Victorian Trades Hall Council Press Releases

Union campaign to give survivors a voice wins nation-leading legislation

October 29, 2025

The Victorian Government will introduce new nation-leading laws to restrict the use of non-disclosure agreements in workplace sexual harassment matters. NDAs, also called confidentiality clauses, are frequently included in the settlement of workplace disputes. They prevent workers from telling their stories and effecting change.

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Insights into gender segregation in Victorian workplaces

September 05, 2025

A major new study urges employers to take practical steps to support women in male-dominated industries, recommending businesses support worker engagement in gender equality policies, establish transparent pay progression to address gender segregation, improve uptake of flexible work arrangements, and strengthen accountability mechanisms to address workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination.

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VTHC welcomes the Allan Labor Government's plan to protect work from home.

August 02, 2025

The Victorian union movement commends the Allan Labor Government's plan to put the needs of workers with families ahead of the wishes of micromanagers. While there are many jobs that cannot be done at home behind a laptop, if a job can be done at home then the business should absolutely provide workers with that choice.

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Abuse Victim-Survivors, Victorian Trades Hall Council, Child Protection Organisations and Experts Call on Victorian Government to Protect Children From Catholic Church’s Legal Loophole

May 14, 2025

All Victorian children deserve to be safe. When community and church leaders misuse their positions of power and abuse vulnerable children, the law must be sufficiently capable of holding them to account. Last year, the High Court of Australia heard a case brought by a victim-survivor who had been abused in Apollo Bay by a now deceased Catholic Priest, Father Bryan Coffey. It found, due to a legal loophole, that the Catholic Diocese was not responsible for the Priest’s crimes. As a result, the victim-survivor went through a harrowing and drawn-out legal ordeal and lost their case.

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Statement on Tim Pallas' retirement

December 16, 2024

The Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) congratulates Tim Pallas on his retirement and extends our congratulations for his decades of tireless service and dedication to improving the lives of working people in Victoria. Throughout his career, Tim has been an ally of the labour movement in Parliament, ensuring that fairness, dignity, and respect are at the heart of industrial relations in our state.

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Victorian apprentices will be safer when these changes are legislated.

October 16, 2024

Campaigning by union members and activists at the Young Workers Centre over several years has highlighted apprenticeship issues, including low apprentice completion rates (52.3% in Victoria) and high rates of injury.

Industrial | young workers | Apprentices

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Victoria commits to nation-leading laws to restrict the use of NDAs

August 12, 2024

Victorian Government commits to nation-leading laws to restrict the use of NDAs in workplace sexual harassment

Women

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Media event: Campaign blitz to end junior rates

July 03, 2024

Media event: Campaign blitz to end junior rates

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Call for employers to act on workplace sexual harassment

April 30, 2024

New Research Reveals Alarming Levels of Workplace Harassment: Urgent Call for Employers to Act A recent survey unveiling that 1 in 7 Australians admit to sexually harassing a colleague has sparked criticism of businesses failing to uphold their legal and ethical duties in creating safer workplaces. Victorian Trades Hall Council says that employers are more concerned with silencing complaints than stopping harassment.

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Trades Hall statement on WorkCover changes

March 05, 2024

Quotes attributable to Luke Hilakari, Secretary Victorian Trades Hall Council This Bill represents the worst of Victorian politics. Injured workers are some of the most vulnerable people in our state, and their elected representatives have colluded to strip them of support.

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