Prime Minister attacks workers’ rights while unions defend penalty rates
23 March 2016
The Federal Government’s attack on working people continues with the announcement today that the Prime Minister is willing to ram through the damaging ABCC legislation, and still refuses to defend penalty rates before the Fair Work Commission.
Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary, Dave Oliver, said the Turnbull Government is more interested in playing politics and siding with big business than in standing up for workers’ rights.
“The Prime Minister has certainly revealed his true colours,” Mr Oliver said. “While the ACTU and other unions have been busy submitting to the Fair Work Commission in support of protecting the penalty rates of weekend workers, the Prime Minister has been focused on plotting ways of attacking the union movement and Australian workers.
“Penalty rates are not a luxury, they are what pays the bills and puts food on the table for the weekend workers who rely on them.
“The Prime Minister should take a position. This idea that it’s not the Prime Minister’s place to have a position on important issues like penalty rates is absolute rubbish. Australians deserve to know whether our Prime Minister is willing to stand up for low paid workers.
“Prime Minister Turnbull says he is leaving this up to the Fair Work Commission, but he has criticised penalty rates in the recent past, and his government commissioned a report rubbishing penalty rates which has been submitted as evidence to the case.
“The ACTU’s submission highlights the extent to which Australian families rely on penalty rates. It seems the Federal Government simply refuses to recognise the importance of penalty rates for hundreds of thousands of workers.
“The Government weighed in on behalf of Qantas in the Fair Work Commission, but it appears, will not intervene to protect the lowest paid workers in Australia. We ask that the Government similarly make a submission and rule out any proposal to slash penalty rates.
“Many organisations have submitted to this Inquiry defending the take-home pay that working families rely on, including the SDA and United Voice and the federal Labor party.
“The Prime Minister is happy to wax lyrical about the need to regulate unions, but he has refused to outline his plan for standing up for workers,” said Mr Oliver.
23 March 2016
The Federal Government’s attack on working people continues with the announcement today that the Prime Minister is willing to ram through the damaging ABCC legislation, and still refuses to defend penalty rates before the Fair Work Commission.
Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary, Dave Oliver, said the Turnbull Government is more interested in playing politics and siding with big business than in standing up for workers’ rights.
“The Prime Minister has certainly revealed his true colours,” Mr Oliver said. “While the ACTU and other unions have been busy submitting to the Fair Work Commission in support of protecting the penalty rates of weekend workers, the Prime Minister has been focused on plotting ways of attacking the union movement and Australian workers.
“Penalty rates are not a luxury, they are what pays the bills and puts food on the table for the weekend workers who rely on them.
“The Prime Minister should take a position. This idea that it’s not the Prime Minister’s place to have a position on important issues like penalty rates is absolute rubbish. Australians deserve to know whether our Prime Minister is willing to stand up for low paid workers.
“Prime Minister Turnbull says he is leaving this up to the Fair Work Commission, but he has criticised penalty rates in the recent past, and his government commissioned a report rubbishing penalty rates which has been submitted as evidence to the case.
“The ACTU’s submission highlights the extent to which Australian families rely on penalty rates. It seems the Federal Government simply refuses to recognise the importance of penalty rates for hundreds of thousands of workers.
“The Government weighed in on behalf of Qantas in the Fair Work Commission, but it appears, will not intervene to protect the lowest paid workers in Australia. We ask that the Government similarly make a submission and rule out any proposal to slash penalty rates.
“Many organisations have submitted to this Inquiry defending the take-home pay that working families rely on, including the SDA and United Voice and the federal Labor party.
“The Prime Minister is happy to wax lyrical about the need to regulate unions, but he has refused to outline his plan for standing up for workers,” said Mr Oliver.
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