Monday, August 13, 2007

Women’s chances worse under WorkChoices

A national report released today demonstrates that WorkChoices isn’t working for low paid women and their families.

The report, which documents interviews with over 120 low-income women across all mainland States and the ACT, shows that many women working in sectors such as retail, hospitality, aged care and childcare are doing it tough. These sectors have been studied because earlier research on women’s wages and conditions showed these to be the sectors where women were most at risk. The report recommends changes to the Commonwealth legislative framework to redress these problems, including restoration of unfair dismissal rights and more effective guarantees of minimum conditions.

The report Women and WorkChoices: Impacts on the Low Pay Sector was commissioned by the NFAW, WEL Australia and YWCA Australia and was undertaken by leading industrial relations researchers.

NFAW Spokeswoman Marie Coleman said: “This report provides government and policy makers with vital information and recommendations on how to redress these workplace abuses. It is clear from the current advertising campaign that the Government is already aware that many employees are not receiving their entitlements. Our report bears this out and outlines additional issues. We urge the Minister to listen to the women, not to attack the messengers.”

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