Australia'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. ___________________...
Jun 26, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 84
In 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, economics and ...
Jun 19, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 83
It 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 Dutton sta...
Jun 13, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 82
When 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 media ...
Jun 05, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 81
It'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 - otjpodcast@protonmail.com *On the Job is made by Australian Unions...
May 29, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 80
It'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 - otjpodcast@protonmail.com *On the Job is made by Australian Unions. More about On The Job podcast Need help with working conditions? C...
May 22, 2022•15 min•Season 1Ep. 79
After 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 email us with...
May 15, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 78
In 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@protonmail.com ...
May 08, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 77
How 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 sold a ...
May 01, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 76
As 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 - otjpodcast@protonmail.com *On the Job is made by Australian Unions. More about On The Job podcast Nee...
Apr 25, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 75
As 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 - https...
Apr 18, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Tom 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 in Ukra...
Apr 10, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 73
With 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, and questi...
Apr 03, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 72
It'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 email us w...
Mar 27, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Often, 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 Work, and Dr. ...
Mar 20, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 70
We 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 questions ...
Mar 13, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Inflation - 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 for Fu...
Mar 06, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 68
For 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 Director of ...
Feb 27, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Unless 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 discuss al...
Feb 20, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 66
On this week's episode, we try and help Sally settle into her new surrounds in Hobart, Tasmania. And what better way to do it than to introduce her to some good Union peeps? Jess Munday heads up Unions Tasmania. She knows everything there is to know about working life in Tassie and how it is changing. She also gives Sally some sage advice on which beers to drink in Hobart and Launceston, something that is vital to know for your Tassie cred! _______________________________________________________...
Feb 13, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Amongst the many things the COVI19 pandemic has taught us, Australia would fall apart without our transport workers. As supply chains feel the strain of the omicron surge, the pressures on an already over worked and under resourced trucking and driving sector were taking their toll. Nick McIntosh from the Transport Workers Union (TWU) says that transport workers are already doing one of the toughest - and most dangerous - jobs in Australia. It's only become more difficult in recent times. Nick i...
Feb 06, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 64
In the darkest days of the Trump Whitehouse, the New York Times sold itself to the world as the last bastion of progressive ideals. Within the pages of "The Old Grey Lady" , the NYT kept rigorous watch on the excesses and madness of the Trump administration and its impact on society, as well as opining about the importance of protecting workers, jobs and ending inequality. So it might come as a shock to learn that The New York Times is running an aggressive anti-union campaign against its own wo...
Jan 30, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 63
As we head into the third, exhausting year of the COVID19 pandemic, we are hearing our politicians talking a lot about protecting the economy. The one thing they don't talk about is what an economy actually is without the people who work in it, and what happens if they're too sick or unable to do their jobs. Dr Jim Stanford is an economist who is the Director of the Centre for Future Work. He joins the podcast today to discuss what happens when you neglect the most important component of any eco...
Jan 23, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 62
As 2022 begins it feels like we're back at square one with the COVID19 pandemic as the Omicron variant causes havoc across huge parts of Australia. Australian workers have been bamboozled by continuing changes to the rules around when they should work, when they should isolate, what happens if they test positive for COVID and what their rights are if they need to stay home from work. Liam O'Brien is the Assistant Secretary of the ACTU and a foremost expert on work, health and safety issues. He p...
Jan 16, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 61
On the 11th of February, 1990, Nelson Mandela, the leader of South Africa's outlawed resistance movement, the African National Congress (ANC) was released from prison after 27 years of incarceration. Later that year, Mandela arrived in Melbourne, Australia, a part of his global tour to thank those who had supported the ANC in its fight against Apartheid. Australia's Unions were amongst the first organisations to recognise and support the ANC's struggle, and Mandela never forgot it. This speech d...
Jan 09, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 60
One day in 1969, a working woman by the name of Zelda D'Aprano took her lunch break, and proceeded to chain herself to the front door of a busy building in Melbourne's CBD in a protest that caused a sensation. What was Zelda protesting about? Our historical oracle, Dr Liam Byrne, is here to tell is all about Zelda and her legacy. ______________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - otjpodcast@p...
Jan 02, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 59
In the first of our summer series on Union and labour history, our historical oracle, Dr. Liam Byrne poses the question - Is Scott Morrison the worst PM Australia has ever had? ______________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - otjpodcast@protonmail.com *On the Job is made by Australian Unions. More about On The Job podcast Need help with working conditions? Call Australian Union Support Cent...
Dec 26, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 58
After another tough year where working people have faced down the challenges presented by the COVID19 pandemic, Francis and Sally sit down with the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), Michele O'Neil. ______________________________________________________________ * You can now email us with your comments, story ideas, tip-offs, flip offs, and questions - otjpodcast@protonmail.com *On the Job is made by Australian Unions. More about On The Job podcast Need help with working...
Dec 19, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 57
The experience of workers and unions is often written out of our histories. Working people are often spoken about, but rarely spoken with when it comes to how we document the past. Writer and economist Brett Evans joins Francis on the podcast this week to discuss one of the bloodiest chapters in America's labour rights history - The Ludlow Massacre of 1914. Read more from Brett Evans From the Ludlow Massacre to the Nobel Prize ______________________________________________________________ * You ...
Dec 12, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 56
As Australia heads toward another federal election, progressive politics is marshalling its forces to rid itself of the chaotic and decrepit Morrison government. It's easy to define what progressives are against, but there's a red hot battle going on to define what they are really about. Journalist and author James Button has addressed these issues in a recent series of articles in the Nine Newspapers. Button's contention that the left's drift to addressing politics as a battle over issues of id...
Dec 05, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 55
