The Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into the Workplace Relations Framework has handed down its draft report. Commissioned by the Abbott government, this review attacks workers’ rights by recommending a reduction in weekend penalty rates, tampers with minimum wage indexation and opens the door to removing protections around individual agreements.
Download the penalty rates petition!
While health and emergency frontline staff have been spared in this round, the aged care sector is still vulnerable. If an AiN’s weekend penalty rate is reduced, many would struggle to make ends meet, particularly coupled with a freeze on minimum wage growth.
We must protect our penalty rates.
Download the penalty rates petition, distribute and get as many signatures as possible and return it to: ma**@un*******.au or Unions NSW, Level 3, Trades Hall, 4-10 Goulburn St Sydney.
We all deserve our penalty rates:
- The Productivity Commission has failed to identify whether nurses employed throughout the aged care sector are shielded
- Nurses in the aged care sector could lose up to 25% of their pay without penalty rates
- AiNs in aged care would be further worse off if there’s a freeze on minimum wage growth
- The Commission recommends no penalty rates for any new public holiday. The Commission recommends freeing up the use of individual agreements. This is a stealthy way to penalty rates removal
- Some of the most vulnerable employees rely on penalty rates to make ends meet. These employees include the low paid, women and those in regional and rural areas
- Your children and future generations of Australians would be worse off with reductions to weekend penalty rates
- Rural economies would suffer a massive economic blow. A partial penalty rate cut could result in a $48.3 million per annum estimated loss to a local economy.
We must stand together with all workers in all sectors to ensure our rights are protected or risk losing them ourselves in the future. Sign the petition now.
