4 years ago
A WIN FOR CASUAL WORKERS
TONY BURKE MP
The Federal Court has delivered a significant win for Australian workers – and a blow for employers who seek to deny them their proper entitlements.
Casual work is meant to be just that: casual.
Companies that use casual contracts for jobs that are in fact permanent are taking advantage of their workers.
This behaviour deliberately robs workers of the security, protections and entitlements of permanent work.
If there’s any “double dipping” going on here it is being performed by the employers who are taking advantage of the insecurity of casual work while still getting permanent hours out of their workers.
Labor therefore welcomes the Federal Court’s judgement in the WorkPac v Rossato case.
Employers should accept it and do the right thing by workers.
The Morrison Government should also accept it – and abandon its plans to pursue legislation that would circumvent the judgement and allow this behaviour to continue. That would be a gross betrayal of Australian workers.
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis workers will need more job security, not less.
As we emerge from the shadow of coronavirus many Australians will be desperate for work – and that will make them vulnerable to bad workplace deals and exploitation.
We cannot allow employers to use the crisis to force more people into insecure casual jobs without entitlements when they should in fact be classified as permanent workers.
Casual work is meant to be just that: casual.
Companies that use casual contracts for jobs that are in fact permanent are taking advantage of their workers.
This behaviour deliberately robs workers of the security, protections and entitlements of permanent work.
If there’s any “double dipping” going on here it is being performed by the employers who are taking advantage of the insecurity of casual work while still getting permanent hours out of their workers.
Labor therefore welcomes the Federal Court’s judgement in the WorkPac v Rossato case.
Employers should accept it and do the right thing by workers.
The Morrison Government should also accept it – and abandon its plans to pursue legislation that would circumvent the judgement and allow this behaviour to continue. That would be a gross betrayal of Australian workers.
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis workers will need more job security, not less.
As we emerge from the shadow of coronavirus many Australians will be desperate for work – and that will make them vulnerable to bad workplace deals and exploitation.
We cannot allow employers to use the crisis to force more people into insecure casual jobs without entitlements when they should in fact be classified as permanent workers.