Optus has been fined $800,000 by the Federal court for facilitating a phone scam that defrauded thousands of Australians, while New South Wales is taking aim at ”dehumanising” work practices employed by companies like Amazon. The penalties for Optus stem from a breach of telecommunications law,allowing scammers to impersonate legitimate organisations and access sensitive customer information.
The NSW government announced on November 19, 2025, it will introduce legislation targeting exploitative labor models, especially those reliant on algorithms and intense performance monitoring. This move follows concerns about the physical and psychological toll on workers in fast-paced environments, such as Amazon’s warehouses, where productivity demands are exceptionally high. The proposed laws seek to establish a presumption against the use of systems that unreasonably pressure employees.
Elsewhere in the news, a leadership challenge is brewing within the NSW Liberal party, with former attorney general Mark Speakman reportedly considering a bid to replace current leader John Roskam. This internal unrest comes as the coalition grapples with declining poll numbers and increasing pressure from the Labor opposition.
A state memorial service was held today, November 19, 2025, for radio legend John Laws, who died on November 15, 2025, aged 88. The service celebrated Laws’s decades-long career and his critically important contribution to Australian broadcasting.
protests are planned across major Australian cities this week in response to ongoing industrial relations disputes and concerns about workers’ rights. Details regarding specific locations and times are still emerging.
