Prioritise community health and wellbeing

To rebuild better, we must prioritise community health and wellbeing. This means that all people are healthy and safe at work and have enough money to live decent lives.

Right now, community health and wellbeing means stopping the pandemic. For workers, this means personal protective equipment, adequate staffing levels, safer working procedures, income protection, and adequate paid leave.  In keeping workers well, we’re keeping entire communities well.

In the medium term, we must strengthen the involvement of union members and other workers in health and safety decisions. We’re calling for the comprehensive regulation of industries which have been experiencing long-standing health and safety issues.

In the longer term, we’re calling for decisions which place the wellbeing of all people, whether in or out of work, at the centre. It begins with where we live – a healthy and secure home for all and a housing infrastructure that is well supported by state and social housing.  Thriving communities have enough to live with dignity and equitable access to public goods, such as education, healthcare, a social safety net and unions.