18 million investment to upgrade meal rooms and toilets across the bus network, following persistent TWU advocacy for improved working conditions. We’re proud of this progress and will keep pushing to ensure all drivers have access to essential facilities.
I’d also like to reflect on our Delegates Conference this year, where over 500 of you came together in a powerful display of union strength and solidarity. Shoulder to shoulder, we took the fight to Aldi, making sure workers’ voices were heard loud and clear. None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of our members.
As we look ahead to 2025, our focus is on reforming Chapter 6. These vital protections for owner-drivers haven’t been updated in over 30 years, leaving them vulnerable in the face of the gig economy and dodgy contract practices. It’s time to fix Chapter 6 and hold companies accountable for their underhanded tactics.
This union is nothing without its members. Together, we are unstoppable.
The TWU is Relentless.
Richard Olsen • TWU Secretary