The USU joins the ACTU and other unions in condemning a pre-election agenda being pushed by the business lobby to axe significant workplace rights for up to one million Australian workers.

In an attack that will axe workers’ rights, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has begun publicly lobbying to change the definition of a small business from the current 15 employees to 25 employees in a workplace.

Unfair dismissal rights reduced

If the Coalition agrees to the business lobby’s demands, workers will have their unfair dismissal rights significantly reduced. This would be a huge blow to up to one million workers and their families.

The agenda being pushed by the business lobby will also make life will be more difficult for workers who are trying to convert from casual to permanent jobs or who need flexible work or extended parental leave.

WAGE THEFT RECOVERY HARDER

It will also mean that the recovery of unpaid wages due to wage theft will be harder based on the existing exemptions for small businesses in the Fair Work Act.

Union delegates would lose the right to training and employers would also be allowed to cut wages using labour hire.

It is estimated that this change in the definition of a small business will affect up to an estimated one million Australian workers who are employed by employers with between 15-25 workers.

Workers in Australia should not have less rights simply because of the size of their employer.

It is unfair and will seriously harm the working lives of large numbers of working people.

The USU joins the union movement in calling on the Coalition to immediately rule it out.

If elected, Peter Dutton’s Coalition has already promised to abolish the right to disconnect, multi-employer bargaining, rights for casual workers and higher wages for labour hire employees.

This further change would make it even harder for some of our most vulnerable workers.

If the business lobby get their way, this would act as a green light for bad bosses to return to the days when they could hire and fire when they feel like it, without having to give workers a reason for why they are working one day and gone the next.

The last thing any working person needs is less rights at work, less pay and less job security. This will make cost of living pressures much worse. We demand all political parties rule out any reduction to workers’ rights this Federal election.