To: Natalie Hutchins, Minister for Industrial Relations
Time for secure jobs!
Almost 40% of working people in Australia are trapped in insecure work - as casuals, sham contract or labour hire. The impact of insecure work on families and our communities is huge.
When surveyed, 86% of workers in insecure work reported that they did not feel confident about the future of their job or income. Half of workers reported that they did not have a predictable roster to plan their life around and that they could not take leave without fear of losing their job.
It's time for secure jobs. University teachers, farm workers, disability support professionals, warehouse packers, school support teachers, construction workers, cleaners, security guards - we all deserve secure jobs we can count on.
We deserve:
- Labour hire laws that protects working people
- Secure jobs and an end to sham contracts
- Big business to take responsibility for their supply chain of abuse
Why is this important?
There is verbal abuse, sexual harassment, no overtime pay and very insecure work. I can tell you that all kinds of bad treatment is still happening in Australia. I was exploited when I lived in Sale.
'This was my story and still is for many other workers across Victoria. Workers are changing their lives by joining their union, but we also need to get rid of these dodgy labour hire contractors.' (Kaylha, NUW member)
Tackling the problem of casualisation in universities is critically important, not just for educators but for students to get the most out of their studies.
'Educators overwhelmingly aspire to ongoing positions, but instead casualisation has become an entrenched feature of the university landscape.' (Lachlan, NTEU member)