5 years ago
WOLLONGONG COAL AGREEMENT WIN FOR PAY AND JOB SECURITY
THE HON BRENDAN O’CONNOR
Labor will always stand up for workers that’s why we welcome reports today of an agreement between workers, employers and unions at Wollongong Coal that improves pay and job security.
Labor has always encouraged both parties in enterprise bargaining to come to the table to negotiate in good faith a resolution, and we congratulate the parties involved and encourage others to do the same.
Shifting an entirely casual workforce to permanent workers with pay and conditions on par with nearby sites, stops the race to the bottom on pay and conditions, which benefits both workers and employers.
Last year Labor announced a crack down on the exploitation of workers. Labor will legislate to ensure that workers employed at a site through a labour hire company, who work next to direct employees, will receive the same pay and conditions.
Labor will also introduce a national labour hire licensing scheme to protect workers from exploitation, providing an important floor of standards. We will require all labour hire companies to be licensed. Companies that are based overseas and supply labour to Australian firms, either directly or through other companies, will also have to be licensed to do business here.
Federal Labor will also legislate an objective definition of casual.
At the moment, there are too many workers in Australia subject to unfair labour hire practices, often treated like second class citizens with lower wages, worse conditions and no job security.
For some workers labour hire and casual work is a pathway into a permanent job, but for too many workers it has become a way of life. For these workers it’s tough to pay the rent and the bills, let alone make longer-term decisions like taking out a car loan or buying their own home.
While there are workers who like the flexibility that labour hire provides, too often it’s used purely as a mechanism to pay workers less, or to deprive them of conditions and security.
Labor’s reforms are about protecting workers and giving them and their families a fair go, making sure that labour hire workers aren’t caught in a cycle of precarious work and unfair conditions which they can’t escape from.
As Labor leads on policies for decent jobs, higher wages and secure work, Scott Morrison is dealing with his divided and dysfunctional government interested only in themselves.
A fairer labour hire industry is good for workers and good for business.
Labor has always encouraged both parties in enterprise bargaining to come to the table to negotiate in good faith a resolution, and we congratulate the parties involved and encourage others to do the same.
Shifting an entirely casual workforce to permanent workers with pay and conditions on par with nearby sites, stops the race to the bottom on pay and conditions, which benefits both workers and employers.
Last year Labor announced a crack down on the exploitation of workers. Labor will legislate to ensure that workers employed at a site through a labour hire company, who work next to direct employees, will receive the same pay and conditions.
Labor will also introduce a national labour hire licensing scheme to protect workers from exploitation, providing an important floor of standards. We will require all labour hire companies to be licensed. Companies that are based overseas and supply labour to Australian firms, either directly or through other companies, will also have to be licensed to do business here.
Federal Labor will also legislate an objective definition of casual.
At the moment, there are too many workers in Australia subject to unfair labour hire practices, often treated like second class citizens with lower wages, worse conditions and no job security.
For some workers labour hire and casual work is a pathway into a permanent job, but for too many workers it has become a way of life. For these workers it’s tough to pay the rent and the bills, let alone make longer-term decisions like taking out a car loan or buying their own home.
While there are workers who like the flexibility that labour hire provides, too often it’s used purely as a mechanism to pay workers less, or to deprive them of conditions and security.
Labor’s reforms are about protecting workers and giving them and their families a fair go, making sure that labour hire workers aren’t caught in a cycle of precarious work and unfair conditions which they can’t escape from.
As Labor leads on policies for decent jobs, higher wages and secure work, Scott Morrison is dealing with his divided and dysfunctional government interested only in themselves.
A fairer labour hire industry is good for workers and good for business.