Ged Kearney

Recent Speaker

ACTU PRESIDENT

September 7, 2011

11.30am - 1.30pm

"Voices from Working Australia"

The world of work has changed hugely in recent decades but the role of unions remains as important as ever.

Last October Ged Kearney used the NPC to announce that the ACTU would undertake a “Workers Census” – the biggest ever survey of Australian union members to determine what exactly are workers’ priorities in the 21st century.

The results of the survey of 42,000 members will be released today and show a workforce that is concerned about cost-of-living issues, the growing demands technology is placing on workers, and the increasing growth of insecure work and its impact on workers

Union members want their unions to not just focus on pay and conditions but on delivering a fairer society, more equal incomes and greater investment in our social infrastructure.

In her speech Ged Kearney will outline her vision for the future of the union movement in Australia and how it can adapt to the challenges posed by the 21st-century economy.

Ged Kearney commenced as ACTU President on 1 July 2010, and is the third woman to hold the position.

She trained as a nurse and has worked in many settings in the public and private sectors. She also worked as a nurse educator.

In 1997 she became an elected official with the Australian Nurses Federation and was elected  Federal Secretary of the 180,000-strong union in 2008.

As Federal Secretary, Ged saw substantial membership growth of the ANF and the first national combined strategic growth campaign in the private sector aged care industry.

 In collaboration with ANF branches in every state and territory, she worked to improve the working lives and conditions of dedicated nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing throughout Australia.

Ged believes that unions should not just be concerned with the experience of people at work but they should be advocates for change to improve all aspects of Australians lives. She wants to ensure that unions continue to be at the forefront of public debate in Australia.

She is a mother of four children aged from 16 to 23, and lives in Melbourne.