PM salutes ‘giants of the labour movement’
Dan Jervis-Bardy
In a statement, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, described Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil as personal friends and “giants of the labour movement”.
He said:
Working families are in a stronger financial position today than they would otherwise be because of the tireless advocacy and strong leadership of Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil.
Sally and Michele secured incredible successes for working people in their eight years together leading Australia’s union movement – the first all-female leadership team in the Australian Council of Trade Unions’ 99-year history.
It is fitting that Sally and Michele announce they’re stepping down from their respective positions at a time when there have been significant wage increases in critical and long-undervalued sectors, the gender pay gap is at a record low and union membership is growing for the first time in decades.
Key events
Good morning, Nick Visser here to take over the day’s breaking news. Let’s get to it.
ATO’s ‘same job, same pay’ hearings begin
Jonathan Barrett
Landmark hearings designed to test the Australian Taxation Office’s widespread use of private call centres starts today, amid claims outsource workers are paid up to 40% less than their public service counterparts on the same phone lines.
Nathan Brunne, a former worker on the ATO phone lines employed by the private equity-backed Probe Operations, initiated the “same job, same pay” claim in the Fair Work Commission, and is being supported by the Community and Public Sector Union.
Brunne will argue that the pay gap widens at more senior call centre roles, with team leaders at outsource operators paid about $31 an hour compared with more than $52 at the tax office, according to pre-hearing submissions.
Probe has indicated it will oppose Brunne, while the ATO has not taken a formal position.
Brunne is relying on the Albanese government’s workplace reforms, designed to stop employers using labour hire firms to pay workers less than direct employees doing largely the same work.
The hearings are expected to focus on how much the job functions and systems overlap between the ATO and its three outsource call centres, run by Probe, the US-listed Concentrix Services and the British multinational Serco.
If the application is successful, the call centres would be forced to pay the same rates as ATO staff covered by a public sector agreement, potentially making the outsource model unviable for the tax office and other government agencies.
The hearings are being held in Victoria and are expected to conclude next week.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Taxpayers to bankroll feasibility study into first Australian oil refinery in 60 years
Taxpayers will bankroll an early stage feasibility study into a new oil refinery in Western Australia under the Albanese government’s long-term strategy to shield the country from future international oil shocks.
The commonwealth and the WA government will spend $4m to scope out what would be the first large-scale petrol refinery to be built in Australia since the 1960s.
The project itself would be constructed and funded by Perdaman, the large multinational behind a $4.5bn fertiliser plant in the Pilbara.
The international oil shock caused by the Iran war exposed how reliant Australia is on overseas suppliers for petrol and diesel, with roughly 90% of fuel products shipped into the country.
There are just two local refineries in operation: Ampol’s Lytton refinery in Brisbane and Viva Energy’s facility in Geelong.
The federal government’s $10.7bn fuel security package, announced in May, included $10m to support feasibility studies into potential projects.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and WA premier, Roger Cook, will announce funding for the scoping study after visiting Perdaman’s urea plant.
In a statement, Albanese said:
The longer war in the Middle East goes on the greater the impact on Australia will be, and my Government will continue to do everything we can to shield Australia from the worst effects – and set us up for the future.
The early stage support for a new oil refinery will likely face pushback from environmentalists, who have criticised the federal government for doubling down on petrol and diesel rather than using the oil shock to reduce Australia’s reliance on fossil fuels.
PM salutes ‘giants of the labour movement’
Dan Jervis-Bardy
In a statement, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, described Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil as personal friends and “giants of the labour movement”.
He said:
Working families are in a stronger financial position today than they would otherwise be because of the tireless advocacy and strong leadership of Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil.
Sally and Michele secured incredible successes for working people in their eight years together leading Australia’s union movement – the first all-female leadership team in the Australian Council of Trade Unions’ 99-year history.
It is fitting that Sally and Michele announce they’re stepping down from their respective positions at a time when there have been significant wage increases in critical and long-undervalued sectors, the gender pay gap is at a record low and union membership is growing for the first time in decades.
ACTU leaders step down after eight years at the top
Dan Jervis-Bardy
The leadership of the trade union movement is set for a major shakeup after the secretary and president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions announced their surprise departures.
The ACTU’s secretary, Sally McManus, and its president, Michele O’Neil, revealed on Monday night they would be stepping down after eight years together.
The first all-female leadership team in the ACTU’s 99-year history, the influential pair have played a major role in shaping the Albanese government’s workplace agenda.
They successfully campaigned for the right to disconnect law, same job, same pay protections, wage theft criminalisation and ensuring minimum pay, insurance and safety standards for gig economy workers.
The ACTU recently began targeting Pauline Hanson in a clear sign the union movement now considers One Nation – rather than the Coalition – the biggest political threat to Labor and economic risk for working people.
McManus will depart next month while O’Neil will help the new secretary settle in before leaving before the end of the year.
In a farewell video posted to social media on Monday night, the pair said it was time for renewal.
McManus said:
Union membership is growing and workers have over 47 new workplace rights. But, of course, there are still big challenges with cost-of-living pressures, AI and billionaires who have too much wealth and power.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog.
Anthony Albanese has described Sally McManus and Michele O’Neil as “giants of the labour movement” after the surprise announcement that they will stepping down from their roles as secretary and president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions after eight years. More coming.
Hearings designed to test the Australian Taxation Office’s widespread use of private call centres starts today amid claims outsource workers are paid up to 40% less than their public service counterparts on the same phone lines. More details shortly.
And the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, faces a leadership challenge this morning – we’ll be bringing you updates on that as things unfold.
I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.
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