ACTU Congress Pays Tribute To Bill Kelty

May 16, 2012

Bill KeltyThe triennial Congress of the Australian Council of Trade Unions has paid tribute to the work of its former Secretary, Bill Kelty.

At a dinner in Sydney, former Prime Minister Paul Keating led the tributes.

Kelty was ACTU Secretary from 1983 until 2000. Throughout the Hawke/Keating governments, he was pivotal to the operation of The Accord with the union movement.

Kelty’s work with the government on superannuation reforms, wage fixing, tariff reductions and other issues was vital to the economic reform and social legislation of the 1980s and 1990s.

  • Listen to ACTU President Ged Kearney introduce Paul Keating (7m)

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    Paul Keating [Read more...]

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Gillard Addresses ACTU Congress: “I Fight For Australia”

May 15, 2012

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has addressed the triennial ACTU Congress in Sydney.

  • Listen to Ged Kearney introduce Julia Gillard (5m)

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  • Listen to Gillard’s speech (28m)

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Text of Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s speech to the ACTU Congress.

Thank you so very much, and thank you to Ged for that kind introduction.

I’m so proud to be here today as a Labor Prime Minister, so proud to stand before you, and for me this has a real sense of homecoming.

Not to this place, but to the people who are gathered in it, a real sense of homecoming to the great Australian trade union movement, the trade union movement that gave birth to our political party. It’s good to be home with you.

A sense of homecoming too, because I learnt my trade union values in my family home.

My parents, John and Moira, taught me many things, but of all of them, first and foremost, they taught me to cherish family, they taught me to study and to work hard, they taught me to respect other people and they taught me to always, always, always carry your union membership card.

They taught me the value of trade unionism. [Read more...]

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ACTU Distances Itself From Health Services Union

Apr 04, 2012

The Australian Council of Trade Unions is about to suspend the Health Services Union.

Kearney, Lawrence - ACTU

Officials of the Australian Council of Trade Unions officials said today the organisation had “zero tolerance” for corruption or the “misuse of members’ funds”. Ged Kearney and Jeff Lawrence said the ACTU was considering suspension of the Health Services Union.

  • Listen to Kearney and Lawrence:

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