Tenants' Union joins May Day rally – workers rights and housing justice go hand in hand

May Day (International Workers’ Day) is an important tradition which was established in the 1800s. In many countries it is a public holiday and allows workers to rally around issues they are facing. 

Workers’ rights and housing justice go hand-in-hand: they’re two of the cornerstones to building a fair society. Workers’ rights are vital to ensuring people can access safe, stable, affordable housing. Workers whose wages stagnate become priced out of the rental market. Workers on precarious contracts may struggle to secure a home at all. Workers forced to work in unsafe conditions are at risk of becoming ill or injured and losing their employment income as a result – leaving them vulnerable to a rent arrears eviction.

Marching alongside others at the May Day rally on Monday (1 May) was an opportunity for the Tenants' Union to deepen our understanding, as well as to engage with and represent the interests of renter-workers.

Workers face a broad range of issues in the ongoing housing crisis. Essential workers across the country are struggling to find accommodation within proximity of their workplaces. Union organisers across a variety of sectors are reporting an increasing number of members raising the rental crisis as a key concern of theirs.

Taking part in May Day highlighted for us the need for the new NSW Labor Government to swiftly and effectively implement renting reforms.