Last night the Morrison Government used its majority in the House of Representatives to pass their Bill.

The ALP, the Greens, Dr Helen Haines, Bob Katter, Rebekha Sharkie and Andrew Wilkie chose to defend the rights of working people and voted against the Bill.

What is the Bill about?

The Bill will leave working people on Federal awards worse off with cuts to take home pay and conditions, fewer rights and less job security.

It will shift power in bargaining to big business, removing protections which ensure workers understand what they are voting on and that they will be better off. It will be harder for workers to bargain for better conditions and more pay – a process that is already extremely difficult.

What can you do to protect your future?

We are now relying on the cross bench Senators to prevent this attack on workers’ rights from becoming law.

I urge you to contact the Senate cross bench today and ask them to STOP THIS BILL.

You can email them here. https://www.australianunions.org.au/campaign/email-your-mp-and-senator/

EMAIL THE SENATE CROSS BENCH HERE!

What are we trying to stop?

Casuals—worse off with fewer rights

Casuals have won rights & protections in courts, this law takes these rights away
Unions have recently won protections to stop permanent jobs being casualised, this law takes these protections away
Employers will have power to define any job as casual through individual employment contracts
Proposals for casuals to convert to permanent work are very easy for employers to avoid
2020 showed us that too many casual jobs with very few rights for workers is a weakness for our country. Instead of fixing this, these laws will make the problem worse.

Part time workers turned into cut rate casuals

Part time workers will have their pay cut, losing their right to overtime pay
Part time workers will be treated like casuals but without the usual casual loading.
Part time workers will lose certainty and predictability of rosters and pay

This will first apply in 12 awards including retail, hospitality, and fast food but can be extended everywhere.

Wage theft—Get out of jail free

Wipes out strong laws that would put wage thieves in jail

Taking rights off retail and hospitality workers

Employers will be able to direct workers to perform duties that are not part of their usual work.
Employers will be able to direct workers to work at different locations
The independent umpire (Fair Work Commission) will no longer be able to stop employers making unreasonable demands

This will first apply in 12 awards including retail, hospitality, and fast food but can be extended everywhere.

Taking rights off construction workers

Workers on big building projects can be denied any say over their wages or rights
Multinationals will be able to dictate pay and workplace rights to Australian workers, this is exactly what the big mining companies and developers have demanded
If workers on these projects have a problem and a multinational refuses to fix it, the workers can’t ask the independent umpire to fix it and they face huge fines if they stop work

Enterprise Bargaining—Wiping out protections

Employers will no longer need to give workers all the facts about a new Enterprise Agreement
Removes important safeguards aimed at ensuring agreements are fair and workers are better off
Severely limits the role of the Fair Work Commission in protecting workers
Allows agreements to misrepresent the National Employment Standards on rights like annual leave and personal leave

Cut through the Government’s spin – read the facts here.