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General
Australian Workplace Agreements
AWA slashes meatworkers pay
A new Workplace Authority-approved job agreement that cuts the take home pay of around 300 workers at the Lobethal abattoir in SA's Adelaide hills district by up to $88 a week shows the Howard Government's fairness test is a total sham say unions.
A new Workplace Authority-approved job agreement that cuts the take home pay of around 300 workers at the Lobethal abattoir in SA's Adelaide hills district by up to $88 a week shows the Howard Government's fairness test is a total sham say unions.
Major abattoir operator T & R is proposing a non-union agreement for its Lobethal workforce that:
· Completely gets rid of the rights of employees to paid rest breaks, annual leave loading, and other important allowances.
· Cuts week-day and weekend overtime rates as well as public holiday rates.
· Gives workers an annual pay increase of only 2% when this is below the rate of inflation and way below increases in the cost of housing, petrol and food for working families.
· Removes without compensation a 10% loading paid to workers under the award to compensate them for the fact they can be stood down at short notice without pay if there are stock shortages. (The agreement gets rid of the 10% loading but still allows workers to be stood down without pay.)
· Gets rid of the 38 hour week and increases standard working hours to 40 hours a week.
The Howard Government's workplace watchdog has given the company proposal its tick of approval despite the fact meatworkers are not fully compensated for the loss of their conditions say unions.
The head of the Workplace Authority, Barbara Bennett, who features in the Howard Government's million dollar a day WorkChoices ad blitz has written to the company to confirm the agreement passes the 'fairness test'.
Ms Bennett has also advised the company the agreement does not contain any prohibited content despite the agreement including a clause that clearly discriminates against 457 visa holders by exempting them from access to unfair dismissal laws.
ACTU President Sharan Burrow said:
"Everyone suspected the 'fairness test' was a sham and this dodgy agreement proves it.
"Here we have around 300 employees who are being asked to work longer hours for less money and the Federal Government has given it the big tick.
"Barbara Bennett has put her stamp of approval on an agreement that cuts workers' award entitlements by up to nearly $90 a week at the same time she appears in dishonest TV ads to say workers' wages and conditions are protected under the 'fairness test'.
"This is another disgraceful act by a dishonest and desperate Government that shows just how unfair are the WorkChoices IR laws," said Ms Burrow.
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