☕️ Victorian public servants to get period leave

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Quote of the day

“I won’t dance. Promise.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s statement on joining TikTok to reach younger voters.

Stat of the day

18.9 million
The record-breaking number of viewers who watched the U.S. women’s college basketball finals last Sunday. It was the most viewers the women’s National Championship game has ever attracted, and the most watched basketball game (college or pro, men’s or women’s) in five years.

Today in history

2019
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he’d sought political asylum to avoid rape charges in Sweden and spying charges in the U.S. The Swedish charges have since been dropped, but Assange continues to fight removal to the U.S. to face trial.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• AFL player Jeremy Finlayson has been handed a three-game suspension after using what the AFL called a “highly offensive homophobic slur” against an Essendon player last Friday. The AFL said the Port Adelaide player will need to attend mandatory inclusivity training. It noted Finlayson immediately apologised and admitted to using the slur, and said his punishment would have been more severe if he hadn’t shown remorse.

• The U.S. state of Arizona has revived a near-total abortion ban that was included under laws dating back to 1864. The reinstated laws will make all abortion illegal, except for terminations deemed necessary to save the mother’s life. They won’t come into effect for two weeks to allow for any remaining challenges to its decision. 21 U.S. states have implemented abortion restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Recommendation of the day

I’ve got 1 minute

Public service workers in Victoria could soon have access to paid period leave

Public service staff in Victoria could soon have access to paid period leave.

It comes after the union representing public sector workers negotiated a new deal with the state Government.

The agreement would give public servants access to an extra five days of leave for menstruation, menopause and other reproductive health issues.

The Victorian public sector includes anyone employed by government bodies like the Department of Education or the state’s parks authority.

The deal

Victoria’s Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and the state government announced an in-principle agreement on Tuesday — both sides have agreed to a deal, but it hasn’t been finalised.

Part of the deal focuses on ways to improve gender equality outcomes within the public sector. This includes extending leave entitlements to recognise women’s health and reproductive rights, menstruation, and menopause.

Five leave days for reproductive health issues will be added to current sick leave entitlements (10 days).

Other entitlements

Other entitlements secured under the deal (for all public service workers) include:

• A 3% annual pay rise over the next 4 years.

• A one-off $5,600 lump sum for all full-time employees as soon as the agreement is approved by the Fair Work Commission.

• Extended superannuation payments for primary carers on parental leave.

• Improved processes to support flexible and hybrid work.

What’s next?

Employees will vote on the agreement before it can be finalised and implemented.

If approved, the agreement will be submitted to the Fair Work Commission for formal approval.

I’ve got 2 minutes

A Swiss senior women’s group has won a court case over climate inaction

A European court has ruled that Switzerland’s government has a responsibility to protect citizens’ well-being from the impacts of climate change.

The decision comes after a group of older women and climate activists from Switzerland launched legal action in the European Court of Human Rights.

The court ruled in favour of the women, in what experts say could have “significant” consequences for climate lawsuits around the world.

The case

The legal action was brought by four women from KlimaSeniorinnen (Senior Women for Climate Protection Switzerland). The organisation is made up of more than 2,500 women with an average age of 73.

KlimaSeniorinnen had initially tried to sue Swiss authorities over inaction to address climate change, which it argued was negatively impacting women’s health and lifestyles.

When that bid failed, the organisation escalated its case to the European Human Rights Court.

Health

The four women argued their age and gender made them more vulnerable to the impacts of global warming.

One woman said she had collapsed due to intense sun exposure, and another time had passed out in a doctor’s waiting room due to high temperatures.

Heat had also worsened some of the women’s asthma and heart issues. Most noted hotter days also meant they were forced to stay inside for longer periods.

One of the women died during the proceedings. Her son continued the case on her behalf.

Government response

The group argued the Swiss government had failed to meet recent emission reduction targets, and was yet to commit to legally binding targets for the future.

Switzerland has signed on to several international pledges to reduce carbon emissions.

However, KlimaSeniorinnen said Swiss authorities aren’t taking the necessary action to meet these goals.

Ruling

All but one of the court’s 17 judges ruled the Swiss government had failed in its obligations to address climate change adequately.

As a result, the court determined Switzerland violated the European Convention on Human Rights, which states: “Everyone’s right to life shall be protected by law... Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence”.

The Swiss government must pay more than $AU131,000 in compensation to KlimaSeniorinnen.

Reaction

KlimaSeniorinnen co-president Anne Mahrer called the ruling “historic”.

Speaking outside the court, she said Switzerland should “take ambitious measures to protect our health and protect the future for all of us.”

The Swiss Federal Office of Justice, the country’s highest legal agency, said it’s considering the judgment and will “review what measures Switzerland will take in the future”.

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A transgender woman is suing a social media app for discrimination in the Federal Court.

Roxanne Tickle launched legal action against 'Giggle for Girls' after she was removed from the app in 2021, and claims she was discriminated against unfairly because of her gender.

The creator of the app denies any wrongdoing, and has repeatedly denied that Tickle is female. Today on the podcast we’ll deep dive into the details of this case, and explain why it's so important.

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The oldest known pottery samples in Australia have been discovered in Far North Queensland.

It’s the first time archaeologists have found evidence of pottery-making by First Nations communities in Australia. 

Archaeologists found 82 pieces of pottery on an island in the Great Barrier Reef off the Cape York Peninsula.

Experts say the artefacts might have been used as part of a trade network with other First Nations communities in the western Pacific.

TDA tidbit

A German man trying to make it as an artist has been caught out after he smuggled his art into the museum he worked at.

The 51-year-old employee had after hours access to the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich, and hung his painting on the wall in secret. The modern art museum’s collection includes work from world renowned artists including Picasso. 

Not only was the museum worker fired from his job, but police now want him to pay damages to the musuem for the small holes he drilled into a wall to hang his own piece.

A spokesperson for the museum told local news: “Supervisors notice something like this immediately.”

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