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There is a history and a reality that we cannot ignore. The challenge before us is real, the questions we grapple with as elemental as life and death.

Bill Shorten

The whole time I was a union leader, we had to put up with John Howard and Tony Abbott attacking workers’ conditions.
BILL SHORTEN

Jobs Safety Winning
I’ve spent my whole working life standing up for workers. Didn’t matter if it was the two trapped miners at Beaconsfield or professional netballers or indeed factory workers or construction workers.
BILL SHORTEN

Construction Matter Two Workers
Labor is at its best when we are the party of ideas and action – ideas that empower the powerless and actions that build a better Australia for the long term.
BILL SHORTEN

Australia Ideas Party
To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the – my predecessors in the union had detected wrong activities, activities which aren’t in the best traditions of the AWU or, indeed, trade unionism.
BILL SHORTEN

Trade Tradition Unions
I’m proud of being a moderate trade union official, working co-operatively between employees and employers.
BILL SHORTEN

Cooperatively Employees Moderate Official Union
Modern Australian trade unionism and the unionist that I am doesn’t rely on a class war view that somehow that the interests of employees and managers are in two separate spheres and they’re irreconcilable.
BILL SHORTEN

Believe Employees Views War
I believe that when people can go to work and be happy, satisfied, engaged, where the employer is getting employees who feel their interests are aligned with the employer, you get productivity. This is the future of Australian workplaces.
BILL SHORTEN

Country Employee Employer Future Get People
I’m proud of my record of negotiating agreements, representing people and making sure that both employers and employees could get the best out of going to work every day.
BILL SHORTEN

Agreement People Records
I’m interested in better wages for workers, better safety, job security, and, profitable companies, because I understand that if you get co-operation in the workplace, everyone wins.
BILL SHORTEN

Companies Everyone Security Worker Workplace
I want to build a Big Labor party. A party of big ideas. A party which is deeply connected to the community. A party which reflects our diverse nation.
BILL SHORTEN

Community Ideas Party
My preference is that employees pay their union dues, but what I also get is that I’d rather someone be in the union than not in the union.
BILL SHORTEN

Pay Preference Unions
When I entered federal parliament at the end of 2007, I was appointed parliamentary secretary for disabilities.
BILL SHORTEN

Disability Ends Parliament
Trusting people to pursue their own futures invariably provides better outcomes. Money goes where it is needed, rather than being absorbed by administration costs.
BILL SHORTEN

Cost Outcomes People
What I’ve done as a union leader and what literally thousands of other union representatives do, is make sure that we have co-operation in the workplace. What I get is that where employees are well treated, employers do well.
BILL SHORTEN

Done Leader Unions
What I believe to be every Australian’s right – a good, safe job with proper pay and conditions.
BILL SHORTEN

Believe Jobs Safe
Productivity is driven at the enterprise level. Better wages, better performing workplaces, are driven at the workplace level.
BILL SHORTEN

Levels Wages Workplace

There is a history and a reality that we cannot ignore. The challenge before us is real, the questions we grapple with as elemental as life and death.

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There is a history and a reality that we cannot ignore. The challenge before us is real, the questions we grapple with as elemental as life and death.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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