Timber, Furnishing and Textiles Union

05/11/2026

Victorian manufacturing workers are fighting for their jobs — who will back them? ✊

We’ve written to the major political parties asking them to keep AND strengthen Victoria’s Local Jobs First Act.

Despite Victoria having the strongest 'buy local' laws in Australia, too much government work still goes offshore — including too much furniture, cabinetry, joinery, prefab components, timber, windows, doors, carpet and workwear that Victorian workers can make here.

🏗️ Victoria’s Big Housing Build should = Local Jobs.

Add you name to the petition in the comments

03/11/2026

Another interest rate rise. Another kick in the guts for working people.

Families are already struggling with mortgages, rents, groceries and power bills. Yet again, the Reserve Bank’s answer is to squeeze them even harder.

Working people didn’t create this cost-of-living crisis, but they’re being forced to pay the price.

There has to be a better way than making workers carry the burden.

02/11/2026

🏇 Your perfect companion (or alternative!) to the Melbourne Cup form guide — the latest TFTU newsletter!

Read all about National Secretary elect Leo Skourdoumbis and our new leadership team taking office in January, catch up on members’ fights to save manufacturing jobs, and see how we’re growing our union for better wages and conditions. 💪

Read it here 👇
https://tftunion.aflip.in/563b32a656.html

02/11/2026

Last week, NSW Secretary Alison spoke up at the Eurobodalla Shire Council and asked them to reject a reckless Greens motion campaigning for a national park locking up the entire south coast of NSW. Indulging this nonsense would put members’ jobs at risk in places like Nowra, Narooma and Eden. Luckily council listened and voted down the Greens motion 6-3. You can read more in the article in the comments.

Drop a “support local jobs” in the comments if you think our communities deserve good jobs & a good environment, not rash greenie politicking.

01/11/2026

👏 UNION WIN! 💪

A TFTU paper worker has received $25,000 in backpay after a large NSW manufacturer misclassified them for over three years.

Our organiser pursued the case relentlessly. Now our member has recovered what they were owed and will be paid fairly for their skills and contribution going forward — the way it should be.

30/10/2026

Never let a big, puffed-up boss who’s full of hot air scare you! 🐈‍⬛

A little courage can bring down giants. And when workers stand together in their union, there’s nothing to be afraid of! ✊

Happy Halloween from the TFTU! 🎃

30/10/2026

UNION WIN AT AAM TIMBER IN THE GREATER GREEN TRIANGLE!
TFTU members have won back annual leave wrongly deducted for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve public holiday hours, going back to 2019, plus an extra 2 hours of leave for every 10 hours owed.
Members will also keep the leave loading already paid.
As more workers at AAM Timber join their union and stand together, members are getting results and showing what can be achieved when workers get organised and back each other.
And there's more to be won.
The more members we have on site, the more power we have to win better wages, conditions and improvements at work.
Get on board. Join your workmates in the TFTU!
👇 Join link in the first comment.

22/10/2026

Cracker of a day at NSW Parliament yesterday with the election of incoming NSW District President Coley and VP Dallus recognised in the upper-house. Mark Buttigieg MLC, a long-time union supporter took the time to recognise the leadership of these two tireless delegates. Being a delegate can be the toughest & best role in the union movement and it helps to know you have support like Mark has shown.

Drop a ‘solidarity’ in the comments if you are also standing with these workplace legends as they stand up for TFTU members!

20/10/2026

17/10/2026

A BIG WEEK FOR AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING JOBS! 🇦🇺

Last week was a big week of progress in the fight to protect and grow Australian manufacturing jobs!

✅ Rebuilding textile manufacturing: The TFTU and Australian Fashion Council brought manufacturers and workers together at Parliament House to push for the development of a National Textile Clothing and Footwear industry plan, leveraging government procurement to support Australian manufacturing. We were encouraged by Industry Minister Senator Tim Ayres's response and commitment to keep working with us.

✅ Manufacturing more homes: Commonwealth, state and territory housing ministers, in a meeting convened by Housing Minister Clare O'Neil MP committed to advancing manufactured housing. We joined Australian Unions at the national industry roundtable and pushed for the use Australian made materials and stronger local supply chains, skilled, local jobs and a reliable pipeline of Manufactured Housing projects.

✅ Local Jobs First in NSW: All the hard work of our NSW members working with Unions NSW started to pay off with landmark legislation passed, paving the way for a mandatory 30% tender weighting for Australian content, local jobs, skills, and ethical supply chains in major government contracts.

✅ Taking the fight forward in Victoria: Building on last week's mass meeting of commercial furnishing and glazing members we kept building momentum in our campaign ahead of the Victorian election to defend and strengthen Victoria's Local Jobs First laws and make sure the Big Housing Build delivers for local manufacturing.

✅ Action against unfair trade: Provisional anti-dumping tariffs on aluminium windows and doors from China provided welcome relief for Australian manufacturers and jobs, following a key milestone in the investigation strongly backed by TFTU members.

✅ Growing value-added timber manufacturing: An investor forum and new industry partnership boosted momentum for The Precinct, a project we're backing to turn plantation logs currently used for export woodchips into engineered timber building products, replacing imports and supporting Australia's manufactured housing supply chain.

Six developments. One common objective: more things made in Australia, by Australian workers.

Plenty more to do, but real progress worth recognising.

Australian jobs are worth fighting for! ✊ See less