• FSU has been involved in the advocacy and development of new Health & Safety law reform.
• FSU provided support to HSRs during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Health and safety structures are not well developed and need to be built almost entirely from the ground up.

Over the next 12 months we want to develop and deliver member-led education about important health and safety matters that will allow us to embed them into our day to day organising work.

We will develop support structures and escalation ladders for members who are interested in making their workplaces safer.

Mind Your Head! Mental Health & Safety

What Makes Health & Safety a Good Organising Issue? TUC

• The FSU has a long history of contributing to local and international human rights campaigns.  Together, we have supported Cambodian farmers to secure compensation for human rights abuses from ANZ.  We have worked with our allies to bring an end to the racist Community Development Program which discriminated against Indigenous people.  And today, we continue to fight to restore democracy in Myanmar.   
• To ensure this vital work is led by our members, we have established the FSU Human Rights Network.  We have a Reference Group of experienced workplace reps with an interest in human rights who are leading the initial phase of our Network.
• In September 2021 we officially launched the Human Rights Network with global trade union leader Sharan Burrow, and human rights experts Professor David Kinley and Dr Kim Sheehan.
• We have now transitioned to the building phase of our Network where we are identifying members with a passion for human rights, and focusing on their development as activists.  This work sits alongside our continuing campaigns on the most important local and global human rights issues. 

The FSU Human Rights Network will be an active, informed group of FSU members with the skills and confidence to campaign on the human rights issues that matter most to our members.   

Our initial focus will be on identifying and developing members of our Human Rights Network to empower them to lead our work in this space.   

We will build alliances with organisations with shared visions (UniGlobal, Inclusive Development International, Australian Centre for Corporate Responsibility) to amplify our impact.   

We will undertake a detailed assessment of the human rights compliance of the major employers in our sector to determine how we can best improve the human rights across the finance sector for all. 

FSU Human Rights Network website

Video of HRN launch event

Financial Services Human Rights Benchmark

David Kinley: How Much Do Banks Owe Us?

ANZ Compensates Cambodian Families Forcibly Removed Evicted to Make Way for Sugar Plantation

• FSU bargaining claims include Gender Affirmation Leave (secured in IAG and two out of four big banks - Westpac and CBA at 4 weeks paid leave and up to 12 months unpaid leave).
• Inclusion of gender identity pronouns into email signatures within FSU Offices.
• NSW/ACT Branch – Member of UnionsNSW Pride group - UnionPride.

In the next 12 months explore new ways to network and engage with finance workers about the importance of diversity and inclusion within workplaces and the power of being Union.

Leveraging Enterprise Agreement negotiations to secure new industrial rights that reflect the diversity of workers within the industry, including securing Gender Affirmation Leave all at the major banks.

TUC: Changing the world of work for good

International Trade Union Confederation: Equality

UNI Global Youth News

• FSU is involved in local Women’s committees in some states and the ACTU National Women’s Committee but there is no coordination.
• FSU Office drives activities on IWD, Equal Pay Day and the 16 Days of Action each year.
• FSU is currently running a Pay Transparency campaign designed to shame our employers into removing pay confidentiality clauses in the lead up to IWD 2022.

In the next 12 months FSU will have a nationally consistent approach to our women’s agenda and will formulate a committee made up of leaders from each state and territory who will work with FSU staff to ensure that we participate in events runs by local TLCs.

The FSU will publish some simple resources available to members on our website to provide some basic education on the key issues as well as our track record of successful campaigns. The focus for IWD 2022 will be on pay transparency and the FSU will continue to hold employers accountable for their continued use of pay confidentiality clauses.

SMH: Gender pay gap labor policy for women

The Conversation: The Fatherhood Penalty

COVID-19 Gender and Work

• The FSU is affiliated to the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to influence legislative change in the advancement of the rights of workers in the finance industry.
• The ALP has state branches and the FSU’s respective branches are affiliated to the party in those jurisdictions.
• FSU branches have an “ad hoc” approach in pursuing policy matters through the state Labor conferences and ALP National Conference.

Over the next 12 months we want to bring about consistency and uniformity and work towards developing policy positions that we can pursue at the state and national conference platforms. We will encourage more women to participate and be represented.

We will look at training opportunities for members and workplace leaders to get more involved in this space.

FSU Research & Policy

The Conversation: Anthony Albanese's Plan to Boost Protections for Australians in Insecure Work

The Conversation: Australian Politics Explainer