TWU National Council meet in Cairns

National Secretary Michael Kaine will lead the four-day event which will involve the TWU’s rank and file council along with the elected leadership making key decisions about the union’s plan of action. It will include major announcements on plans for making the road transport and aviation industries fairer and safer.

Former National Secretary Tony Sheldon will receive the TWU Award for his decades-long contribution to the union and the fight for transport workers.

Attendees will include TWU members and delegates, Senators Glenn Sterle, Alex Gallacher, and Deb O’Neill, ALP President Wayne Swan, Queensland Minister for State Development and Infrastructure Cameron Dick, Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes, United Services Union General Secretary Graeme Kelly, ACTU Assistant Secretary Scott Connolly, Australian Workers’ Union Assistant National Secretary Misha Zelinsky and ALP NSW General Secretary Kaila Murnain. Senior representatives from Coles and Woolworths will also be in attendance to hold discussions on safe transport supply chains.

“The transport industry needs drastic reform. On the one hand our industry is failing to provide decent jobs to the hundreds of thousands of people who work in it. The financial pressure on workers is creating huge safety risks leading to deaths on the roads and safety breaches at our airports. On the other hand, wealthy tech companies are changing transport work, robbing workers of their rights and ripping them off. At our National Council we will be announcing major plans for the coming year and how we intend to change our industry for the better. This will involve transport workers taking on the wealthy companies at the top of the industry which have the power to make our jobs better and our roads and airports safer,” said Kaine.

Media enquiries: Judith Crosbie 0432552895

Watch live: Major announcements and addresses can be followed on the TWU Facebook page at bit.ly/TWUNationalCouncil

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TWU National Council Programme, Pullman International Hotel, Cairns

Monday May 20th

• 4pm Safe Rates and the gig economy

Tuesday May 21st

• 9.10am Keynote speech by TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine with major announcement on plans to reform transport industry

Thursday May 22nd

• 9.50am Protest and announcement on plan for airports (Cairns airport)
• 11.10am Keynote address ACTU Assistant Secretary Scott Connolly
• 3.40pm Address by Wayne Swan on fighting inequality
• 3.50pm Political panel: Wayne Swan, Senators Glenn Sterle and Alex Gallacher, ALP NSW General Secretary Kaila Murnain