Public Sector Wages

Australian Workplace Agreements

IR changes impact on regional towns

By ACTU

ACTU President Sharan Burrow will meet workers in the regional NSW city of Lismore today (Tuesday) to discuss the Federal Government's proposals to change Australia's workplace laws and the likely impact on regional workers, families and communities.

Ms Burrow will meet workers employed in community services, education, retail and local government sectors in the Lismore area to discuss the impact of the Government's industrial relations changes on their workplace rights, job security and living standards.

Sharan Burrow said: "Working families right across Australia, especially those in living in regional communities, are concerned that the Government's radical changes to workplace laws will lead to lower living standards in the country.

"Issues like job security and decent workplace rights and proper minimum standards are particularly important in regional areas.

"In a city like Lismore where more than 60% of working people currently earn only $30,000 a year or less, there are a lot of working families who are already struggling just to keep their heads above water. They are rightly concerned that the Government's industrial relations changes will take them backwards.

"Under the Government's laws workers will be able to be put onto individual contracts that remove penalty rates and overtime and cut peoples' take home pay.

"The Government also wants to abolish unfair dismissal protections for more than 3.6 million workers employed in businesses with less than 100 staff.

"These changes will hit the job security of workers in regional communities particularly hard because so many regional employees work in companies with less than 100 staff.

"Many workers in regional areas also rely on award conditions and increases in award rates of pay to maintain their living standards. But under the Government's proposals it will be easier for employers to move workers off awards and onto individual contracts that take away award entitlements like redundancy pay, weekend rates, allowances and annual leave loading without any compensation to workers.

"The Government says its workplace plans are in the national interest. But if they hurt working families in regional areas and make them less secure how can that be in the national interest?"

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

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/public_sector_wages/20050719_regional.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005