Why would anyone join a union?

Ged Kearney says the union movement needs to emphasise its achievements rather than letting others focus on the negatives.

As the ACTU Congress meets this week, the HSU East and Craig Thomson affairs continue to dominate the political landscape.

But ACTU President Ged Kearney says Congress will be focusing on the future and the policies which make the work place — and society – fairer.

She tells 3Q that even though union membership has dropped, thousands of people join unions every year. With an increasingly casualised workforce, Kearney says unions are needed more than ever.

How will public sector cuts affect you?

Nadine Flood believes the public will experience more delays and long queues because of cuts to government services.

There’s a common misconception that most public servants are Canberra based, well paid and underworked. But two thirds of the public sector actually work outside of the national capital and are on average or below average wages.

CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood tells 3Q that the public will notice the difference when over 4000 cuts are made to the public sector this year.

Read the CPSU’s round up of the implications the Federal Budget will have on the public sector.

And she says Tony Abbott’s plans to slash the public service would be disastrous.

Will the Budget solve our two speed economy?

Paul Bastian welcomes the tax on mining profits and the Government’s continued commitment to manufacturing.

It’s no secret that the mining boom has pushed the dollar sky high and caused problems for manufacturers. But Paul Bastian believes the Government is right to be investing in the future and promoting maths and science.

He tells 3Q that innovation in manufacturing is the key to the future and it must be protected at all costs.