Australian unions have concluded the ACTU Congress 2015 invigorated by a new Union Charter and campaign plan to protect workers’ rights and living standards.

Over the past three days around a thousand union delegates from around the country have debated and voted on the policies that will shape the union movement’s agenda for the next three years.

This includes campaigning for domestic violence leave, stopping the exploitation of foreign and local workers, extending the government’s paid parental leave scheme to 26 weeks at the minimum wage plus super, strengthening protections around unfair dismissal and establishing a national portable entitlements scheme.

Unions come out of this Congress ready to campaign on the issues that matter to working people.

The unanimous support for a $13 million plan to transform the ACTU into a permanent campaigning organisation will allow unions to campaign online, on the ground, politically and in the workplace.

The ACTU has already begun rolling out resources in around 30 marginal seats around the country to coordinate campaigns to protect penalty rates, rights at work and the living standards of working people.

All final ACTU Congress 2015 policies, speeches and other highlights will be available at www.congress.actu.org.au.

Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver:

“The ACTU Congress has reinforced the union movement’s position as the largest, most democratic and dynamic social movement in the nation, working on behalf of almost two million members and millions more working Australians.

“We went into this Congress with a plan to strengthen our campaigning capacity and we come out of it ready to hit the ground and ready for an early election.”

Quotes attributable to ACTU President Ged Kearney:

“Unions come out of this Congress with a plan to campaign for working people and the community to protect our living standards and rights at work.”