Australian Workplace Agreements

Stop young workers harrassment: ACTU

The ACTU has renewed its call for the Federal Government to stop employers from putting workers under the age of 20 onto individual contracts.

The ACTU has renewed its call for the Federal Government to stop employers from putting workers under the age of 20 onto individual contracts.
The call follows reports in the Sydney media today of young workers being bullied, pressured and threatened with discrimination if they didn't sign individual contracts that removed their penalty rates and cut their take home pay.

Mr Combet said: "It is farcical for the Federal Government to argue that a young worker going for their first job is in any sort of position to negotiate an individual contract with their employer.

"The problem with the Federal Government's plans to push more workers onto individual contracts is that many workers, including a lot of younger workers, simply don't have equal bargaining power with their employer.

"Individual contracts mean that these workers are vulnerable to exploitation - to being bullied and discriminated against if they refuse to sign an individual contract, or to having their conditions and take home pay cut if they do sign. The Government keeps talking about choice - well that doesn't sound like much of a choice to me.

"Under the Government's individual contracts Australian employees would be increasingly forced into a situation where they have to negotiate on their own for rights and conditions that they are already entitled to. This will take working families backwards at a time when they are already struggling just to keep their heads above water."

Today's Sydney Morning Herald contains reports of young workers at US doughnut chain Krispy Kreme being bullied into signing individual contracts that removed their right to penalty rates, overtime and allowances and cut their take-home pay.

The contacts, which had been approved by the Federal Governments Office of the Employment Advocate, meant that one young worker had to work for 16 ½ hours straight without any penalty payments or overtime loading being paid.

All new employees were made to sign the contracts. Existing workers who did not sign are alleged to have been subject to pressure from management including threats that employees work hours would be cut and promotion opportunities would be denied if they did not sign the contracts. Most of the workers were between 15 and 18 years old. Pressure on them to sign was so great that at least one worker was brought to tears.

Last week a South Australian Court also found that young workers, as young as 15 years old, from Bakers Delight had been pushed onto a Federal Government approved individual contract that abolished annual leave and sick leave and cut their pay by 25%.

"The Federal Government should move immediately to protect young workers from this sort of ill treatment and exploitation and ban employers from pushing young workers onto individual contracts," Mr Combet said.

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/general/20050818_young.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005