AUWU Policy Blog: Fighting back with a seat at the table

The Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union is currently looking for a number of volunteers to occupy pivotal roles within the national union structure. Applicants will be required to attend interviews, either in person if in Melbourne or on the phone. Please send through all expressions of interest to contact@unemployedworkersunion.com The briefs for the vacant positions are as follows: Secretary (Melbourne Branch) Summary: The Secretary is the beating heart of the Melbourne branch. In addition to occupying a position on the

PRESS RELEASE Dignity NOT Debt RALLY to End Centrelink Debt Debacle “Abolition of the Centrelink Debt Recovery Scheme” is the central demand of a rally being organised by the Australian Unemployed Workers Union on Tuesday 31 January, 12.30pm at the State Library in Melbourne. President of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union, Owen Bennett, said that “The Turnbull Government’s automated debt recovery system has sent around one-quarter of a million debt notices to social security recipients. Up

The first of a series of AUWU articles on government graft and corruption as it relates to welfare and work in Australia By Brenton Thomas, AUWU Member While the government is defending its latest debacle in the name of budget repair its worth remembering the billions of dollars of graft that friends and families from both sides of politics have pocketed over the last twenty years courtesy of the government’s privatisation of employment services and education.

January 5, 2017 10:00pm The Editor The Government needs to actually admit there are real problems with the new system to catch fraud and overpayments and suspend it. WHEN a government agency tasked with assisting some of the most vulnerable Australians is reduced to suggesting on Twitter that clients seek help via Lifeline, perhaps it is time to acknowledge there might be a problem. In recent weeks Centrelink has been deluged with thousands of angry

Are you having trouble with a Centrelink debt? With Centrelink sending out 20,000 debt notices per week – some completely erroneously – it is important to get information about your rights before you respond to Centrelink. The AUWU is now offering the services of our specialised Centrelink Debt Officer, who will be happy to give you advice, via email, about how to respond to your debt letter. Please send the details of your debt to centrelinkdebtofficer@unemployedworkersunion.com and