Monday, August 20, 2007
WorkChoices hits Women
John Howard continually denies his draconian WorkChoices legislation hits the rights of workers. The truth is demonstrated in this week's disturbing report commissioned by the National Foundation for Australian Women and others - Women and WorkChoices: Impacts on the Low Pay Sector. It found that WorkChoices is hammering low paid women and their families, particularly those in the retail, hospitality, aged care and childcare sectors. It demonstrates WorkChoices has facilitated reductions in the income of study participants, ranging from the loss of over $100 a week for some, to loss of penalty rates, loadings, and allowances. The message is clear – you can't trust the Howard Government to protect your conditions and your children's conditions. See the full report: http://www.nfaw.org/media/2007/07-08-13.html#report
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Impacts of Workchoices
These statistics are hardly surprising and take Australia back to the dark ages of greater inequality for women. Exploiting our most vulnerable people is un Australian.
From my son's experience the use of AWAs in the tourism industry has also allowed employers to exploit their employees in a way similar to many women in low paid positions and to erode any entitlements they might have and give them effectively NO CHOICE. This is now a causalised workforce of often committed and hard working people who choose to work in tourism , particularly ecotourism, because of a deep interest and ability to showcase our wonderful environment. They don't want to or can't for financial reasons leave their jobs but they are justly entitled to fair pay and treatment for the responsibility they undertake eg driving an expensive four wheel drive bus on the beaches of Fraser Island with 40 -50 passengers.
The AWA presented to my son had multiple spelling mistakes and did not provide any information about his actual position or the responsiblities entailed. It did however remove access to any overtime payments in exchange for $1 extra an hour, included no endemnity cover and statements suggesting that the company could direct him to take leave at any time without notice and without pay. He didn't sign the AWA and hasn't been sacked because he is too valuable to the employer but several of his workmates did out of fear of loosing their jobs as they had families to support and are being paid less which of course creates tension in the workplace. In the current situation it is unclear whether my son is covered by any award or has any form of contract with the employer.
I am posting this to provide yet another example of the mess that disparately needs to be fixed.
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These statistics are hardly surprising and take Australia back to the dark ages of greater inequality for women. Exploiting our most vulnerable people is un Australian.
From my son's experience the use of AWAs in the tourism industry has also allowed employers to exploit their employees in a way similar to many women in low paid positions and to erode any entitlements they might have and give them effectively NO CHOICE. This is now a causalised workforce of often committed and hard working people who choose to work in tourism , particularly ecotourism, because of a deep interest and ability to showcase our wonderful environment. They don't want to or can't for financial reasons leave their jobs but they are justly entitled to fair pay and treatment for the responsibility they undertake eg driving an expensive four wheel drive bus on the beaches of Fraser Island with 40 -50 passengers.
The AWA presented to my son had multiple spelling mistakes and did not provide any information about his actual position or the responsiblities entailed. It did however remove access to any overtime payments in exchange for $1 extra an hour, included no endemnity cover and statements suggesting that the company could direct him to take leave at any time without notice and without pay. He didn't sign the AWA and hasn't been sacked because he is too valuable to the employer but several of his workmates did out of fear of loosing their jobs as they had families to support and are being paid less which of course creates tension in the workplace. In the current situation it is unclear whether my son is covered by any award or has any form of contract with the employer.
I am posting this to provide yet another example of the mess that disparately needs to be fixed.
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: 5:51 pm
: 5:51 pm << Home
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