Source: PSA
The Government is prioritising saving money for employers, over the rights of women, casual and part-time workers to fair compensation for being sick and working public holidays.
Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden today announced an overhaul of the Holidays Act 2003 with a new law to come into effect next year.
“The shake-up of rules and entitlements will just give workers yet another reason to cross the Tasman where pay and conditions, particularly around holiday and sick leave, are far more favourable,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“We are fast becoming just a labour hire company for Australia.
“Many our members are women who work part-time and will end up having to work longer to accrue sufficient sick leave. They have greater care responsibilities so will be penalised under the changes and will be unable to afford to take as much sick leave.
“Low paid casual workers will have to pay for their own sick leave. This means they will be less able to afford to take leave when they are sick, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis. How is that good for healthy workplaces and for workers to recover and become productive again?
“Casual workers will get a modest loading on their wages to pay for sick leave. The overall loading for annual and sick leave is 12.5%, half that of Australia.
“Similarly, changes to public holiday provisions will disadvantage all workers. The Minister is celebrating the fact that the change will save employers money. Workers get less because the employer no longer must provide a full, alternative day off. Workers will not get the benefit of a full day off to compensate for working on a public holiday.
“The PSA welcomes the changes to parental leave which allow parents to retain leave entitlements and not be disadvantaged by the time taken off.
“But overall, this package of changes continues the erosion of workers’ rights, coming on top of scrapping pay equity claims, axing Fair Pay Agreements, reducing minimum wage increases in real terms, and making it easier for employers to fire workers.
“All this will just make Australia more attractive where workers have higher pay and greater leave entitlements.
“This will further damage the Government’s much vaunted economic growth agenda – we can’t afford to lose more workers to Australia.”
