It's time for WorkSafe to hold dodgy players to account, and the Offshore Alliance is calling for the strongest possible action to be taken against Vertech for this horrific breach of basic safety standards.

Instead of reporting the near-miss to Rio Tinto or Worksafe, Vertech tried to cover it up - terminating the employee who reported the incident to management for a 'lack of work'.

In May, a Vertech worker was within 100 millimetres of being decapitated, after a 350kg chain was sent flying at Rio Tinto's Parker Point Wharf. #AWU #AWUnion #ausunions #auspol #offshorealliance #OA #MUA

If an AWU member you know has had a special win this year, please take the time to share it with us. You can nominate online at:

Whether your site has 20 or 2000 workers, no campaign is too big or small!. You can nominate a single delegate, a work group, or an entire worksite for the Award, and all members, delegates, organisers and officials are welcome to submit a nomination.

Nominations are OPEN for the 2025 AWU Campaign of the Year Award! 🎉. This award celebrates AWU members and delegates who have fought for better outcomes on their worksite. #AWU #AWUnion #ausunions #auspol #unionsaus

Many of these sites have real long-term potential and can deliver a return to government. They’re also at the centre of local supply chains. If we let them fail, our entire Future Made in Australia pays the price.

We need a national smelting strategy that preserves our capacity to produce our own aluminium, copper, critical minerals and more.

If we’re serious about a Future Made in Australia, we need to address the challenges that our smelters face in the here and now. Between skyrocketing energy prices, cheap dumping and tariff wars, smelters such as Nyrstar and Glencore Mt Isa are up against a wall. #AWU #AWUnion

Curtin's leadership was rooted in his union background; he served as State Secretary of the Timberworkers' Union (1911-1915), worked as an AWU organiser, and edited the Westralian Worker (1917-1928).

He fiercely backed Australia's sovereignty, despite immense pressure from Allied leaders Churchill and Roosevelt, and his wartime leadership fundamentally changed our nation's place in the world.

Today marks 80 years since the passing of John Curtin, one of the most influential leaders in our nation's history. Curtin is remembered as the Prime Minister who led Australia through World War II. #AWU #AWUnion #ausunions #auspol #aushistory

It's tax time, and being a union member pays! . Don't forget, your membership fees are 100% tax deductible. To make your tax return easier, the AWU will be emailing statements to our members on the 7th of July, so check your inbox on Monday! . #AWU #AWUnion #ausunions #auspol

This wouldn't have happened without unions advocating for their members and fighting for years to increase entitlements for working parents across Australia. You can read more about paid parental leave on our website!

From today, Paid Parental Leave will increase to 24 weeks! . Thanks to laws passed by the Federal Labor Government in 2023, Paid Parental Leave has been increasing every year from 18 weeks to 26 weeks in 2026. #AWU #AWUnion #ausunions #auspol #unionsaus #PPL

A revitalised Nyrstar could produce both zinc and a range of critical minerals to meet these goals. But without backing, the company could collapse, putting over 1,400 jobs in peril. We must back our manufacturers to ensure they survive and thrive for decades to come!.

Both Nyrstar and the AWU are calling for urgent government support to secure this link in Australia’s metal supply chain. A Future Made in Australia includes the materials we need to produce leading energy and defence technologies.

Nyrstar's Hobart plant employs over 500 workers and is one of just two zinc smelters in Australia. But the company is up against the wall - struggling to compete with subsidised, foreign-made products. #AWU #AWUnion #ausunions #auspol

Every year, unions fight for a fair increase that ensures workers' wages keep up with the cost of living, while business groups try to force wages down. You can find out more about the the annual wage review on our website:

With the cost of living increasing, real wages have gone backwards in recent years, and this increase is an important step forward to help grow the wages of Australia's lowest-paid workers. This pay increase wasn't decided by the bosses.