Giri Sivaraman has spent decades championing workers' rights. Now, as Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, he is taking that fight even further. Speaking at the National Council, Giri left delegates in no doubt: tackling racism is union business, and it’s the right thing to do.

Below is the full speech delivered by Giri Sivaraman at the 2025 National Council.

Speaking at the recent ACTU Congress, RTBU Victoria Branch Secretary Luba Grigorovitch made a powerful argument for workers across Australia to have access to Domestic Violence Leave.

Some records are just there to be broken and Aurizon has been doing spectacularly well in moving more coal and accumulating unprecedented profits.

There are other records that shouldn’t be broken. Aurizon seem to want to break records as far as mean and tricky employers go. Like a broken record they send circular after circular attacking the RTBU for standing up for members. They hate that we won’t bow down and recommend members accept a wholesale reduction in conditions.

By pre-empting the possible questioning of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten at the Trade Unions Royal Commission (TURC), Christopher Pyne has undermined the legitimacy of the Commission – and potentially commit-ted a criminal act.

RTBU Assistant National Secretary Allan Barden put the outrageous behaviour of rail giant Aurizon on the national union agenda at the ACTU Congress in Melbourne.