The Future Jobs Forum to be held next month needs to focus on the crisis of insecure work in Australia, and should not be allowed to become a forum for business groups to attack workers’ rights, say unions.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said the Future Jobs Forum would be a valuable opportunity to bring together representatives of workers, employers and government to map out constructive solutions to the challenges faced by the Australian economy.
She said unions will approach the forum with a range of proposals for how jobs can be protected and created in industries such as manufacturing and tourism that are under pressure.
“Australia’s labour market is the envy of the developed world,” Ms Kearney said. “Credit for this must lie with the Labor Government, which protected jobs in Australia through its strong actions to stimulate the economy during the Global Financial Crisis.
“But last month’s small rise in the jobless rate shows we cannot afford to be complacent.
“We cannot accept these job losses as the norm, and there is a need for industry planning to consider issues confronting the manufacturing sector in particular, which is under extraordinary pressure from the booming dollar and unfair competition from illegal foreign dumping.”
Ms Kearney said the jobs forum should address the rise of insecure work and shifting of financial risk from business to households over the past two decades. More than 40% of workers lacks permanent work, either as casuals, contractors, fixed term or labour hire - they do not have all the same rights as the rest of the workforce and cannot plan for the future.
“Insecure work, where millions of Australians have no certainty about their income, or even if they will have a job, from week to week, is building a fragile house of cards in the economy,” Ms Kearney said.
“Non-permanent jobs should exist only where they are absolutely necessary, or when it genuinely offers benefits for both employer and employee. We do not want to see it continue to be used as a way of undermining pay and conditions and shifting the risk from business to workers.”
Ms Kearney said unions were committed to lifting Australia’s rate of productivity growth, but this would not be achieved by taking away workers’ rights.
“Genuine productivity growth will occur through investment in skills, education and training, spending on infrastructure, and investment in technology and innovation.
“The low road of taking away workplace rights and cutting pay and conditions was discredited by WorkChoices, during which productivity growth slowed even further. Employer groups who are gearing up for a new assault on workplace rights should not see the jobs forum as another soapbox for their campaign to take Australia back to WorkChoices.
“Rights at work, along with decent pay and conditions, are an integral part of the solution to Australia’s future prosperity.”
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