Social Justice Campaigns

Equality IS Union Business 

Taking Action on Climate Change

What is the issue?

Climate change is a healthcare issue of existential proportions. The detrimental impacts of the climate crisis grow year-on-year and yet there is still no comprehensive national plan to combat this encroaching disaster. Instead, the Federal Government is pushing ahead with its gas-led COVID-19 recovery plan, without considering the long-term expense or harm of fossil fuels.

The healthcare sector is already under strain through underfunding, staffing shortages and the impacts of COVID, and will only continue to struggle as extreme weather events become increasingly common.

We are reaching the last moments for preventative health action. Our government acting now on climate change could prevent millions of premature deaths, address climate-based health inequity, and provide health and economic benefits for everyone, including Allied Health Professionals and their patients.

What are we doing?

Climate change is core union business, especially for health unions. To this end, VAHPA encourages all Allied Health Professionals to demand that our newly-elected politicians take serious, immediate action on climate change.

VAHPA regularly supports and attends the student-run School Strike 4 Climate events that take place state-wide in Victoria every year. Go to the School Strike 4 Climate website to find out when the next event is happening in your area.

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2022

What is the issue?

May 17 marks the 31 year anniversary of the World Health Organisation removing homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases and Related Health problems. Healthcare has historically been a discriminatory and often inaccessible space for LGBTQIA+ people around the world as patients and workers alike.

Homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia are health issues with real consequences for the health of the LGBTQIA+ community. In 2021, 41.7% of Victorian LGBTQIA+ people still reported experiencing some form of harassment based on their sexuality or gender identity in the last 12 months, and 40.3% reported feeling unsafe in their workplace. LGBTQIA+ people are still significantly more likely to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety, with bisexual and trans people at the highest risk. Psychological distress remains significantly higher for the LGBTQIA+ community than for cisgender and heterosexual Australians. [1]

Victoria has made significant progress thanks to the tireless activism and collective struggle of the community, but there is still much more to be done – including by VAHPA and the union movement – to continue to strive for equality and justice for our queer and trans comrades.

VAHPA stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ members and staff and with the wider community. Health equality is union business, and equality is union business.

What are we doing?

VAHPA’s Mission Statement leaves no room for silence on issues of inclusivity. We stand for fairness, equality and for an end to discrimination. will continue to speak out on the politicisation of LGBTQIA+ peoples’ existence, and to fight for equality for the members we represent and for the wider Victorian community.

[1] Writing Themselves In 4 National Report, La Trobe University, February 2021.