Ged Kearney
Ged Kearney is the current president of the ACTU.
Ms Kearney became a registered nurse in 1985, and has worked in many settings across the public and private acute sectors, predominantly in Melbourne, and has also been a nursing educator, including manager of the Clinical Nursing Education Department at Austin Health. She has a Bachelor in Education.
Ms Kearney was elected the Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation in
April 2008.
She has been an elected official with the ANF since 2003, also serving as Assistant
Federal Secretary, Federal President and Victorian Branch President.
Articles by Ged Kearney
Deep down we’re all unionists, even the haters
Bill Kelty made a memorable speech last week. Addressing the ACTU Congress Dinner in Sydney, the legendary ACTU Secretary who…... Read more
Job insecurity is a bigger stress than the cost-of-living
“Most of our people have never had it so good”, is what British PM Harold MacMillan bluntly told his country…... Read more
Oh what a feeling, no future!
We throw away last season’s clothes, older-model cars and mobile phones that are out of date. But is our disposable…... Read more
Spare a thought for those who worked this Easter
If you’re reading this on your break at work this Easter Monday, commiserations. If you worked over the weekend, or…... Read more
Some super stuff actually happens in Parliament
I sometimes think there are two kinds of politics in Australia. The stuff that gets reported, and the stuff that…... Read more
Unions represent millions. Mining giants, only a few
In the same way that fish don’t really understand what water is, most Australians (except perhaps those who have come…... Read more
While Labor self-immolates, workers want answers
Most of you political junkies might skip over this piece because it doesn’t involve a hard-edged analysis of who-hates-who in…... Read more
Are you feeling insecure?
Is your job less secure than the one you had five or 10 years ago? Are you a casual worker,…... Read more
Multiculturalism. It’s as Aussie as a lamb roast
Christmas is long gone, New Year is a distant memory, the tennis is on TV and the summer break that…... Read more
And the Scroogie goes to…
I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas yesterday, whatever you ended up doing. I spent the day, as I do every…... Read more
A gorgeous tropical paradise ruined by a cruel regime
While the rest of the world is throwing off the shackles of authoritarian regimes and taking the first steps towards…... Read more
Unions keeping Labor united with workers
For over 100 years unions have been the anchor for the Australian Labor Party. Without the weight of the two…... Read more
Baiada is playing chicken with livelihoods and lives
Until the dramatic events of Friday night, the Baiada Poultry dispute in suburban Melbourne had not had the publicity of…... Read more
If a union did this, all hell would break loose
First Alan, congratulations on your pay rise, and congratulations on Qantas’ profit in the last financial year. But sadly, I…... Read more
Hate is the new debate
If the catch cry of the 60s was “all you need is love” it seems the slogan of the 21st…... Read more
A secure job is no luxury
Sometimes a change creeps up so stealthily that you hardly notice how far it’s gone. That’s how I feel about…... Read more
Unions: out there fighting for ordinary Aussies every day
When I first entered the workforce some two decades ago, becoming a union leader wasn’t even on my radar. I…... Read more
Wage cuts would only add to retails of woe
One of the quirky differences any Australian notices when they go to the USA is the culture of tipping. Lower…... Read more
The flying kangaroo need not be a flying panda
“There Is No Alternative” was a favourite line of Margaret Thatcher’s whenever she was trying to push one of her…... Read more
Attacks on tax lack facts
It’s a little unfashionable to come out in favour of taxation these days. If you read the debate about our…... Read more
Don’t let Australians fall through the cracks
Imagine if there was a minority group in society that was less likely to finish school, less likely to get…... Read more
The only thing to fear from the carbon tax is fear itself
Winston Churchill once said a lie can get halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to put…... Read more
It’s never been clearer, there really is no place like home
They say the best thing about travel is that it gives you a better understanding and appreciation of home. That’s…... Read more
Fiji: Franksta’s paradise hides a dark side
When it’s this cold many of us think of escaping to a warm island paradise, but when it comes to…... Read more
Equal pay: Plenty of women are still being left behind
Sometimes we are so busy getting on with our lives we don’t notice history is being made before our eyes.…... Read more
Ask not what the budget can do for you…
It’s not long ago that when people talked about the Federal Budget, the discussion was about more than hand-outs or…... Read more
Unions are still giving ordinary Australians a voice
You can’t understand the history of social progress in Australia without understanding the union movement. Unions have been the way…... Read more
Climate change is real, and someone must pay
I’ve got a confession to make: I’m not a climate scientist. Nor am I an economic modeller. I am the…... Read more
How can they dance when the promises are burning?
Given we don’t have an official national dance, I would like to nominate one. Let’s call it ‘the Election Day…... Read more
Why our poorest workers deserve an extra $28 a week
Each year the debate over the minimum wage seems to be dominated by people who’ll never have to live on…... Read more
Creepy sense of déjà vu over carbon tax
Since the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee made its announcement regarding a price on carbon late last month, Australians may well…... Read more
You call ‘em thugs, I call ‘em foot soldiers of democracy
We’ve had factional thugs and faceless men, dishonourable rats and bloodsuckers, slap-downs and sabre-rattling – union officials have hit the…... Read more
Foreign workers are not the solution to a quick cleanup
The Queensland floods are the most economically damaging natural disaster in Australian history – but as reconstruction begins, we should…... Read more
Fair go: a national character we can be proud of
Notwithstanding the political sensitivities around the day, January 26 should be a time to consider where we’ve come from, what…... Read more
If you’re reading this you’re not on holiday
Are you on annual leave right now? If so, you’re already doing better than one third of Australians who toil…... Read more
Welcome to Generation Fair
From the moment the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, Australia will begin summoning in a new generation –…... Read more
Governments stealing Christmas from workers
When Christmas Day becomes just another work day, you would have to say that the free market has finally spun…... Read more
Ark Tribe for Australian of the Year
When the judges sit down to decide who should be Australian of the Year, they should turn their attention to…... Read more
Precarious job security is not confined to the third world
Here’s an offer too good to refuse. Start work at 6.30 – if you’re lucky – with no idea how…... Read more
How weasel words erode your working rights
Our national political conversation is littered with words that have lost their meaning: ‘fighting for peace’, ‘protecting our borders’, ‘truth…... Read more
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Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it
An email was sent to almost every politician in Australia this week saying that someone should cut off…
Our special forces don’t always need special treatment
We admire them, but we’re not entirely sure why. We allow them to operate in the shadows; we rarely…
A good holiday is about unrest, not rest
Like a fat full-stop, it lay in my hand. A small orange – not exactly fresh, but purchased anyway…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
Michael S says:
"A teacher at Geelong Grammar had criticised her for using words that were too long, which had left her confused and had made her doubt her ability to write essays. She became ''quite distressed'' when her English marks began to fall." I can sympathise. My scholastic mentors conveyed to me a causal relationship… [read more]From: Welfare for breeders is a bonus for everyone
Change Up! says:
I have no problem paying my taxes. As a single, childless person on a very decent income, I can afford it and not have my life severely altered. Plus I understand that my taxes paying for things like schools, childcare and infrastructure is ultimately a good thing. A better community is better for me… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
A private school girl’s family is sueing her elite, extremely expensive private school for not… Read more
