Shipbuilding workers are finally realising that only by standing together can they fix the many problems that plague this industry. There are massive issues with the exploitation of contractors, labour hire workers and visa workers which is combined with a lethal mix of safety standards that are simply non-existent to the point that we see major contractors who don’t even realise the need for high-risk licenses for high-risk work. Really simple stuff but because workers haven’t been organised collectively, the employer gets away with it. Workers are coming together with the MUA to organise the industry, improve safety, remove the exploitation and fix the rates and conditions. All of this should be standard In an industry that attracts as much government funding as this one does. And finally, there is no better collective campaign across an industry than what we are seeing through the highly successful Offshore Alliance between the MUA and the AWU in Western Australia. The ability to bring workers together collectively across this massive yet remote industry represents the strongest and best of the what the trade union movement can be. Many of these workers had never been in a Union or worked under a collective agreement and yet 3,500 workers have come together collectively against the most aggressively anti-union employers with the deepest of pockets who have spent millions of dollars trying to prevent this happening. But no matter how much money they have spent on expensive lawyers and HR Managers, they can’t outspend collective strength and determination. The oil and gas companies and their contractors have thrown everything they have at the attempts to undermine effective collective industry campaigning and they have not won a battle yet. We have landed 65 collective agreements and counting in the last few years, with 25 more currently on the go. Oil and gas workers are now organised collectively and have taken ownership of their own industry on behalf of Australian workers rather than foreign multinational firms. Standing collectively also involves coming together in numbers whenever we celebrate our working-class solidarity, and our Union membership does it so well. We turned out for the global celebration for workers on May Day earlier this year in big numbers, as we did for our Annual General Meeting in Fremantle in support of our internal structures and governance. Our Retired Life Members still continue to rally for the annual Life Members Christmas Party as they celebrate
their retirement from the workforce but not the struggle with all of their Comrades of yesteryear. The turnout for the MUA WA Branch Family Fun Day was huge and gets bigger every year and is a celebration of our best values and collective principles, where the collective solidarity of the working class is strongest in family, friends and community. It certainly has been a year of standing together through collective militant struggle to land agreement after agreement, as we fight back against the current cost-of-living crisis in the only way we know how. We campaign for agreements at the company level and for industry standards across the maritime sector. We have ourselves and our united strength as our only weapon and we fight to win. We refuse to lose as we fight for ourselves, our families and our community, ensuring the legacy of those proud union members who came before us is collectively defended. We remain committed in our belief of our collective organisation and power and to our willingness to pursue direct collective action that see’s us continue to get results in the most difficult circumstances against the most well-resourced and aggressively anti worker companies in the world.
Hostplus is a top-performing super fund that puts members first. That’s why we’re proud to have been named Money magazine’s Best Super Fund 2024. Judged on strong performance, value for money, and an ongoing focus on members, we’re thrilled to receive this recognition.
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United We Stand!
I want to take this opportunity to thank our Members and Delegates for their support as we continue to take the Union from strength to strength. I want to thank the staff who work tirelessly supporting our members in all sorts of ways and the officials and organisers who work so hard on behalf of the membership. I also want to wish everyone a safe, happy and merry Christmas, festive season and New Year as we look forward to another year where we continue to fight for the hopes and aspirations of our members. .
Best Super Fund 2024 is awarded by Money magazine. Visit moneymag.com.au for awards criteria. Awards and ratings are only one factor to consider when choosing a super fund. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. General advice only. Consider the relevant Hostplus PDS and TMD at hostplus.com.au and your objectives, financial situation and needs, which have not been accounted for. Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL 244392 as trustee for the Hostplus Superannuation Fund, ABN 68 657 495 890. HP2762
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