This report examines the experience of the trades and shift-work segments of the workforce during COVID-19, and outlines a policy agenda that will provide support for these professions so that they remain an attractive career in future.

The exploitation of temporary migrant workers in Australia is a common and known problem that appears to be endemic throughout Australian workplaces. This report focuses on the audit results of foreign language jobs advertised in NSW, excluding the horticultural industry.

The Unions NSW report provides a case study of Airtasker, looking specifically at the industrial implications for workers. Airtasker is the leading provider of online facilitated task-based work, and is representative of the industrial risks associated with the disintegration of traditional jobs into short term tasks, often referred to as the ‘gig economy’. The Unions...