2026 member workshops
There’s a topic for everyone in our full program of workshops for 2026.
We’re excited about our member workshop line-up for next year. February’s workshop – All About Leave – is already open for registration, so get on it! In April we’ll be doing three sessions over the month on tips for applying for jobs and skills in the workplace. The full program for this year will be:
- All About Leave
- Flexible Working Arrangements
- Skill Up#1 Resume Writing
- Skill Up#2 Raising Issues With Your Boss
- Skill Up#3 How to be an ally at work
- Australian Working Visas
- ANU Tax Clinic (Back by popular demand)
- Bargaining for a Better Workplace
- Organising 101: Building Union Power
- Protecting Mental Health at Work
- Intro to Workers’ Rights
- Tech, Surveillance and Your Rights
- Reasonable Rosters
Browse the full program, watch the topics you missed last year and register for our very first Member Workshop for 2026, kicking off in February. It’s all here on our Member Workshops site.
2025: A year of union power and political action
Across 2025, United Workers Union members turned political engagement into real, measurable wins for everyday workers and their communities. From election campaigns and Labor conferences to direct lobbying, industrial action and parliament-facing advocacy, members showed again that when workers organise politically, change follows.
This year wasn’t about one moment or one campaign. It was about sustained pressure, visible action and workers having a seat at the table.
Taking action at the ballot box
Elections at both state and federal levels defined much of the year. In Western Australia, UWU members hit the streets in the lead-up to the March state election. Door-knocking, phone-banking and turning out voters. The result was a major win, with more than 20 UWU members elected. That victory protected pay and conditions, strengthened public services, and ensured workers’ voices were represented inside government.
At the federal level, UWU members mobilised nationwide in the countdown to the May election. Members spoke to their communities about what was at stake:
- same job, same pay
- bans on non-compete clauses
- wage rises; cost-of-living relief
- and stronger rights at work.
History shows us the risks of a return to cuts and deregulation, and members weren’t prepared to let bosses wind back hard-won rights.
The message was simple and powerful: everything workers had fought for was on the line, and together, we could win.
Standing up for members
Throughout 2025, UWU members led major political fights for services people rely on across Australia.
Early childhood educators were at the centre of one of the most significant reform moments the sector has seen. Members developed and launched UWU’s Safer Staffing Action Plan, meeting directly with education ministers and regulators across the country. That work helped drive national reviews of educator-to-child ratios, state-based rapid reviews, and commitments to working with workers to fix the sector.
In South Australia, health and disability support workers took sustained industrial and political action to close a 20 per cent interstate pay gap and address chronic understaffing. Thousands of members rallied, implemented work bans, and applied direct pressure on government decision-makers. The result was historic: the largest wages deal in South Australia’s public sector.
School cleaners continued their long fight against privatisation. After years of organising and political advocacy, the NSW Government began bringing 7,000 cleaning jobs back in-house. One of the biggest anti-privatisation wins in recent years, and a model members are now pushing other states to follow.
Members inside parliament
2025 also reinforced the importance of having a voice for members in Parliament.
Across the country, UWU members who are MPs, including early educators, cleaners, health workers and paramedics, stood alongside campaigns they helped build. From Lisa Munday’s advocacy for public health services in WA, to Jerome Laxale’s work on cost-of-living relief and job security, to a growing cohort of union women in Federal Parliament, workers’ voices were not just being heard they’re shaping outcomes.
By the end of the year, 24 United Workers Union members were sitting in the Federal Parliament. That matters. Because policy looks different when it’s written by people who understand our members, the work they do, and the challenges they face.
Winning at Labor Conferences and beyond
State Labor conferences across WA, SA and Queensland became key organising sites in 2025. UWU delegates moved resolutions, spoke from the floor, and secured commitments on safe staffing, secure jobs, insourcing, pay equity and public investment.
These weren’t symbolic wins. They fed directly into government decisions, showing how political engagement, combined with industrial strength, delivers results.
Looking ahead to 2026
While 2025 delivered major gains, the work is far from finished.
In 2026, UWU members will continue to push governments to act on the next set of challenges facing working people:
- Visa reform that protects migrant workers from exploitation and ensures temporary visa systems don’t undermine wages and conditions.
- Industrial reform to strengthen bargaining and secure jobs.
- Insourcing of services, ending the race to the bottom caused by outsourcing and labour hire, and rebuilding secure, properly paid, directly employed work across cleaning, security, health, care and public services.
- AI and productivity, ensuring new technologies lift workers up rather than deskill, surveil or replace them with fair sharing of productivity gains.
- Climate change and the transition, securing good, union jobs in the shift to a low-carbon economy and protecting communities on the frontline of change.
The lesson of 2025 is clear: political change doesn’t happen on its own. It happens when workers organise, take action, and demand better.
And that’s exactly what United Workers Union members will keep doing in 2026 – together.
6 laws for workers That started in 2025
Law reform is also union business!
It’s not just workplaces that are improved by unions. UWU works hard with our members and other unions to elevate the voices of workers to improve conditions in all workplaces. In 2025, several laws and new entitlements came into effect that mean our rights can be upheld and our work is respected and rewarded properly.
1. Wage theft laws came into effect from 1 January, 2025. These laws criminalise the intentional underpayment of wages or entitlements by employers.
2. On the 1 July, 2025, a swathe of new entitlements came into effect including:
- Government Paid Parental Leave was increased from 22 weeks to 24 weeks.
- The National Minimum wage and Modern Award wages increased by 3.5 per cent
- The mandatory Superannuation Guarantee rate increased to 12 per cent.
- Superannuation paid on government-funded Paid Parental Leave to reduce the gender super gap.
3. The Right to Disconnect came into effect from 26 August, 2025. Eligible employees now have the right ot refuse employer or third-party contact outside working hours.
4. The Fair Work Act was updated with new provisions on 30 August 2025, that aim to protect penalty rates and overtime rates in awards.
5. Baby Priya’s law came into effect on 6 November, 2025. This law protects an employee’s entitlement to employer-funded paid parental leave if their baby dies or is stillborn.
6. Victoria joined the rest of Australia by being the last state or territory to introduce separate regulations for Psychological Health provisions under Occupational Health & Safety Regulations from 1 December 2025.
Union members should be very proud of these reforms that follow long and rigorous research and campaigning by unions to finally legislate to enforce better workplace rights for all workers in Australia.
new year, new member benefit!
Discounted Online Medical Certificates
UWU members can now get a medical certificate when you’re too sick to work for just $12 through Web Doctor for a single day certificate, or $20 for multiple days – no Medicare card required!
How does it work?
Go to the Web Doctor website to book your appointment. A doctor will call you within 2 hours – no need to leave home! After your consultation, they’ll send you a medical certificate that you can give to your employer if you’re ill or injured and unable to work.
Make sure you use the code supplied in the email (you can also find details in Memberlink, our UWU member portal) to get your discount.
Please note that there is no Medicare rebate available. Find more information or book your appointment here.
This year has been another massive year for UWU members.
Looking back over the year, we’ve stood together and achieved some solid wins across all our industries. As members, we can be very proud of our determination, energy and collective spirit throughout another year of campaigning, taking action and negotiating for better workplaces.
Here’s what we’ve achieved together:
- Won over $11 million in wages and backpay for members
- Finalised over 600 workplace agreements
- Assisted 1000s of members in individual workplace matters
But as a union that covers 45 industries, we’ve had a lot of action – and a lot of wins. Here’s a look back at some of the highlights from 2025.
9,000 casino jobs saved
Casino workers have had a huge year.
This past year, UWU members were involved in negotiations for seven enterprise agreements in Vic, NSW and Qld, with some workers in NSW bargaining for the very first time and striking to force their employer to negotiate fairly. Some of these actions are ongoing.
9000 casino jobs in NSW and Qld were secured in April after Star revealed financial difficulties earlier in the year.
“Any deal that promises to keep venues in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney operating as a going concern is a good result for the Star workers, their families and the communities they live in.” (UWU Casinos Director Andrew Jones)
What’s next? In 2026, Casino workers at Crown Perth and Star Sydney will begin negotiations for their next agreement.
Allied Pinnacle bakery members get a fair deal
These members stood together and won wage increases after 8 months of failed negotiations with an employer who kept wages below industry standard.
150 workers walked off the job and started a 48-hour strike. They won pay rises and ended unequal treatment where some workers were paid less than others doing the same job at other sites.
Workers who make our favourite mud cakes at Woolies and Coles, workers won:
- 8% pay increase over 2 years
- Shift loading increase from 19%to 25%
- Casual loading increase from 20% to 25%
Thanks to UWU members, we can enjoy the iconic mud cakes this holiday season knowing that these mighty workers got a fair deal.
PepsiCo members secure huge win for equal pay and respect
UWU members who make Doritos and Smith’s Chips at PepsiCo in South Australia were paid a shocking 12% less than workers employed by PepsiCo in Queensland doing the same job.
Over 150 workers started strike actions, rolling stoppages and stood strong together on the picket line after they rejected the insulting pay offer that fell below inflation rates, while PepsiCo made $2 billion in revenue.
- Together they won:
- 13% pay rise over 3 years
- Backpay
- Equal pay for equal work
- 20 weeks paid parental leave for all caregivers
- Protection of their Friday shift loading
10 whole years of union power in Australia’s farms
Farm workers have been fighting exploitation, demanding respect and campaigning for visa justice while making sure we have food at our supermarkets and on our tables.
UWU farm members have:
- Stood up to dodgy contractors
- Exposed rampant and systemic wage theft
- Fought for visa justice and protection
- Demanded dignity and respect
- Won systemic changes to protect workers from gendered workplace violence and sexual harassment
- Elected delegates, HSR’s and gone on strike for the first time in this industry in Australi
- Negotiated and won groundbreaking workplace agreements
For the last decade, UWU farm members have shown global and national solidarity and exposed the modern slavery practices across farms and supermarket supply chains in Australia.
Farm workers have built real power, shown true solidarity and achieved historic wins.
RSPCA win mental health support in first ever strike action
“None of us signed up for this job thinking we were going to be millionaires. You’re not going to find an RSPCA worker on the Forbes List”
RSPCA workers in SA took the brave step of walking off the job for the first time ever this year in a fight for fair wages, safe staffing and mental health support.
After management tried to cut their pay and strip conditions, the workers showed them that respect for animals must start with respect for the people who protect them! And it worked.
Birthday leave, pay rises and extra paid breaks!
Laundry workers at Ensign in Perth won real change, better wages and even a paid day off on their birthdays!
Underpayment and exploitation has been common in this industry, but this didn’t stop the workers at Ensign laundry. They banded together, joined their union and won big!
- 10.5% pay rise
- Extra paid breaks
- Paid overtime
- Paid paternity leave
- Back pay
- New roles that finally value their work and;
- Paid birthday leave!
Aged care Labour Agreements for migrant workers
Aged care members had a monumental year in 2025.
Members have worked tirelessly to petition their employers to sign up with UWU to offer pathways to permanent residency for migrant aged care workers. 50 providers have now signed up, and counting.
UWU members have created major change in the industry this year with providers now having to meet their total actual care minutes (not just what they put on paper) to receive a rating of over 3 stars.
We also welcome the thousands of new members from the aged care sector who’ve joined this year and will continue this fantastic work to improve conditions and make providers accountable.
2025 – The year educators set the agenda
There were a lot of headlines in 2025, but it was educators who ended up changing the rules.
This year showed the impact educators have made by building collective power across the early education sector. We changed the rules, lifted standards, and made sure educators’ voices were heard by government.
Together we:
- Won up to 18.5% in wage increases
- Exposed staffing loopholes with misuse of “under-the roof” ratios and changed the national conversation
- Put educators at the front of media coverage and policy discussion with the launch of the Safer Staffing Action Plan, the EarlyEd Quality Check, and a National Survey of 3000 educators.
What’s next? There’s still a lot of work to be done to continue these reforms and create a stable and safe working environment for educators. Bring it on!
Vic School Cleaners won big against Serco!
Giant contractor Serco had to pay up big and right their wrongs.
Giant cleaning contractor Serco was found to be breaching the minimum shift hours rule. UWU members identified this breach across multiple schools in Victoria.
So, Victorian school cleaners won back:
- Serco had to back pay over $760,000 to cleaners
- $87,000 of that went to 37 UWU members
- Cleaners are now paid for a minimum 4-hour shift (as they should be!)
Avalon Airport Security Guards won 16% pay rise and full-time jobs!
In early 2025, every guard at Avalon Airport was casual, scraping by on minimum award wages. There were no secure jobs at this airport. A shift could be cancelled with only one hour’s notice. If flights were cancelled, workers were told to go home with no pay.
Avalon Airport Security guards joined together, stood strong and took industrial action as part of their campaign for an EBA.
And they won big:
- They won their first ever union agreement
- Pay rises equivalent to 16% in their first year
- Converted from casual to permanent
- Secured the security, pay and respect they deserve
Stand strong, fight back.
NSW school cleaners fix broken contracting system
These NSW school cleaners are relieved to finally be moved to direct and secure government employment – with a 5% pay rise from January 2026.
After decades of outsourcing, hundreds of school cleaners in the Hunter and Central Coast will finally receive the pay, job security, and respect they deserve.
Cleaners will move to direct government employment in January 2026 with:
- A 5% pay rise
- Fairer working conditions
- Access to sick, family, long service, parental, and carers leave
This is a well-earned victory built by cleaners, for cleaners.
NSW Logistics workers at IKEA fighting for a better deal
Ikea has no idea – pulling millions in profits each year but won’t pay workers fair wages.
For months, hardworking employees at IKEA’S NSW distribution centre have been pushing for wages that actually match the rising cost of living, while IKEA remains a multinational company making millions in profits.
UWU members have been negotiating in good faith for months to get a better outcome.
In September, these hard working and determined workers took their fight directly to local MP’s asking for support showing UWU members won’t back down.
Historic pay increases for Disability and Support workers
This year, 1000’s of low paid workers celebrated a huge pay win in the biggest public sector pay rise we know of.
More than 94% of low paid health support workers and disability support workers voted to accept a historic wage deal from the SA Labor Government, after thousands took action across South Australia.
The offer provides pay rises for the vast majority of workers between 24% and 44% across the 3-year period and real improvements to their conditions.
Ambulance Victoria Support Staff made history!
In early December this year, Ambulance Victoria support staff members marched to Treasury and stood outside to make themselves heard.
Members chalked messages, protested, and took protected action to demand fair pay and real career progression. Without support staff, there is no ambulance service.
These members won a fair pay rise of 20% over four years and a raft of improvements to their conditions and pay structure.
Worker solidarity, visibility, and unity are how we win.
1000 health support workers in NT walk off the job for fair pay & respect
Health workers have had enough, underpaid, undervalued and overworked.
After years of being undervalued by the NT Government health support workers are demanding a fair wage increase that recognises their skills, dedication and vital role in patient care, support and critical health.
Without the skills, expertise and care of these workers, the NT health system would grind to a halt.
Workers want and deserve:
- Real pay that reflects their skills and value
- Better conditions that address chronic fatigue and improve staff retention, which are major concerns
- Recognition from the NT government to acknowledge and value the vital support and skills provided by health support workers
Education Facility Attendants in Tasmania take action
UWU members working as education facility attendants in public schools took action 3 times over the last 4 months, joined by other public sector unions in Tasmania.
The agreement was voted up by members in December and will deliver a 3 per cent salary increase, Christmas Close Down Days, and a Pool and Spa Allowance among other much-needed changes to entitlements. Job security negotiations are ongoing and will be picked up next year.
Our Tas EFAs have shown they’ll stand up for what’s right, knowing they have the entire United Workers Union behind them.
Legal with larissa
If you’re not following us on social media, then you’ll have missed out on our “Legal with Larissa” videos explaining various workplace issues and rights. Larissa is UWU’s director of legal and research – our top expert in workplace rights!
She breaks down some workplace rights and answers common questions that frequently we hear from members. If you haven’t seen these yet, check them out now and make sure you’re following our social channels to stay up-to-date with the latest UWU news and information!
Topics Larissa has covered so far include the following – click the topic to go to the video:
The LISTO and why it matters
The Low-Income Superannuation Tax Offset (LISTO) is a government refund of tax that helps people on low incomes grow their super. If you earn $37,000 or less a year, the government may pay up to $500 into your super account each year.
Example
Larissa earns $37,000 a year, so she qualifies for LISTO. Her employer pays the minimum 12% super guarantee (SG) contributions each year, which is $4,440. These are taxed at 15%, which equals $666.With LISTO, she’ll get up to $500 of that tax paid back into her super account.
- The income limit to go from $37,000 to $45,000 a year.
- The maximum payment to go from $500 to $810.