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March 25, 2020
At 5pm today (25 March 2020) thousands of Qantas workers and many union members are going to be stood down. Many more will find out their fate over the coming weeks as the COVID-19 crisis intensifies. This is a difficult time for our country and the aviation sector – but you are not alone. We are with you.
March 23, 2020
AMWU National Assistant Secretary Glenn Thompson: "The AMWU is calling on Qantas to urgently bring forward scheduled aircraft maintenance to mitigate the effects of the stand-down. Qantas can use this down time to get ahead of their maintenance schedule and keep their workers gainfully employed. The longer workers can continue doing their jobs before being stood down, the better. Every day makes a difference. Bringing forward work that has to be done eventually is a smart way for Qantas to support its workforce.
March 05, 2020
Workers at SPC have been fighting for a decent deal since August 2019, after the new owner tried to strip back their employment conditions, and have been trying to negotiate with their employer ever since.
February 17, 2020
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) condemned the lack of Government support for Australian manufacturing that led to today’s announcement of the retirement of iconic Australian brand, Holden. “Today’s announcement that the Holden brand will be retired at the end of 2020 is a tragic end to over 100 years of Australian car history. The Liberal Government should hang their heads in shame for watching over the demise of our car manufacturing industry”, said AMWU National Assistant Secretary, David Smith.
January 31, 2020
On the 18th of January this year, the AMWU lost one of our long serving comrades, Dave Goodger. Dave joined the AEU, one of the unions that amalgamated to create the AMWU, in 1956 at the age of 16 as an apprentice at the Eveleigh rail yards.
December 13, 2019
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) is disappointed but unsurprised by today’s High Court decision to grant special leave to Mondelez International and the Australian Government to appeal the decision of the Federal Court in Mondelez v AMWU.
October 01, 2019
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) is recommending an overhaul of policies to promote manufacturing in regional Australia along with a major push to create new jobs. AMWU National Research Officer Adam Wieladek will outline a series of proposals designed to create highly skilled and well-paying manufacturing jobs when he gives evidence today to the Senate Inquiry into Jobs for the Future in Regional Areas.
September 25, 2019
I would like to thank the committee for providing the AMWU with the opportunity to give evidence in relation to this important legislation. The AMWU believes that these are bad laws and I would like to provide a brief historical example to illustrate why we have come to this opinion. In 2001, James Hardie put $293 million into a trust fund designed to meet all future compensation claims for asbestos victims. They then moved the corporate headquarters to the Netherlands, taking an estimated $1.9 billion dollars in assets with them. They promised the Supreme Court in NSW that this money would be available, should the compensation fund that was established fall short. However, in 2003, James Hardie severed links with their remaining Australian companies, cutting off any call on those funds now held in the Netherlands. Because Australia did not have the required treaty arrangements in place with the Netherlands, all the assets and incomes of the parent company were out of reach of James Hardie’s Australian victims, despite the assurances they gave to the court.
August 21, 2019
The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) welcomed the long-awaited decision handed down today by the majority of the Full Court of the Federal Court in Mondelez v AMWU & ors. Mondelez, which owns Cadbury, took the AMWU and two of its members to Court in a bid to strip all shift-workers of their personal leave.
January 25, 2019
Each year across the country the AMWU holds forums for its Delegates. This year, the Delegates Forum is more important than ever - and it is coming up soon. The time to Change the Rules is now. With a federal election coming up this may be our only chance to talk ideas, strategies and report back on important events before we kick out this chaotic Government. These plans we make together will build our new united union and make us stronger than ever. As Delegates you are the core of our union and your ideas and experience are vital in ensuring we as a union and as a collective, lead the way in changing the rules in our workplaces and community. Please mark these dates in your diary and make your leave arrangements, so you are free to attend. Tasmania: 26th February South Australia: 4th March Western Australia: 5th March New South Wales: 12th March Victoria: 14th March Queensland: 25th and 26th March
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