State agriculture dept. is hiding bird flu information, legal aid group alleges in lawsuit

A legal aid group that represents farm workers is suing the state agriculture department claiming it is not sharing the locations of dairies that are experiencing H5N1 bird flu outbreaks, and that has endangered the public and put workers at risk. Epidemiologists agree.

ROLLING STRIKES: FONTERRA DAIRY WORKERS FIRED UP TO FIGHT FOR FAIR PAY - United Workers Union

Dairy workers at a site owned by one of the world’s largest dairy companies will go on strike today after failed negotiations to improve job security and work health-and-safety allowances.  

How your cat can contract bird flu without seeing a bird

Recent CDC findings show indoor cats contracted bird flu from dairy workers, highlighting new transmission pathways and preventive measures

Dairy Workers Union

Your Union for Dairy Workers We make your milk and dairy products.The dairy industry is important to all of us. Dairy jobs are at the heart of regional towns and have historically provided the foundational secure jobs that people in these communities can build their lives around. We are the people who produce the country’s milk, milk powder, yoghurt and cheese. Together we are organising to protect well-paid and secure jobs in the dairy industry and to ensure dairy corporations respect our work and our towns. United Workers Union is our union for dairy and farm workers.UWU represents over 150,000 workers from all walks of life across Australia. Throughout our history, we've shown when working people come together, we win.We fight hard for jobs you can count on,  decent pay and conditions, and respect at work. Your union is here to help you, we provide a range of quality services, benefits and representation when you need it.  TAKE ACTION FOR DAIRY WOKRERS: JOIN YOUR UNION Not a Union member yet? There's never been a more important time to join. JOIN JOIN US FACEBOOK Keep up with the United Workers Union & our campaigns on Facebook FOLLOW US BECOME A DELEGATE Does something need to change in your workplace? Step up and become a delegate. LEARN MORE TRAINING BECOME A DELEGATEStand up, Speak out.A union delegate is another union member just like you. They have a job to do every day, and they answer to the same management that you do. The key difference is that a union delegate has training, tools and protections to help you and other members solve problems at work! BECOME A DELEGATE Join the union for dairy workers Standing together, we can change our workplaces. BECOME A MEMBER Better Pay and Conditions Union members stand together for better pay and conditions, respect, and job security. Australian workers who are union members earn on average $250 more every week. Back up and Support at Work When you face poor treatment – like unfair dismissal, safety issues or harassment at work it’s important to be union. At worksites across the country UWU Delegates, leaders and Health and Safety Reps have your back. Training, Community & Information Members have access to exclusive training and development designed to support you at work. Being union also gives you access to a community of workers and expert information when you need it. Join a Movement that Wins When you’re union, you’re part of a national movement with a long history for standing up for what is right. If you want a fairer Australia, joining your union is the best way to make a difference. The Dairy Industry is in crisis.We are seeing the effects of the climate emergency and global pandemics impact us on every front. Drought, bushfires, water supply issues, floods and COVID-19 are all having a devastating impression on the dairy industry. We know that business as usual through negotiating agreements isn’t going to be enough to fix this crisis. This year several thousand members will be negotiating their EBA’s. This provides us with a unique opportunity to fight for real, long lasting change that would see our industry secure. There is no doubt our plan is ambitious, but if we do not act now there might not be an industry to fight for in the future. WE NEED CHANGE. TOGETHER WE ARE FIGHTING TO:  1. Future proof our dairy jobs through government funding and moving to renewable energy at all sites. We need state and federal governments as well as the processors to invest in our industry to ensure we are still here in 20 years. They must fund research and development for new and more efficient ways to get more from less farming and manufacturing. The government must support moving all manufacturing sites to 100% renewable energy sources. 2. Keep factories open and stop multinationals mothballing sites in regional communities. We must stop multinational companies mothballing regional sites just because they can. These sites are the life blood of our regional communities. We need to fight so that if a company does decide to close a site they must try and sell through a transparent process. If it can’t be sold, the company and the government must contribute $3 million dollars each to a community run fund of the workers choice to build new jobs in the surrounding area. 3. Get a fair share for milk at each point in the supply chain with transparent contracts that ensure equitable pricing. Milk must be sold at each point in the supply chain at a fair price. Processors and supermarkets have the responsibility to make this happen. To ensure that occurs and continues to occur workers are seeking transparent contracts and consultation on any new product, contract, change to milk price including all relevant prices. 4. Win paid leave for emergency service workers and volunteers. Paid leave must be provided for emergency services workers and volunteers fighting fires. This includes ordinary rate of pay plus any allowances or loading a worker would normally accrue at the end of each pay cycle. Every worker should also be entitled to access a days paid leave to perform community services functions. 5. Win paid leave for all workers including casuals in the event work is affected by fires, drought, floods or pandemics and clear safety clauses in agreement on air quality and heat When workers are stood down as a result environmental related causes, they should continue to receive full pay for the first two weeks, and 75% of their pay for any further time.Agreements should include clauses providing clarity on heat and smoke thresholds for safe work and cease work. Workers will continue to be paid when work ceases for heat or smoke reasons.  6. Win personal leave to be paid at ten days per year regardless of shift length. A worker should be entitled to ten days of personal leave per year regardless of the length of your shift. There are some ongoing cases around how this applies to 10 and 12-hour shift workers. When we need a day off to care for a loved one or because we are ill, we need the day off and we should all be able to do this without loss of pay at least ten times a year. We can’t wait for the court outcome but we can put this into our agreements and win it permanently 7. Win secure work through industry standards that allows casuals to convert to permanent. We have a crisis of insecure work in our industry. We have many many casuals and fixed-term workers in our industry that are working 40 hours plus every week for years and years on end. Our industry is predominantly based in rural communities and insecure work has a major impact on our members and our communities. We want an industry standard that allows casuals to be converted to permanent and paid fairly.  8. Get strong union rights and paid time for union delegate position to ensure and protect job security and workers rights across the industry. Strong union rights and having paid union delegate positions will ensure and protect job security and worker’s rights across the industry.Rights of the union are being eroded by the current government at every opportunity that they have. We are losing long term, well paid, secure union jobs across the industry to new, non-union, insecure, low-paid sites. We must make a level playing field for all processors to compete for contracts and keep these great jobs in the regions. To do this, we need organisers to focus on the new players and up-skill delegates to deal with the minor issues at a site level.For this to occur, we need companies to provide 10 paid hours of delegate time for every 100 workers covered by the agreement. ENDORSE OUR PLAN! Get Super Fit – AustralianSuper education webinars AustralianSuper will be hosting a series of educational webinars in May. Looking to get super fit before the end of the financial year?AustralianSuper is hosting a series of educational webinars in May, which will provide a range of information to help navigate super and retirement.In these 45-minute sessions, AustralianSuper experts will cover a host of topics, whether you’re just starting out on your super journey, or beginning to think about life after work.Super Fit webinars topics in May include: Super basics – saving for your future Understanding contributions and recent legislative changes Estate planning and your super Planning for retirement sooner rather than later You can register for as many sessions as you like, and anyone is welcome to attend - You don’t have to be an AustralianSuper member to come along. HOW TO REGISTER:Please visit AustralianSuper’s Super Fit page and click the webinars you wish to attend, or click the button below: REGISTER FOR A WEBINAR TODAY! Sponsored by AustralianSuper Pty Ltd, ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.

Udderly Outraged: Workers Demand Better Conditions in Dairy Strike!

Dairy Workers Union

Your Union for Dairy Workers We make your milk and dairy products.The dairy industry is important to all of us. Dairy jobs are at the heart of regional towns and have historically provided the foundational secure jobs that people in these communities can build their lives around. We are the people who produce the country’s milk, milk powder, yoghurt and cheese. Together we are organising to protect well-paid and secure jobs in the dairy industry and to ensure dairy corporations respect our work and our towns. United Workers Union is our union for dairy and farm workers.UWU represents over 150,000 workers from all walks of life across Australia. Throughout our history, we've shown when working people come together, we win.We fight hard for jobs you can count on,  decent pay and conditions, and respect at work. Your union is here to help you, we provide a range of quality services, benefits and representation when you need it.  TAKE ACTION FOR DAIRY WOKRERS: JOIN YOUR UNION Not a Union member yet? There's never been a more important time to join. JOIN JOIN US FACEBOOK Keep up with the United Workers Union & our campaigns on Facebook FOLLOW US BECOME A DELEGATE Does something need to change in your workplace? Step up and become a delegate. LEARN MORE TRAINING BECOME A DELEGATEStand up, Speak out.A union delegate is another union member just like you. They have a job to do every day, and they answer to the same management that you do. The key difference is that a union delegate has training, tools and protections to help you and other members solve problems at work! BECOME A DELEGATE Join the union for dairy workers Standing together, we can change our workplaces. BECOME A MEMBER Better Pay and Conditions Union members stand together for better pay and conditions, respect, and job security. Australian workers who are union members earn on average $250 more every week. Back up and Support at Work When you face poor treatment – like unfair dismissal, safety issues or harassment at work it’s important to be union. At worksites across the country UWU Delegates, leaders and Health and Safety Reps have your back. Training, Community & Information Members have access to exclusive training and development designed to support you at work. Being union also gives you access to a community of workers and expert information when you need it. Join a Movement that Wins When you’re union, you’re part of a national movement with a long history for standing up for what is right. If you want a fairer Australia, joining your union is the best way to make a difference. The Dairy Industry is in crisis.We are seeing the effects of the climate emergency and global pandemics impact us on every front. Drought, bushfires, water supply issues, floods and COVID-19 are all having a devastating impression on the dairy industry. We know that business as usual through negotiating agreements isn’t going to be enough to fix this crisis. This year several thousand members will be negotiating their EBA’s. This provides us with a unique opportunity to fight for real, long lasting change that would see our industry secure. There is no doubt our plan is ambitious, but if we do not act now there might not be an industry to fight for in the future. WE NEED CHANGE. TOGETHER WE ARE FIGHTING TO:  1. Future proof our dairy jobs through government funding and moving to renewable energy at all sites. We need state and federal governments as well as the processors to invest in our industry to ensure we are still here in 20 years. They must fund research and development for new and more efficient ways to get more from less farming and manufacturing. The government must support moving all manufacturing sites to 100% renewable energy sources. 2. Keep factories open and stop multinationals mothballing sites in regional communities. We must stop multinational companies mothballing regional sites just because they can. These sites are the life blood of our regional communities. We need to fight so that if a company does decide to close a site they must try and sell through a transparent process. If it can’t be sold, the company and the government must contribute $3 million dollars each to a community run fund of the workers choice to build new jobs in the surrounding area. 3. Get a fair share for milk at each point in the supply chain with transparent contracts that ensure equitable pricing. Milk must be sold at each point in the supply chain at a fair price. Processors and supermarkets have the responsibility to make this happen. To ensure that occurs and continues to occur workers are seeking transparent contracts and consultation on any new product, contract, change to milk price including all relevant prices. 4. Win paid leave for emergency service workers and volunteers. Paid leave must be provided for emergency services workers and volunteers fighting fires. This includes ordinary rate of pay plus any allowances or loading a worker would normally accrue at the end of each pay cycle. Every worker should also be entitled to access a days paid leave to perform community services functions. 5. Win paid leave for all workers including casuals in the event work is affected by fires, drought, floods or pandemics and clear safety clauses in agreement on air quality and heat When workers are stood down as a result environmental related causes, they should continue to receive full pay for the first two weeks, and 75% of their pay for any further time.Agreements should include clauses providing clarity on heat and smoke thresholds for safe work and cease work. Workers will continue to be paid when work ceases for heat or smoke reasons.  6. Win personal leave to be paid at ten days per year regardless of shift length. A worker should be entitled to ten days of personal leave per year regardless of the length of your shift. There are some ongoing cases around how this applies to 10 and 12-hour shift workers. When we need a day off to care for a loved one or because we are ill, we need the day off and we should all be able to do this without loss of pay at least ten times a year. We can’t wait for the court outcome but we can put this into our agreements and win it permanently 7. Win secure work through industry standards that allows casuals to convert to permanent. We have a crisis of insecure work in our industry. We have many many casuals and fixed-term workers in our industry that are working 40 hours plus every week for years and years on end. Our industry is predominantly based in rural communities and insecure work has a major impact on our members and our communities. We want an industry standard that allows casuals to be converted to permanent and paid fairly.  8. Get strong union rights and paid time for union delegate position to ensure and protect job security and workers rights across the industry. Strong union rights and having paid union delegate positions will ensure and protect job security and worker’s rights across the industry.Rights of the union are being eroded by the current government at every opportunity that they have. We are losing long term, well paid, secure union jobs across the industry to new, non-union, insecure, low-paid sites. We must make a level playing field for all processors to compete for contracts and keep these great jobs in the regions. To do this, we need organisers to focus on the new players and up-skill delegates to deal with the minor issues at a site level.For this to occur, we need companies to provide 10 paid hours of delegate time for every 100 workers covered by the agreement. ENDORSE OUR PLAN! Get Super Fit – AustralianSuper education webinars AustralianSuper will be hosting a series of educational webinars in May. Looking to get super fit before the end of the financial year?AustralianSuper is hosting a series of educational webinars in May, which will provide a range of information to help navigate super and retirement.In these 45-minute sessions, AustralianSuper experts will cover a host of topics, whether you’re just starting out on your super journey, or beginning to think about life after work.Super Fit webinars topics in May include: Super basics – saving for your future Understanding contributions and recent legislative changes Estate planning and your super Planning for retirement sooner rather than later You can register for as many sessions as you like, and anyone is welcome to attend - You don’t have to be an AustralianSuper member to come along. HOW TO REGISTER:Please visit AustralianSuper’s Super Fit page and click the webinars you wish to attend, or click the button below: REGISTER FOR A WEBINAR TODAY! Sponsored by AustralianSuper Pty Ltd, ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.

Price rise of milk and other dairy staples flows to farmers and producers, but not to striking workers

Surging supermarket prices tell the story of why a wide range of dairy industry workers have mounted coordinated strike action this week. So where are these dairy profits going?

Dairy Workers Union

Your Union for Dairy Workers We make your milk and dairy products.The dairy industry is important to all of us. Dairy jobs are at the heart of regional towns and have historically provided the foundational secure jobs that people in these communities can build their lives around. We are the people who produce the country’s milk, milk powder, yoghurt and cheese. Together we are organising to protect well-paid and secure jobs in the dairy industry and to ensure dairy corporations respect our work and our towns. United Workers Union is our union for dairy and farm workers.UWU represents over 150,000 workers from all walks of life across Australia. Throughout our history, we've shown when working people come together, we win.We fight hard for jobs you can count on,  decent pay and conditions, and respect at work. Your union is here to help you, we provide a range of quality services, benefits and representation when you need it.  TAKE ACTION FOR DAIRY WOKRERS: JOIN YOUR UNION Not a Union member yet? There's never been a more important time to join. JOIN JOIN US FACEBOOK Keep up with the United Workers Union & our campaigns on Facebook FOLLOW US BECOME A DELEGATE Does something need to change in your workplace? Step up and become a delegate. LEARN MORE TRAINING BECOME A DELEGATEStand up, Speak out.A union delegate is another union member just like you. They have a job to do every day, and they answer to the same management that you do. The key difference is that a union delegate has training, tools and protections to help you and other members solve problems at work! BECOME A DELEGATE Join the union for dairy workers Standing together, we can change our workplaces. BECOME A MEMBER Better Pay and Conditions Union members stand together for better pay and conditions, respect, and job security. Australian workers who are union members earn on average $250 more every week. Back up and Support at Work When you face poor treatment – like unfair dismissal, safety issues or harassment at work it’s important to be union. At worksites across the country UWU Delegates, leaders and Health and Safety Reps have your back. Training, Community & Information Members have access to exclusive training and development designed to support you at work. Being union also gives you access to a community of workers and expert information when you need it. Join a Movement that Wins When you’re union, you’re part of a national movement with a long history for standing up for what is right. If you want a fairer Australia, joining your union is the best way to make a difference. The Dairy Industry is in crisis.We are seeing the effects of the climate emergency and global pandemics impact us on every front. Drought, bushfires, water supply issues, floods and COVID-19 are all having a devastating impression on the dairy industry. We know that business as usual through negotiating agreements isn’t going to be enough to fix this crisis. This year several thousand members will be negotiating their EBA’s. This provides us with a unique opportunity to fight for real, long lasting change that would see our industry secure. There is no doubt our plan is ambitious, but if we do not act now there might not be an industry to fight for in the future. WE NEED CHANGE. TOGETHER WE ARE FIGHTING TO:  1. Future proof our dairy jobs through government funding and moving to renewable energy at all sites. We need state and federal governments as well as the processors to invest in our industry to ensure we are still here in 20 years. They must fund research and development for new and more efficient ways to get more from less farming and manufacturing. The government must support moving all manufacturing sites to 100% renewable energy sources. 2. Keep factories open and stop multinationals mothballing sites in regional communities. We must stop multinational companies mothballing regional sites just because they can. These sites are the life blood of our regional communities. We need to fight so that if a company does decide to close a site they must try and sell through a transparent process. If it can’t be sold, the company and the government must contribute $3 million dollars each to a community run fund of the workers choice to build new jobs in the surrounding area. 3. Get a fair share for milk at each point in the supply chain with transparent contracts that ensure equitable pricing. Milk must be sold at each point in the supply chain at a fair price. Processors and supermarkets have the responsibility to make this happen. To ensure that occurs and continues to occur workers are seeking transparent contracts and consultation on any new product, contract, change to milk price including all relevant prices. 4. Win paid leave for emergency service workers and volunteers. Paid leave must be provided for emergency services workers and volunteers fighting fires. This includes ordinary rate of pay plus any allowances or loading a worker would normally accrue at the end of each pay cycle. Every worker should also be entitled to access a days paid leave to perform community services functions. 5. Win paid leave for all workers including casuals in the event work is affected by fires, drought, floods or pandemics and clear safety clauses in agreement on air quality and heat When workers are stood down as a result environmental related causes, they should continue to receive full pay for the first two weeks, and 75% of their pay for any further time.Agreements should include clauses providing clarity on heat and smoke thresholds for safe work and cease work. Workers will continue to be paid when work ceases for heat or smoke reasons.  6. Win personal leave to be paid at ten days per year regardless of shift length. A worker should be entitled to ten days of personal leave per year regardless of the length of your shift. There are some ongoing cases around how this applies to 10 and 12-hour shift workers. When we need a day off to care for a loved one or because we are ill, we need the day off and we should all be able to do this without loss of pay at least ten times a year. We can’t wait for the court outcome but we can put this into our agreements and win it permanently 7. Win secure work through industry standards that allows casuals to convert to permanent. We have a crisis of insecure work in our industry. We have many many casuals and fixed-term workers in our industry that are working 40 hours plus every week for years and years on end. Our industry is predominantly based in rural communities and insecure work has a major impact on our members and our communities. We want an industry standard that allows casuals to be converted to permanent and paid fairly.  8. Get strong union rights and paid time for union delegate position to ensure and protect job security and workers rights across the industry. Strong union rights and having paid union delegate positions will ensure and protect job security and worker’s rights across the industry.Rights of the union are being eroded by the current government at every opportunity that they have. We are losing long term, well paid, secure union jobs across the industry to new, non-union, insecure, low-paid sites. We must make a level playing field for all processors to compete for contracts and keep these great jobs in the regions. To do this, we need organisers to focus on the new players and up-skill delegates to deal with the minor issues at a site level.For this to occur, we need companies to provide 10 paid hours of delegate time for every 100 workers covered by the agreement. ENDORSE OUR PLAN! Get Super Fit – AustralianSuper education webinars AustralianSuper will be hosting a series of educational webinars in May. Looking to get super fit before the end of the financial year?AustralianSuper is hosting a series of educational webinars in May, which will provide a range of information to help navigate super and retirement.In these 45-minute sessions, AustralianSuper experts will cover a host of topics, whether you’re just starting out on your super journey, or beginning to think about life after work.Super Fit webinars topics in May include: Super basics – saving for your future Understanding contributions and recent legislative changes Estate planning and your super Planning for retirement sooner rather than later You can register for as many sessions as you like, and anyone is welcome to attend - You don’t have to be an AustralianSuper member to come along. HOW TO REGISTER:Please visit AustralianSuper’s Super Fit page and click the webinars you wish to attend, or click the button below: REGISTER FOR A WEBINAR TODAY! Sponsored by AustralianSuper Pty Ltd, ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.

1400 DAIRY WORKERS UNITE FOR FAIR WAGES AMIDST COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS

Victoria, Australia — Dairy workers across Victoria are preparing for potential industrial action if major dairy companies don’t come to the table with fair wage offers. Off the back of strong Protected Action Ballot results in late September, delegates from 12 sites across three major companies — Saputo, Fonterra, and Peters — have voted to meet next week with around 1,400 members to endorse industrial action. This proposed action is in direct response to the failure of some of the world’s largest dairy companies to offer fair wage increases and improve working conditions in the face of rising cost of living. “Workers don’t make this decision lightly,” says Tim Kennedy, National Secretary of the United Workers Union. "Dairy workers have been grinding day in and day out, especially during the pandemic, where some sites agreed to accept wage offers as low as 1.5% as a favour to the company. Now, as the cost of living soars, these workers are saying enough is enough. “They're not even asking for a wage increase that matches inflation, just 5% or 6% that gets them a little closer to being able to keep up with skyrocketing costs.” Workers are also asking for personal leave that recognises they work 12-hour shifts and community service leave so that regional workers can help fight the fires and floods that are becoming more regular during the climate emergency facing Australia. Over the last year, the price of milk has risen dramatically, providing an increase to farmers' income that the union has welcomed, as well as boosting processors' profits. However, the workers who actually process the milk have not been given any share of the profits. David Clement, a worker at Saputo’s Allansford factory, said that United Workers Union members were strong supporters of farmers and wanted the best for the industry and their community. ”We want to ensure that dairy farmers continue to have a strong future in Australia. Our relationship is symbiotic, we need them, and we support them.” “We are fighting not only for ourselves but for our communities that have backed these companies for years.” A United Workers Union survey involving over 1,300 dairy workers revealed only 25% would remain in their community if they lost their jobs at the dairy plant. "This is more than a tug-of-war over wages; it's a fight for the future of our regional communities. Every dollar these workers earn goes right back into the local economy,” said Tim Kennedy. DAIRY SITES PREPARING FOR POTENTIAL INDUSTRIAL ACTION: Agreement  Sites Number of workers. Retail Products Produced Yes% of on PAB  Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Everyday Cheese (WCB EDC) & National Union of Workers Enterprise Agreement 2017  Allansford (3 sites on one block) 300 Cheer, Cracker Barrel & Great Ocean Road cheeses. 100%  Saputo Dairy Australia (Allansford) and United Workers Union EA 2020  Sungold Milk 97%  Saputo Dairy Australia Pty Ltd (Victorian Sites) National Union of Workers Enterprise Agreement 2018  Cobram (2 sites) 285  All Coles cheese products, Woolworths parmesan, Cheer & Devondale Cheese products. 92%  Leongatha 100 Devondale Long Life milk, Devondale butter & Liddells lactose free milk. Kiewa 107 YoPRO yoghurt & Danone Cream cheese. ILC Laverton 77 Warehouse. Australasian Food Group (Trading as Peter’s Ice Cream) & United Workers Union Enterprise Agreement 2020  Peters Mulgrave 205  Peters Ice creams. 95%  Fonterra (Cobden, Darnum, Stanhope) & United Workers Union Collective Agreement 2020  Cobden 160 “Western Star” butter, Woolworths home brand milk & cream. 94%  Darnum 62 Powdered milk. Stanhope 100 “Perfect Italiano” cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan & ricotta).   ENDS  UWU Media Contact: 1300 898 633, [email protected]