As he prepares to end his tenure as President of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) , the peak union for Australia's journalists, Marcus Strom joins Francis and Sally to discuss the state of journalism in Australia today. Francis, Sally and Marcus discuss the increasing threats of intimidation and violence against journalists, the encroachment of government and law enforcement into journalistic practice, the shrinking of regional news and the scourge of misinformation. ___________...
Nov 28, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Qanon is a discredited conspiracy theory cult that continues to hold a tight grip on the lives of millions of people - including many in Australia. It's fantastical, dystopian, paranoid fantasies about Hilary Clinton, pedophile rings, ritual sacrifice and all sorts of other mind bending nonsense would be funny - if it weren't so serious. In her new book "Qanon and On", journalist, playwright, and activist Van Badham goes down the rabbit hole of this internet cult and discovers it's a lot closer ...
Nov 21, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 53
As we say goodbye to the era of lengthy lockdowns and pandemic restrictions, it's understandable that people want to put it all behind them and look forward to better days. That's exactly what Scott Morrison is banking on as heads to an election. The Prime Ministers handling of the COVID-19 pandemic response went from farce to fiasco over two long years of bungles, indifference, laziness and recklessness. And that's why, as voters start to contemplate their choices, the sorry history of Morrison...
Nov 14, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 52
A good teacher can transform lives. Brendan James Murray is one of those teachers. An award winning author in his own right, Murray’s other enduring passion is teaching secondary school kids. He is driven by the ambition to help kids from all backgrounds reach their potential, to find their own voice and place in the world. It’s hard but rewarding work. Brendan has written a beautiful ,memoir called “The School” that chronicles one school year from start to finish. It is laced with beauty, sadne...
Nov 07, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 51
It’s our 50th episode! To celebrate, we’re joined by ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus, to discuss the lessons of the pandemic, what it has meant for working Australians and what the future at work might look like. Oh, and also why the Superb Fairywren was a controversial choice for The Guardian’s “Bird of the Year” award. ______________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - otjpodcast@protonmail.com *On t...
Oct 31, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 50
He likes you to call him ScoMo. He love https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/ s being seen with a beer in hand at a Cronulla Sharks game, or wearing a truckers cap woofing down a sausage at a backyard BBQ. Scott Morrison wants you to think of him as the daggy dad, the top bloke, the bloke down the pub you want to have a beer with. The truth is, he is none of those things. So why does he do it? In his new Quarterly Essay, writer Lech Blaine explores the ScMo myth as a political exercise, a class and...
Oct 24, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 49
2021 has been a year of reckoning for the Morrison Government and the wider Australian public on the issues of violence, discrimination and the abuse of women. For New South Wales Labor Senator Jenny McAllister, it's been her mission to ensure that legislation was passed to address issues of gender inequality and the safety of women at work as well as in the wider community. The federal government's response to Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins "Respect@Work" report well short of the ...
Oct 17, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Think about this. Since 2015, the richest 1% of the world's people own more wealth than the rest of the planet. You're right to think something has gone wrong for that level of inequality to have become so obscene and so vast. Last Thursday the 7th of October marked the 10th anniversary of the World Day for Decent Work, where trade unions across the globe stand up and give voice to the need for decent work for all. Sharan Burrow is a former President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (AC...
Oct 10, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 47
As the COP26 climate change talks in Glasgow loom up, Australia is on a collision course with the rest of the world. Our unwillingness to commit openly and whole heartedly to a target of net zero emissions by 2050 makes Australia an outlier in danger of becoming a climate pariah state. Meanwhile for Australian workers, the reality of climate change is already confronting them when they go to work. The changing climate is make work for many of us harder, hotter, and more dangerous. Dr Elizabeth H...
Oct 03, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Events on the streets of Melbourne last week shocked everyone. The chaos, violence, anger and disruption pulled the curtain back on a sub-culture of disparate extremist groups - from anit-vaxxers, right wing nationalists, conspiracy theorists and hardcore fascists. In the middle of it - the Union movement targeted in an attack centred on the offices of the CFMEU. So what is going on here? Why is the far right trying to infiltrate unions and exploit the fault lines in our communities that have op...
Sep 26, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 45
That's right, this week we're going all hybrid on you. Sally and Francis are joined by Ben Davison, who co-presents the uber cool political podcast "The Week on Wednesday" alongside writer, activist and force of nature, Van Badham. Francis, Sally and Ben discuss the vaccine mandate that workers are facing, the fate of University jobs and why lecturers no longer have time to hang out and discuss your favourite Radiohead album with you, and why its not a good idea to make your dentist visit a once...
Sep 19, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 44
"The real trauma will come once it's all over" - Nurse Shaye Candish, Assistant General Secretary of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA). Nurses are working in some of the toughest conditions thanks to Covid-19. Demaning hours, full personal protective equipement for entire shifts that makes it hard to even have a sip of water, the emotional handholding of patients that can't be visited by their family and the personal toll outside of the job. In two parts this episode;...
Sep 12, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Vaccinations are Australia’s pathway out of lockdowns - Australianunions.org.au/getvaxxed As Australia finds itself in an arm wrestle to halt the march of COVID19 infections that are ravages communities across the country, cleaners are putting themselves at risk on a daily basis to help stop the spread. It's tough, relentless, demanding and vital work. On todays pod, we meet one such cleaner, Arou Akot. Arou cleans schools in Sydney's western suburbs where the virus is running rampant. His work ...
Sep 05, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Women's economic security is an issue that has been drawn into sharp focus during the COVID19 pandemic. The intractable pay disparity that still exists is just the start of it. Unpaid work at home, frontline work in insecure jobs, the loss of income as a consequence of caring responsibilities and the perilous state of women's superannuation savings are all aspects of an economic crisis for working women. Kristine Ziwica is a journalist who has been writing about these issues extensively this yea...
Aug 29, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 41
The people of Sydney's vast western suburbs are often spoken about - but very rarely spoken with. As the working people who make up the rich tapestry of cultures and experience that is Sydney's west endure the stress of an extended lockdown and the growing menace of the COVID 19 pandemic, we thought it was important to hear from some folks who live and work there. Billie Sankovic is the CEO of the Western Sydney Community Forum, an organisation committed to supporting the people of Western Sydne...
Aug 22, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Across the world right now, there are over 250,000 seafarers who are trapped on ships that can't dock in ports and allow crews to disembark to put their feet on solid ground. It's just another tragic consequence of the global COVID 19 Pandemic . As countries grapple with containing the spread of the deadly disease, ships that arrive in their waters carrying foreign crews are seen as potential vectors of the disease, and are forced to remain on board and at sea. Suddenly, across the globe, there ...
Aug 15, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Australia, it seems it's finally ok to wear your trackie dacks to work - because it seems lots of us are working from home. As huge swathes of the country finds itself under lockdown, many of us have been slipping into that work from home routine. For people who live alone and work from home, this has plenty of challenges all of its own. On this week's podcast, Francis and Sally are joined by a couple of pals who are navigating home and working life solo. Mich-Elle Myers is an official with one ...
Aug 08, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 38
When Amazon founder and owner, Jeff Bezos, returned from his self aggrandising space flight recently, he made a point of thanking Amazon workers and customers for making it possible. What went unsaid, was that Bezos' Amazon is a corporate and digital monster that has built its success off the back of a work culture built of ruthlessness and worker exploitation. Alex Press is a journalist who hosts a podcast called "Primer", which focuses on understanding Amazon, the company that is reshaping, me...
Aug 01, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 37
In an age of economic uncertainty, there is one thing that has remained - flat wage growth. ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus, recently addressed the issue of Australia's desperate need for a pay rise as part of the Australia Institute's webinar series. On today's episode of 'On the Job', Sally shares her thoughts on the broken wages bargain, and is joined in conversation by the Director of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, Dr Jim Stanford. * On the Job is made by Australian Uni...
Jul 25, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 36
People are always talking about mining, miners and their communities - but it occurred to us that hardly anyone is speaking with them. That's what we're doing on today's episode. Meet Rob Foot. Rob is a recently retired worker who has spent decades earning a living in Central Queensland's mines. He talks about life in a mining town, the impact of labour hire firms that have casualised the workforce, and the challenges mining communities face. If you've ever had an opinion on what should happen w...
Jul 18, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Have you ever had a job where the boss told you, "hey, we're like family!" Or worked somewhere where they claimed you had to "live your work"? How about your dream gig, where you loved it so much you ended up spending every waking minute eating, breathing and doing your job - until you couldn't separate what you do from who you are? Yeah - we've been there too! And American journalist and author Sarah Jaffe is here to tell us we should stop it, right now. In her new book "Work Won't Love You Bac...
Jul 11, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 34
As the COVID pandemic stretches on, information about public health directives, lockdowns and the world of work has never been more important. It's hard enough to keep track of all the changes as they happen when you speak English, so imagine how difficult it would be if you didn't/ Giuseppina Pungitore is an interpreter. Every day she is helping non-English speakers deal with crisis moments, court visits, tribunal hearings and work issues. Interpreting services are vital, but the workforce is u...
Jul 04, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Christmas Island is a tiny outpost of Australian territory in the Indian Ocean that has become known to most of us because of its role in Australia's hardline policy on border protection and the incarceration of asylum seekers. Yet, the tiny Island known more for its infamous detention centre than anything else, has an incredible story - one that involves old fashioned colonial exploitation, its own form of apartheid, and a workers revolt that changed everything. Osmond Chiu is a researcher and ...
Jun 27, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Will you have enough money saved when it comes time to buy that caravan and take off around Australia in retirement? After the recent attack on worker's superannuation savings by the Liberal Government, its getting harder and harder for most working Australians to say yes to that question. ACTU President Michele O'Neil joins Francis and Sally to discuss the latest changes to superannuation savings, and how it will impact how much money you'll have when you want to quit work for good. More about ...
Jun 20, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 31
What is the future of work in the age of the machines and artificial intelligence? Is the idea of having a regular job redundant becoming redundant in the technological age, and if so , what are the implications for workers and their communities? Or does the age of automation also offer new opportunities for Australian innovators , manufacturing and workers to create new and exciting industries that offer us a whole new range of jobs and a different way fo working? Ed Husic loves talking about t...
Jun 13, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Alongside climate change, inequality is the greatest challenge of our times. The growing chasm between the few who hold enormous wealth and the vast multitudes who live in poverty and struggle to survive can no longer be ignored. In his new book "How to Fight Inequality: (and Why That Fight Needs You) international anti-inequality campaigner Ben Phillips outlines just how each one of us has a role to lay in the fight against inequality. Ben joins Francis on this week's podcast to discuss his new...
Jun 06, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Working life has been tough during the pandemic, particularly if you are someone with a disability. Sam Connor is the President of People With a Disability Australia (PWDA). Her organisation is committed to building pathways and opportunities for people with disabilities to participate fully in the workforce and the wider community. On this week's pod, Francis chats with Sam about the challenges people with disabilities have faced during the pandemic, and how that has impacted their working live...
May 30, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 28
What's it like to wake up every morning and know that every decision you make at work today will have a profound effect on the lives of millions of Australians? As Australia's Labor Treasurer during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) , Wayne Swan did exactly that. Swan guided Australia through the GFC as other major economies around the world suffered disastrous recession, job loss and social unrest. These days, Wayne Swan is a retired parliamentarian and President of The Australian Labor Party. ...
May 23, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Working as a freelancer can be exhilarating. Jumping from assignment to assignment, dealing with different people and challenges, hitting your deadlines, and hitting it out of the park. These days, it can also be a life full of low-paying gigs or no-paying gigs, having your work ripped off and plagiarised and dealing with employers who think they are doing you a favour by letting you work for them. So is it still worth the effort? Can you still make a go of working as a freelancer without going ...
May 16, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 26
When your work starts to impact your mental health, it can cause enormous problems. Sadly, for many Australians, this is an all too familiar experience. ACTU Assistant Secretary, Liam O’Brien, is part of a coalition of experts leading the charge to change Work, Health and Safety laws across Australia to protect the mental health of all workers. Liam joins Francis and Sally to talk about why mental health matters, and what needs to change. More about On The Job podcast Need help with working cond...
May 10, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 25
