7 years ago
YOUTH JOBS PATH DISPLACING JOBS INSTEAD OF CREATING THEM
BRENDAN O’CONNOR MP ED HUSIC MP
Today the Turnbull Government announced another 10,000 entry level jobs will be displaced by interns - this time in the pubs and clubs sector.
Labor has continually pointed out that the Youth Jobs PaTH Program is ripe for exploitation and misuse and the Turnbull Government can't guarantee these subsidised internships are additional jobs added to the labour market.
There is a very real concern that entry level jobs will be ripped away from workers in favour of subsidised internships, paid below the minimum wage.
The Turnbull Government previously did a deal for 10,000 retail jobs to go to interns instead of employees and now they've replicated this deal with Australia's pubs and clubs.
It's no coincidence they are targeting industries where workers are heavily reliant on weekend penalty rates.
The Government has not outlined how its agreement with pubs and clubs will stop subsidised workers from being used by some businesses to avoid paying penalty rates - by engaging subsidised, so-called ‘interns’ in penalty shifts that would normally be staffed by employees.
This is just another example of the Turnbull Government's assault on cutting wages and keeping wages low at a time when wages are declining in real terms.
This is just another example of the Turnbull Government's assault on cutting wages and keeping wages low at a time when wages are declining in real terms.
Instead of coming up with a serious jobs plan to help bring down Australia's high rate of youth unemployment, the Turnbull Government is rolling out programs that are replacing properly-paid, entry level jobs.