We’ve had huge wins to propel us into next year. We saw the Federal Court impose the largest ever penalty—$90 million—on Qantas for its illegal sackings after TWU members spent five years fighting for justice. 60,000 TWU members backed this case right from the start, and penalties awarded to the union will be invested back into our campaigns to lift standards across road transport and aviation.
After making world-first applications using TWU-won transport reform laws last year, we’re getting closer to seeing decent minimum standards in road, with the consultation phase wrapping up.
Those applications—for maximum 30-day payment terms, decent rights for food delivery workers, and standards in the last mile sector—will go hand in hand with automatic rights that have kicked in against unfair deactivations and unfair contract terminations. We’ve already seen dozens of gig workers reactivated with those rights, including Mohammad Hotak who had a landmark victory against Uber in the Fair Work Commission.
We had a successful delegation to Parliament House, and for the first time members from both aviation and road transport talked to dozens of politicians, including the Prime Minister, about the importance of the new laws we’ve won – and the significant work that still needs doing.
But we know we’re up to the challenge.
Across the country we’ve seen TWU members picking their battles and winning, with action in buses in VIC and NT, at Armaguard across the eastern states, and at DHL in QLD; dnata ground worker strikes in WA; taking on Boral in the Fair Work Commission in NSW; and more.
Next year, with over 200 Enterprise Agreements aligned to expire across road transport and aviation, we have the best opportunity yet to make sure our industries work for us and the community—not just overpaid executives.
We’re fighting for:
OUR ROADS
OUR SKIES
OUR FUTURE
And we need everyone in the union to pull it off.
Michael Kaine • TWU National President