Melbourne’s best hip hop acts supporting fast food and retail workers!
On March 30 UNITE is organising an open air gig and demonstration to launch our new campaign Boost Our Pay. The demo will take place only meters from the doors of some Melbournes busiest fast food outlets on Swanston St in the City! It will feature local hip hop acts Illzilla, SS Pecker and Mata & Must.
UNITE spent part of the Labour Day weekend campaigning amongst young people at the Push Over music festival. Our volunteers staffed an information stall and handed out hundreds of leaflets promoting the launch of our new campaign, Boost Our Pay.
Whilst most other unions are totally out of touch with the needs of young workers, UNITE found that our slogans against youth wages, against AWAs, for a $16 minimum wage and for secure hours really hit a cord.
Come over to the UNITE stall at the Push Over festival!
The Push is a non-profit, state-wide youth entertainment organisation in its 15th year of operation. It was established to provide opportunities for young people to access affordable, alcohol free events and to have the option to participate in the life of the local community.
The fight for equal pay continues!
In the 1920s women workers were only payed about half of what male workers earnt. In some workplaces even this was not paid and women received only 30- 40 % of men’s wages. It was through organsing women in unions that the struggle to achieve equal pay was won. Today the striggle for equal pay continues with young workers who sometimes only recieve between 40 –60 % of adult rates. This is helping employers to make massive amounts of profits.
By Kylie McGregor, UNITE President