AMWU Victoria

UGL Workers at Viva Refinery take ACTION!

AMWU members have kicked off their protected action at Viva Geelong with a four-hour stoppage and a series of bans, including indefinite bans on overtime call-backs, with plans for more stoppages in the next few weeks.

UGL are aiming to strip away vital protections, including redundancy and income protection, and force members back onto the award.

More to come.

Join us for the AMWU Victorian Branch Construction Labour Hire Meeting on the 23rd of June at 5:00 PM.

Location: Level 3, AMWU Office, 251 Queensberry Street, Carlton South, 3053

Please RSVP by the 20th of June, via email to:

[email protected] or [email protected]

AMWU members at Fire Rescue Victoria have secured a great deal, maintaining the hard-fought conditions and winning improved wages!

ALERT: HIGH RISK USE OF SCISSOR AND BOOM TYPE EWP’S
Due to recent tragic events, please make sure when using Scissor or Boom-type machines that you:
- Have conducted pre-start checks (Visual checks, Ground Control operations, Emergency Decent Devices, Logbook, Licenses, etc.)
- You have assessed environmental and ground conditions
(All surfaces, sloped, uneven, boggy, consider Rain forecast, Wind speed, etc.)
- You have identified and assessed that you can maintain safe clearances (Other plant, Workers, Power lines, Drop and machine working zones, etc.)
- And the appropriate(PPE) Personal Protective Equipment is available and worn (Harnesses, Bollards, Flagging, Delineation, Spotter, etc.)

If you require further assistance, contact the OHS unit.

The United Nations’ highest court has backed workers’ right to strike. ✊

In a historic decision late last week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, was asked to give its opinion on whether the right of workers and their organisations to strike is protected under the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87). Australia ratified the Convention in 1973.

On 21 May 2026, the ICJ, by 10 votes to 4, said that it “is of the opinion that the right to strike of workers and their organizations is protected…” and that “strike action is one of the main activities engaged in and tools used by workers and their organizations to promote their interests and improve conditions of labour…”

➡️ This is a major global win for unions and working people everywhere. It’s time for the government of Australia to amend our laws and protect this right at home.

United we stand. Organising for workers.

We are proud to share that Ana, a Boilermaker and AMWU member, has won the Bunnings Trade 2026 Women in Apprenticeships Award. 🎉

The award includes over 11,000 dollars in tools and vouchers to support her journey in the industry.

We stand with Ana and AMWU members breaking barriers and strengthening the place of women in the trades! Congrats Anita!

AMWU organiser Tony, alongside workers from Brockman Engineering, met this week with Richard Marles MP to push for Aussie jobs in the expansion of fuel storage nationwide.

With up to 70 new storage tanks on the table, this is a major opportunity for skilled workers in Geelong and beyond. Brockman Engineering is ready to build, and we are making sure that work stays local, union, and secure.

We will keep fighting to ensure government investment delivers real jobs for our members. 🔧✊

AMWU delivers wins at the 2026 Labor Conference in Victoria
Our 24 conference delegates made up of AMWU officers, officials, rank-and-file members and other supporters attended the two-day Vic Labor Conference this weekend.

AMWU Victorian successfully moved over 20 motions and amendments to the party’s election platform.

These include:
1. Fighting for secure, well-paid and meaningful jobs in Victoria:
- Support for workers impacted by the decommissioning of offshore energy infrastructure ion regional Victoria
- Prohibitive penalties for companies breaking Victoria’s nation-leading Local Jobs First policy
- Government investment in growing our wind tower industry, including local manufacturing capability
- Prioritising locally-made goods in government procurement, including supporting our great food manufacturing sector
- Expanding on fee-free TAFE to ensure Victoria has the workers it needs in growing industries including construction and advanced manufacturing

2. Protecting and expanding workers’ rights and safety:
- Calling for the right to strike for all workers
- Strong, mandatory protections for workers’ privacy from extensive workplace surveillance
- Expanding the powers for HSRs and ARREOs to issue PINs and cease work notices to keep workers safe
- Paid reproductive health leave of 12 days per year for all working Victorians
- Mandatory guardrails to protect workers and communities from negative effects of AI and other emerging technologies
- Going after dodgy employers who use self-insurance to avoid compensating injured workers

3. Addressing the cost-of-living crisis:
- Reigning in price gouging by big business through tax reforms targeting the mega-wealthy and multinationals
- Ensuring all Victorians can access diagnosis, care and treatment for cancer without charge

4. Standing for peace, justice and solidarity on the world-stage:
- Encouraging a practical and realistic solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict through the release of political prisoners including “Palestine’s Mandela”, Marwan Barghouti
- Opposing apartheid, unlawful detention and torture, including the shocking and unacceptable treatment of 11 Australians on the Global Sumud Flotilla

We will continue fighting for these measures and more which will improve the lives of Victorians, protect the rights of workers in the industries we represent, and stand up for our humanitarian values in Australia and worldwide.

Our campaign continues in the lead-up to Labor’s National Conference in July this year, where we will advocate for practical measures that put our workers’ interests at the heart of our country’s future.

Today we acknowledge National Sorry Day.
We stand with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise the ongoing impacts of the Stolen Generations.
United we stand.

GLOBAL SOLIDARITY: Melbourne Lift Workers Send a Message!

Overseas unions have contacted the AMWU and ETU for support, as the TKE and KONE merger fails to consult with the union and workers.

This has raised serious concerns regarding job security, workers' entitlements, and on-site safety.

We call on TKE and KONE to immediately contact the relevant unions overseas and begin consultations to address the concerns raised and to avoid further global action.