Unions have warned that Australian workers and industries risk becoming hostages to the algorithm without guardrails on artificial intelligence. Transport Workers' Union national secretary Michael Kaine told a federal parliamentary inquiry that driverless vehicles could cause deaths, and said a May poll found seven in 10 respondents opposed fully automated taxis and trucks. The National Tertiary Education Union said it is in a dispute with RMIT over an AI program that could affect 40 admissions staff.
Career unionist Emma Kingdon will become the next president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in December. The ACTU Executive named her president-elect on Tuesday, 20 October. She replaces Michele O'Neil, who steps down that month. Ms Kingdon has spent nine months as executive officer of the CFMEU Administration, which is rebuilding the union. Melissa Donnelly, the ACTU's new secretary, welcomed the appointment, describing Ms Kingdon as an experienced campaigner for workers' rights.
The University of Technology Sydney has released a report urging the Australian Government to act on AI-powered surveillance of workers. Its authors, from the university's Human Technology Institute, say many workers do not know how far they are monitored. Their recommendations include requiring worker monitoring to be fair and reasonable under the Fair Work Act, and extending private-life privacy protections to the workplace. Senator Tony Sheldon described current monitoring as a digital leash around employees' necks.
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Emma Kingdon has been elected as the next president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the country's peak union body. She replaces Michele O'Neil and will formally start the role in December, working alongside new ACTU secretary Melissa Donnelly. The 38-year-old has been with the ACTU for 10 years, most recently as national campaigns director. Kingdon said securing greater rights at work is her top priority, arguing that pay is failing to keep up with the cost of living. O'Neil praised her successor, saying she is leaving the role in very good hands.
Progress on ethical and sustainable practice in Australia's fashion industry has stalled, according to Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report, which assessed 500 brands across 48 measures. Brands averaged 31.5 out of 100, a marginal rise from 2024. Katherine Halliday said companies were writing sound policies but failing to put them into practice for garment workers, particularly on living wages and access to grievance mechanisms. Luxury and fast fashion brands scored similarly, while outdoor brand Patagonia ranked highly.
The federal government has extended a decades-old exemption that lets cruise ships follow international labour rules instead of Australian law, until 2028. New conditions allow crew to bargain collectively and require complaints to be reported to the maritime safety regulator. The changes follow an ABC News investigation into alleged poor conditions on some Carnival ships, which Carnival denies. Transport Minister Catherine King described the allegations as horrifying. The Maritime Union of Australia says the exemption should never have existed and will entrench exploitation of foreign seafarers.
