SA Unions: Workers Rights and Contract Staff

South Australia's labour hire industry needs an independent inquiry because workers are being denied rights and conditions as more businesses turn to contractors to perform work previously done by permanent staff, departing SA Unions Secretary Janet Giles says.

She warned that the workforce's growing number of contract staff, who get no holiday or sick pay because they are not on staff, face losing their jobs if they raised a lone voice about their working conditions.

"It is just not fair," she said. "Women, migrants and young people in particular are at risk in low-paying industries like call centres, cleaning, childcare and food processing. There are thousands of casual workers facing unstable hours, pay so low many hold down two or even three jobs, and no paid leave."

Ms Giles will take up a new role with the Australian Council of Trade Unions, running major campaigns to protect vulnerable workers and share national wealth.

A key case will be fighting to secure more rights for the estimated 40 per cent of the workforce with no job security - an industrial fight Ms Giles cites as one of the great challenges of the times.

"In this prosperous nation, we have seen a big push to casual and fixed term work, contracting and labour hire," Ms Giles said.

"That means low pay, no holiday pay or sick leave, and no access to training. It is just not fair - we need to convert casual employment to permanent employment after periods of consistent work.

"We also intend to push for portable leave schemes, so workers in insecure employment can accrue annual leave, sick leave and long service leave as they move from job to job."

Ms Giles, 55, will finish as SA Unions secretary in September, 11 years after she became the first woman elected to a position once regarded as a male domain.

She will take up the position as campaign director of the new ACTU campaign centre in October.

Ms Giles will remain based in Adelaide and regularly commute to the ACTU's headquarters in Melbourne in her new role.

"Campaigning is the job I love best and when this came up it was too good to pass, but I did want to stay in Adelaide, which I love," Ms Giles said.

"Regardless of who wins the Federal Election, the ACTU will have its work cut out and I look forward to campaigning on a range of big picture issues."