In return for the cash bonus, staff of Aboriginal Hostels are being asked to sign an Australian Workplace Agreement.
The Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union organiser Mr Hall said that under the AWA, workers would surrender a raft of conditions.
These included cuts to their redundancy and severance pay, the axing of flexitime and travel allowances and reduced annual leave, maternity leave and higher duties allowance.
Staff at the hostels and at the company's four new indigenous apprentice-housing facilities were not happy with the lack of consultation.
One worker, who did not want to be named, said he thought WorkChoices was about taking away people's rights.
'There was no consultation with employees, we were just told the AWA was going to happen.''
Mr Hall said it was difficult to find staff members willing to talk in public.
'If workers stick their head up in the media, they get shot very quickly,'' he said.
Mr Hall said the AWAs had come at the expense of jobs, with reduced staffing levels forcing workers not to take breaks.
'The workload will pick up and chances for our members to have those breaks will disappear,'' Mr Hall said.
'And there's no form of redress to be had in the AWA.''
No comments:
Post a Comment