Today in Blackwater, the Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Brendan O’Connor, joined the Labor candidate for Flynn, Zac Beers, to talk to workers about the growing incidence of insecure work, local jobs, and worker exploitation under the Abbott-Turnbull Government.
For three years the Abbott-Turnbull Government has failed to outline a plan for jobs in Australia, particularly regional Queensland.
The election of a Shorten Labor Government will result in a stark change in direction of the Australian Government in relation to decent, local jobs.
There are parts of the electorate of Flynn which have an unemployment rate above 9 per cent and a youth unemployment rate in excess of 18 per cent. Now is not the time to be cutting penalty rates and seeking to import temporary overseas labour.
Underemployment – that is people who want more work but cannot find it – has never been higher. There are more than one million of our fellow Australians in this position right now.
A Shorten Labor Government will examine the definition of “casual” work and will set an objective test for determining when a worker is “casual”.
While the ability to use casual work is an important component of the labour market, it has been increasingly exploited and workers should not be “casual” just because their employer tells them they are. Labor will put an end to the increasing prevalence of this practice.
Labor will work with all affected stakeholders including, employers, employer groups and unions in developing the objective test, which will ensure certainty for all parties.
The Liberals have not engaged with industry and have also failed to engage with industry to grow job opportunities in Flynn.
Labor is also concerned about the prevalence of worker exploitation at notable companies and in the labour hire industry throughout Australia, particularly in regional Queensland, and will crack down on unscrupulous employers that exploit their workforce.
Another concern to the voters of Flynn is the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s refusal to enforce Labor’s laws, which ensure employers must look local first before hiring temporary overseas employees.
The exploitation of workers, including the misuse of Australia’s temporary work visa arrangements stifle productivity. Labor believes that, regardless of the type of temporary work visa someone holds, three principles should apply:
Rather than engage in the Liberals’ race to the bottom on wages and conditions, Labor will invest in the high-skilled, high-wage, good jobs of the future.
Australians deserve a government with the courage to put people first and it’s only Labor that will do that.