On The Job
119 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago -The way we work, how work is changing, how it used to be and what it might look like in the future.
It’s about who we work with, and who we work for.
It’s a discussion about the conditions in which we work and the demands of a job.
It’s talking about how it can be the best thing in our lives and also the worst.
Work can give us meaning and satisfaction, it can be the most challenging thing we’ve ever done and the most soul destroying days of our lives.
And that can all be in the same week!
Above all, we want to talk about work in a way that helps make work better for everyone
who listens.
Authorised by Sally McManus, Australian Council of Trade Unions, Melbourne.
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Episodes
Pain, periods, perimenopause: why workplaces need reproductive leave (part one)
May 15, 2023 01:02 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBOn The Job is back and with new hosts: Kleo Cruse and Emma Hartley. This episode is for all workers with a reproductive system – yes, that’s you! The social stigma attached to menstruation and menopause often means workers are enduring the pain of normal bodily functions in silence. We chat to Ann-Marie Allan from the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and Kate Marshall from the Health And Community Services Union about how reproductive leave can help ease some of that pain. Keen t...
Summer Series - The Uber Files
January 22, 2023 14:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBThe last pod in our summer series takes a look at one of 2022's best pieces of investigative journalism. Since it arrived on our streets over a decade ago, Uber has prided itself on being a "disrupter" with little regard for convention. At the heart of their business model is a fanatical commitment to upend the employer/employee relationship and create a new army of sole contractors working on their tech platform with Uber having no responsibility for them, and with drivers having no righ...
Summer Series - Foodbank and the working poor
January 15, 2023 14:00 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MBThis week in our summer series, we head back to August 2022 to examine the growing demands for food assistance from workers and their families. The promise of the Australian Dream is that you should be able to work one decent, secure job and earn enough pay to put a roof over your head, support your family and thrive. That all seems like a pipe dream in the current climate, where insecure work, no entitlements, climbing inflation, and a housing squeeze means that hard-working Australians...
Summer Series - Elon Musk, Twitter, and why billionaires are a really bad idea
January 08, 2023 14:00 - 23 minutes - 22 MBIn the latest episode of our summer series, we head back to June 2022. At the time, Tesla billionaire Elon Musk was launching a hostile takeover bid for one of the world's biggest and most influential social media platforms, Twitter. At the same time, the Tesla founder has been playing footsy with the libertarian/alt-right, blabbing on about freedom of speech, and promising to unleash the dogs of hate speech and misinformation back onto the platform. Now had did that all turn out for t...
Summer Series - Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz
January 01, 2023 14:00 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBWelcome to the first episode in our summer series, where we take a look back at some of the great conversations we had in 2022. Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz is one of the world's great thinkers. Professor Stiglitz won the 2001 Nobel Prize for his ground-breaking work in economics. Professor Stiglitz's work in pushing back against neo-liberal free market economic models and arguing for the importance of empowering workers and unions to build a more equitable economy is revered. He serve...
Stone Cold Killer
December 18, 2022 21:07 - 14 minutes - 13 MBAustralian workers know all too well the dangers posed by working in an unsafe environment where being on the job means exposure to dangerous, toxic airborne substances. Zac Smith is the Acting National Secretary of the CFMEU. He's our guest on this week's pod to discuss silicosis, and what Unions are doing to stop it. The cruel punishment suffered by workers because of asbestos exposure lives long in the memory of the Union movement. Now, there is another airborne scourge in many wo...
Woke-Washing
December 11, 2022 14:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBBig business and corporations are always thinking about new and more subtle ways to change the perceptions and narrative about how they operate. On this week's edition of "On the Job", Emma Hartley and Kleo Cruse from ACTU HQ tell us about the bosses latest trick - "Woke-Washing." You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - [email protected] On the Job is made by Australian Unions. More about On The Job podcast Need help with...
Sally McManus on Secure Jobs Better Pay and the Union Way
December 04, 2022 16:30 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MBLast week was a huge one for workers across the country as Labor passed its new Industrial Relations laws, The Secure Jobs Better pay bill. Australian Unions have spent a decade campaigning for a fairer deal when it comes to our workplace laws, and the Albanese government has started the work of repairing our broken system with this legislation. The Secretary of the ACTU, Sally McManus is my guest this week discussing the implications of these new laws. Also, we're joined by Jamie Newl...
Richard Denniss and The Profit Crisis.
November 27, 2022 20:30 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBAustralian workers are finding that what money they do earn is no longer anywhere near enough to pay the bills. Yet, employer and business groups are sharpening their attacks on Labor’s plan to get wages moving with its “Secure Jobs Better Pay” industrial relations legislation. Richard Denniss is the Chief Economist with the Independent think tank, The Australia Institute. He’s not fooled by the bleating bosses. He joins us once again on the pod to talk about the silent crisis they don...
Workers and The World Cup
November 20, 2022 14:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBAs the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Qatar this week, the plight of migrant workers who have built the stadiums that are hosting the games will dissolve into the background for many people. For others though, this World Cup has become as much about human rights and workers safety and freedom from exploitation as it is about the scores and results. On this week's pod, I take a deep dive into the issue of workers and human rights in Qatar. Have reforms made it ok to play the world's gr...
Paid Parental Leave and doin' it for the kids
November 13, 2022 20:30 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBThe recent budget handed down by Labor treasurer Jim Chalmers delivered a huge win for families all across Australia with the extension of Paid Parental Leave to 26 weeks, and more affordable early childhood education and care. Like all ground-breaking change, it didn't happen by accident. Unions and their allies have been campaigning tirelessly for over a decade to revamp Paid Parental Leave, better and affordable early childhood education, and the status of workers in the sector. Georgi...
The Weekend - proudly brought to be, by Unions..
November 06, 2022 20:30 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBHow as your weekend? I hope it was cracking good fun! Did you know that not too long ago the idea of 'the weekend' didn't exist? Two days off in succession for workers to enjoy leisure time was unthinkable for generations of workers. Our historian, Dr. Liam Byrne is once again our guest on the pod. He's here to tell us the history of how Unions and workers created the weekend. _____________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story i...
Michele O'Neil - A Budget full of Union wins.
October 30, 2022 20:30 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBLast Tuesday night, treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the first Labor budget in nine years. For workers and Unions, it was an evening of milestones. As the Treasurer outlined his Budget, the inclusion of 10 days paid domestic and family violence leave and a significant revamp of paid parental leave represented huge victories for a series of long running Union campaigns. Michele O'Neil is the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). She joins us on the pod after a landma...
Jumping the Gap
October 23, 2022 20:30 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBThe gender pay gap remains unacceptably and woefully high. Across Australia, it remains a fact that women on average earn around 14% less than their male counterparts. In the ACT though, there's an example of how you can not only close the gap - but end it. Maddy Northam is The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) ACT Regional Secretary. She joins us to tell us how it was achieved. _____________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comme...
Do you want rights with that?
October 16, 2022 20:30 - 18 minutes - 17 MBOn the Job turns 100 this week! Yep, it's our 100th episode, and I want to thank you for being part of the journey. This week, we do a bit of California dreaming, and meet one of the heroes of Cali's fast-food workers movement. California has just passed its most significant labour rights act on decades, AB257, which raises the hourly wage to $22 an hour and guarantees worker representation on a new board that will oversee wages and conditions in the industry. Ingrid Vilorio has been ...
Climate Disaster Leave in an EBA
October 09, 2022 14:00 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBFor many workers, recent climactic events like bushfires and floods have not only caused huge disruption in their personal lives, they've caused chaos in their working lives as well. In response, workers at the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) have taken the lead on this issue. They've just negotiated something called Climate Disaster Leave. Grace Vegesana is a Climate & Racial Justice Campaigner with AYCC and she's our guest on this week's pod. AYCC - https://www.aycc.org.au/ ...
There's still power in a (British) Union.
October 02, 2022 20:30 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBGreat Britain is facing an economic crisis and a grim winter as the Tory government, under new Prime Minister Liz Truss, cuts taxes for the wealthy as ordinary people struggle to heat their homes and put food on the table. This latest trickledown, meltdown has sunk the British pound, and workers and trade Unions are once again readying to take on the Conservative government that has all but abandoned working people. Britain saw a wave of industrial action across all sectors as it sweltered...
Workers, Unions and the rise of Aussie Rules.
September 25, 2022 20:30 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBAs another AFL season reaches its crescendo, it's an opportunity to reflect on how the Australian game has become such an extraordinary cultural phenomenon. The game, which emerged out of the paddocks and fields of mid 19th Century Melbourne, has had many versions of its origin story told. One part of its history that is often overlooked is the role that organised workers and their unions had in the success of footy as a spectator sport. Dr. Tony Ward is a historian based at Melbourne Univ...
Is your rental accommodation making you sick?
September 18, 2022 20:30 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMillions of Australian workers know what it's like to shiver through a winter in a rental property that is too cold, without enough heating, or is drafty or damp. It impacts your wellbeing, mental health and can actually make you sick. The last thing people on low wages and in insecure work need in their lives is to miss work because they're ill. Better Renting is an organisation that campaigns to improve the quality of rental properties to ensure renters getter a better deal and stay hea...
Qantas - the wounded Kangaroo
September 11, 2022 20:30 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBFor decades, Qantas was an institution that inspired a form of civic pride in most Australians. It was an airline with an impeccable safety record, a reputation for excellence in service, as well as being a great place to work. In 2022, Qantas' stellar reputation is in tatters, replaced by a long list of grievances - delayed and cancelled flights, lost baggage and safety concerns. At the heart of this has been CEO Alan Joyce's relentless job stripping, cost cutting and a union busting cru...
Early childhood educators can't pay the bills with love
September 04, 2022 20:30 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBAustralians love to talk about how we need to give our children the best possible start in life. Yet when it comes to providing those kids with accessible, affordable, early childhood education, things get sketchy. And it really falls away when we examine the pay, conditions, and career prospects of the people entrusted with educating children at that crucial early stage of their lives - early childhood educators. These educators are grossly underpaid and equally undervalued. They love th...
Give us a break, Maccas..
August 28, 2022 20:30 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBFor generations of young Australians, our first job experience has often been in the world of fast food retail. Working hard at slinging burgers or working the register as someone grabs a feed on the run is often where we learn about the reality of the world of work. The good, the bad and the ugly. What is still all too common are stories of young people in those jobs being underpaid or exploited by unscrupulous employers. McDonalds is one of the largest employers of young Aussies in the...
Foodbank and the working poor
August 21, 2022 20:30 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBThe promise of the Australian Dream is that you should be able to work one decent, secure job and earn enough pay to put a roof over your head, support your family and thrive. That all seems like a pipe dream in the current climate, where insecure work, no entitlements, climbing inflation and a housing squeeze means that hard working Australians are driven to the margins. Many of them are turning to organisations like Foodbank to help them make ends meet. Foodbank is Australia’s largest f...
An economy that works for the people
August 14, 2022 20:30 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBAnthony Albanese's Labor government is hosting a Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra in early September where the problems and the inequality inherent in Australia's economy will be front and centre. Australian Unions will be there, arguing that it's high time that working people are put at the centre of every decision that effects the economy. To underline that, the ACTU has just released a new paper entitled "An economy that works for people." We speak with the author of the paper, Dr Ji...
Heading to net zero & the top of the charts!
August 07, 2022 20:30 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBThis week's episode of 'On the Job' is a double feature. First up, ACTU President, Michele O'Neil, joins us for a discussion about Labor's Climate Bill which has just been passed in parliament. How will it impact the lives of working Australians? What opportunities and challenges will it present? Is the promise of a new, green economy one that will offer good, secure jobs? Then we turn the spotlight on one of Australia's favourite front men. Phil Jamieson made a name for himself as the sin...
Why paid domestic and family violence leave is a life saver
July 31, 2022 20:30 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBAll change that improves the lives of working people is hard won, and more often than not, it is Unions and workers who are at the forefront of the fight for change. That was the case again last week in federal parliament, when the Albanese Labor government introduced its landmark Paid Domestic and Family Violence Leave legislation. For over a decade, Unions and advocates have been campaigning for this legislation which would see women and men who need to escape violent and abusive perso...
A conversation with Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz
July 24, 2022 20:30 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBIt's a very special episode of "On the Job" this week! Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz is one of the world's great thinkers. Professor Stiglitz won the 2001 Nobel Prize for his ground-breaking work in economics. Professor Stiglitz's work in pushing back against neo-liberal free market economic models and arguing for the importance of empowering workers and unions to build a more equitable economy is revered. He served as an advisor in the Clinton White House, holds a professorship at Columbia...
The Uber Files
July 17, 2022 20:30 - 22 minutes - 20.2 MBSince it arrived on our streets over a decade ago, Uber has prided itself on being a "disrupter" with little regard for convention. At the heart of their business model is a fanatical commitment to upend the employer/employee relationship and create a new army of sole contractors working on their tech platform with Uber having no responsibility for them, and with drivers having no rights and entitlements. This high-tech exploitation has made it a massive company that has caused controversy ...
Australian universities high distinction in worker exploitation
July 10, 2022 20:30 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBIt's never been more expensive to complete a qualification at an Australian University. At the same time, it's never been more difficult, stressful, and financially punishing to work at one. Australia's tertiary education system has become obsessed with revenue streams, and at the heart of that strategy is making sure they keep the cost of staffing to a minimum. That has resulted in academic and professional staff being stuck in endless cycles of insecure and casual work for years on end. ...
Wayne Swan on a fairer Australia
July 03, 2022 20:30 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBOn this week's podcast, we pay a visit to one of our favourite friends of the pod. Wayne Swan is a Labor legend. the proud Queenslander served as the Member for Lilley between 1993-1996 and again from 1998-2019. As Treasurer in the Rudd/Gillard governments, he steered Australia successfully through the Global Financial Crisis that decimated economies around the globe from 2008 until 2012 and beyond. Having retired from parliamentary politics, "Swanny" remains active as the National Preside...
How your Super savings are shaping the economy
June 26, 2022 20:30 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBAustralia's industry super funds have become one of the country's biggest and most powerful forces in determining investment decisions and the shape and nature of our economy. How are industry super funds using their market power? What shapes their decision making about how and where they invest workers' retirement savings? Sam Trobe is head of Corporate and External Affairs at one of Australia's biggest industry funds, Australian Super. He's our guest on this week's podcast. __________...
Politics not as usual with Lech Blaine
June 19, 2022 20:30 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBIn the short few weeks since the election of the Albanese Labor government, Australia feels.... different. Changing governments always has an impact on the tone of the times, but with the recent election, it feels somehow more pronounced. Journalist and friend of the pod, Lech Blaine, has written a brilliant essay in the latest edition of The Monthly magazine from the eye of the election campaign trail. He explores the true essence of contemporary Australian attitudes to politics, economi...
What 'Forgotten Australians'?
June 13, 2022 20:30 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBIt hasn't taken long for the defeated Liberal Party to give their tired old jukebox of classic Tory hits a swift kick to get it playing a familiar tune. Less than a week into his tenure as Liberal leader, Peter Dutton had already begun banging on about a mythical group of Australians who are forever carrying an unfair burden on behalf of the rest of us - the mythical "forgotten Australians". Just who are the 'forgotten people' who loom so large in the Liberals' imagination? And why is Dutt...
Elon Musk, Twitter, and why billionaires are a bad idea
June 05, 2022 20:30 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBWhen the world was in the depths of this gruesome pandemic, the world's billionaires were carrying on like it wasn't happening. The likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos were pursuing their pet projects, firing themselves into space, titling crypto-currency markets off their axis at a whim, and acting like they didn't have a care in the world. Recently, Musk has stepped up his narcissistic indulgences, launching a hostile takeover bid for one of the world's biggest and most influential social ...
Michele O'Neil on what an Albanese Labor Government means for workers.
May 29, 2022 20:30 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBIt's a week since the election of the new Albanese Labor government and the appetite and expectation for change is huge. What should workers expect from the new Labor government and how do they ensure that promises made about improving the lives of working Australians are kept? _____________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - [email protected] *On the Job is made by Austral...
Change the government, change the country.
May 22, 2022 20:30 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBIt's a couple of days after polling day and Francis and Sally are here with their reactions to the election of an Albanese Labor Government. And Pumpkin the tabby cat is here to give his two bobs worth as well! _____________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - [email protected] *On the Job is made by Australian Unions. More about On The Job podcast Need help with wo...
Barrie Cassidy on election 2022
May 15, 2022 20:30 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBAfter nearly four decades as one of Australia's foremost political journalists, Barrie Cassidy is enjoying his first election in years as just another voter with opinions of his own that he can share when and how he likes. The legendary founder and long-time host of the ABC's flagship Sunday morning political gabfest Insiders" joins Francis and Sally on the pod to discuss the 2022 federal election campaign. _____________________________________________________________ * You can now emai...
When Francis met Sally, again!
May 08, 2022 20:30 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBIn between their bouts of COVID, various travel and work commitments, and the time/space continuum being utterly shredded by the madness of modern living, Francis and Sally haven't been together on the pod for a while. That all changes here as they reassemble to assess the state of the 2022 Federal Election campaign. _____________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - otjpodcast@proton...
The big lie about good government
May 01, 2022 20:30 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBHow much government is too much government? If the neo-liberal politicians and commentariat had their way, Australia would be shrinking its government footprint even at a time in our history where massive crisis like climate change and the COVID19 pandemic has shown that there is a major role for strong, effective, and substantial government action. In his latest essay entitled "Big: The Role of The State in the Modern Economy", Professor Richard Denniss argues that Australians have been ...
Sally McManus on why this election matters.
April 25, 2022 20:30 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBAs 2022 Federal Election campaign gathers steam, it's clear that there is plenty on the line for workers. ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus joins Francis to discuss why this election is so important to the working lives of millions of Australians. _____________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - [email protected] *On the Job is made by Australian Unions. More about On The Job...
Sally McManus on why this election maters.
April 25, 2022 20:30 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBAs 2022 Federal Election campaign gathers steam, it's clear that there is plenty on the line for workers. ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus joins Francis to discuss why this election is so important to the working lives of millions of Australians. _____________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - [email protected] *On the Job is made by Australian Unions. More about On The Job pod...
Young workers matter too..
April 18, 2022 20:30 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBAs the federal election campaign lurches into gear, there is one group of Australians who are routinely forgotten about in the conversation - young workers. Younger Australians have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID19 pandemic. They've had their schooling and studies disrupted, their working lives upended, and their prospects for the future imperilled. Felicity Sowerbutts from The Young Workers Centre joins us to discuss what's at stake for young workers. Young Workers Centre -...
Reporting the war in Ukraine
April 10, 2022 20:30 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBTom Mutch is a freelance journalist who has spent the last few years covering conflict and war around the globe. He was in Ukraine as war broke out following the Russian invasion. Like many journalists who cover war zones, his experiences and reportage play a vital role on countering the propaganda and lies that make up the other front in this conflict - the information war. Increasingly, reporters are being targeted by combatants in war zones and a number of journalists have been killed i...
Morrison's Busted Budget
April 03, 2022 20:30 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBWith an election looming, this year's federal budget is a crucial one for working Australians who are hurting as they struggle with the sky rocketing coat of living and flatlining wages. Ben Davison, co-host with Van Badham of the fab podcast "The Week on Wednesday" joins Francis for a conversation about Morrison's budget and want it means for you. _____________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, a...
Budget 2022 with Michele O'Neil
March 27, 2022 20:30 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBIt's Budget time and it's never been more important for working Australians that they are at the top of the government's list of priorities. With flatlining wages, the rising cost of living pressures, and an uneven economic recovery from the pandemic, this budget is set to make or break many working families. ACTU President Michele O'Neil joins us this week to discuss what workers need from this year's budget. _____________________________________________________________ * You can now ...
Economics for workers
March 20, 2022 20:30 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBOften, when commentators and journalists talk about the economy, they discuss it as though workers - the people that drive all economics - don't matter. We here at 'On the Job' know that's daft. An economy without workers is nothing. That's what this weeks' podcast is all about. We're joined in discussion by the Director of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, Dr. Jim Stanford, Dr. Fiona Macdonald, Policy Director, Social and Industrial with the Centre for Future Wor...
Everything about superannuation you wanted to know but where afraid to ask..
March 13, 2022 20:30 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBWe talk a lot about Super on the pod. What we haven't done a good job of so far is explaining what the hell it actually is! That's where Peter Treseder comes in. He's an educator with one of our biggest industry funds, Australian Super. Peter is here to give us all a crash course in what Super is and why it makes good sense to get yours sorted. _____________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and...
Slaying the Inflation myth
March 06, 2022 20:30 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBInflation - it's like disco and scratch and sniff t-shirts (look it up, people) - so very 1970s! Strangely, its making a comeback as our economy struggles to recover from the pandemic and Scott Morrison's government overheats the housing market. So, what is inflation? Why is it a threat to the well being of workers? And what's this nonsense about wages causing inflation and workers asking for a pay rise being the problem? Economist and journalist Greg Jericho ( The Guardian and the Centre ...
Getting smart about early childhood education
February 27, 2022 20:30 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBFor a brief period in 2020 at the height of the first COVID 19 outbreak, families around Australia experienced something remarkable - free early childhood education and child care. For many, it was the circuit breaker they needed to navigate treacherous financial challenges and other pressures that put families under stress. As we head towards a federal election, the campaign to see the provision of free early childhood education in Australia is ramping up. Georgie Dent is Executive Direct...
Workers, the election, and does politics still matter? - Lech Blane.
February 20, 2022 14:30 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBUnless you've been living in a Netflix bubble or under a rock, you might have noticed that the election campaign is on in earnest, as Scott Morrison tries desperately to save his government. For most working Australians, politics is, well, a pain in the arse. Do they care if Scott Morrison is a liar or can't hold a hose? Or are they simply more concerned about whether they'll have a decent job they can rely on and build a life with? Academic and writer Lech Blane returns to the pod to dis...