Nine in ten working Australians with work-related pain kept working over the past year, even though they felt they should rest, a national survey has found. Almost half of those who worked through pain said they could not afford to lose income, rising to 54 per cent of women. The survey was commissioned by the Australian Chiropractors Association and released for WorkSpace Week. ACA President Dr Billy Chow said work-related pain had become an accepted part of working life, and that early treatment was needed to prevent chronic conditions.
Victorian employers who fail to protect workers from falls at construction sites will face on-the-spot fines under new WorkSafe inspector powers from 31 March. The fines cover failing to control fall risks, starting high-risk construction work without a Safe Work Method Statement, and failing to keep required safety records. The changes do not create new safety obligations but allow faster penalties for existing laws. Prosecution remains available for serious breaches. Failing to manage fall risks carries fines of up to $418.20 for individuals and $2,091 for companies.
Coal workers, families and communities in the Illawarra will have a greater say in planning the future of the industry. The NSW Government has set up the Future Jobs and Investment Authority, which will include local divisions in four coal-producing regions. Each division will include workers, local councils and community members. The authority will attract investment, support skills and jobs, and help former mining land be used productively. The Future Jobs and Investment Bill 2025 has passed, backed by nearly $30 million in ongoing funding.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Two Brisbane oral health therapists say they have seen no super returned 18 months after complaining to the Australian Taxation Office about underpayments. Pauline Devin and Angela Noack say the regulator has provided little information. The ATO says privacy and tax secrecy laws limit what it can disclose, and that it pursues unpaid super through audits and debt recovery. Industry Fund Services says it takes a more proactive approach to recovery. Super Members Council chief executive Misha Schubert says the ATO should do more, and that only about 15 per cent of unpaid super is recovered.
National Australia Bank has announced plans to cut 2500 roles, about six per cent of its workforce, over the full financial year. The bank said 1500 jobs will go before the end of 2026. Finance Sector Union national assistant secretary Nicole McPherson said the timing was poor, with many staff already under heavy workloads. Bank chief executive Andrew Irvine said the changes aim to improve efficiency and would not directly affect customer-facing positions. Union officials have asked whether artificial intelligence is behind the cuts, and the bank has not yet answered.
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.
Some economists and union leaders argue that Australia's low productivity figures miss the value of jobs in health, education and care. Emeline Gaske of the Australian Services Union says outcomes for people matter as much as cost and volume. Productivity Commission deputy chair Alex Robson agrees that measurement needs to change as the economy shifts towards services. Toby Phillips of the Centre for Policy Development says research adjusting for outcomes shows stronger productivity growth. Community worker Georgia Harraway-Jones says larger caseloads would produce worse results for clients.
More than 100 women have told Four Corners they lost work after becoming pregnant or having a child. Abby McCawley says she was fired from her role at Ray White Brunswick in Melbourne's inner north, a day after a company post had praised her. The real estate agency says her employment ended over workplace behaviour, a claim she disputes. She is now suing in the Federal Court. Lawyers say pregnant workers face daunting hurdles, and advocates are calling for stronger legal protections.
Werribee Open Range Zoo workers have raised concerns about recent job cuts, which they say will leave visitors, animals and staff worse off. Zoos Victoria said a review showed changes were needed to better position it for the future. Eight staff at Werribee will be made redundant, with 23 others redeployed into new roles from 19 October. The Community and Public Sector Union said the cuts affect admin, sustainability, visitor engagement and horticulture. Zoos Victoria said rising costs are unsustainable and its purpose of fighting extinction remains unchanged.
Carnival Cruises will remove two of its four Australian cruise ships from March 2028. The Carnival Adventure and Carnival Luminosa will be pulled, while the Carnival Encounter and Carnival Splendor will stay. Carnival said it was weighing long-term certainty and global operating conditions. Maritime historian Chris Frame said costs such as berthing, refuelling and food supplies make Australia harder to operate in profitably. The move follows a change to cruise labour law exemptions, which now include new worker protections. Carnival denied workers' claims of long hours and unsafe conditions.
Queensland's industrial relations minister would be able to end protected industrial action in certain circumstances under proposed new laws. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the changes mirror federal Fair Work legislation as closely as possible. The bill would require at least three working days' notice for protected action and allow termination if it threatens lives, safety or health, or causes significant economic damage. The proposals would also require employment to be the major contributing factor in psychological injury claims. The Queensland Council of Unions warned the changes could shut workers out of compensation.
Amazon operates more than one million robots in its warehouses, more than any other organisation. The company also employs more than 1.5 million full-time and part-time human workers. Amazon says its robots take on the most dangerous tasks, but a 2025 study found robotic fulfilment centres had fewer severe injuries and more strain-related injuries. Researchers linked this to a faster pace of work set by robots. Amazon says it has created new technician roles, while internal documents reported by The New York Times suggest the robotics push could reduce future hiring.
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.
The Tasmanian Government has opened consultation on a draft Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2026. The proposed law targets aggressive and intimidating behaviour directed at workers in Tasmania. Attorney-General Guy Barnett announced the move in a statement dated 9 October 2026.
Tasmanian state service employees who took voluntary redundancies over the past decade may face unexpected tax bills. The government incorrectly classified the payouts as tax-free genuine redundancies, but the ATO says voluntary redundancies should be taxed as employment termination payments. The government has told the ATO about the error and says it will cover any financial implications, so former employees will not be affected.
