Casual builders’ rates up five percent

Casual workers in the construction industry gained five percent raises in pay and superannuation via the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC). The ‘casual loading’ increases from 20 to 25 percent after negotiations that extended to over a year.
The increases were opposed by employers’ groups, but the AIRC was persuaded that the increases were fair, as many workers are only part-timers.
Bill Shorten, National Secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) commented, “Our members deserve to be adequately compensated for the job insecurity and lack of clear career progression that goes hand in hand with casual work … Casual workers have less scope to improve their pay and conditions through bargaining than other types of workers and therefore a 25 per cent loading is a suitable safety net.’’
AIRC Vice President Iain Ross said, “In my view the current 20 percent loading does not adequately compensate casual employees for the loss of the entitlements and benefits which are an incident of full-time employment...I will grant the AWU’s application.”

Social groups reject free trade

The Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network sent a message to the government telling it not to enter into a free trade agreement with the US, whom it began negotiations in mid-March.

The group pointed to key policies that would be altered like film and TV content rules, genetically engineered food labelling, and the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, if a free trade agreement were drawn up between the two governments.

Patricia Ranald, convenor of the 62-strong member Network of community organisations, which includes Greenpeace and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), said that the US government and business lobby regards the Australian policies mentioned above as barriers to free trade, and would demand their removal from government policy.

Dr Ranald said, “These issues should be publicly debated and decided by parliaments in Australia, not secretly signed away in a trade agreement which will bring no benefits to Australians”.
Members of the Network also said an independent economic study had shown a free trade agreement could lead to job losses in Australia.

AMWU national secretary Doug Cameron said that his union members’ jobs would be jeopardised, adding, “The Australian economy is so small compared to the US that we have very little negotiating power, and this will result in many of our industries being threatened.”