Recent polling has shown significant numbers of young voters are drifting away from the Government because of its controversial workplace laws.
Internal Coalition research shows that more than 10% of 25-34 year-old voters have shifted their support away from the Government and towards Kevin Rudd.
The report identified the Government's poor handling of workplace relations and climate change as the two key vote-changers among younger people.
"It's no surprise that WorkChoices is unpopular with young people," says CPSU National Secretary Stephen Jones. "Young workers are already vulnerable and have only limited bargaining power. Under WorkChoices they can be left completely exposed."
Stephen Jones points to recent examples of young workers getting the short end of the WorkChoices stick, such as:
* teenage staff on AWAs at Chili's restaurant chain who were required to use their own money to cover customers who skipped out without paying the bill
* hospitality staff at the Mean Fiddler Hotel losing public holiday penalty rates on Anzac Day, while their employer continued to impose a 10% surcharge on patrons
* call centre operator Excellior using WorkChoices to reduce pay rates and conditions of its young workforce in Bendigo and the Gold Coast.
"Parents with kids entering the workforce are deeply concerned that the current workplace laws offers them little protection from unscrupulous employers. How would you feel if your kids were treated this way,?" said Mr Jones..
"We are encouraging workers of all ages to ensure they are correctly enrolled to vote at the coming election. The outcome of this election will not only determine what sort of workplaces current employees have, but the shape of employment conditions for generations of future workers.
"At the last election no-one got to vote on WorkChoices. This time we do," said Mr Jones.
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2 comments:
A few of years back my Son landed himself a position as an apprentice.
Shortly after beginning his apprenticeship he was told by his Supervisor not to attend work on a particular day as there would be no one there as the employer was taking the day to talk to staff and union representatives to negotiate a pay deal for the next few years.
Two months after beginning his apprenticeship my Son received an rude and threatening letter from a mob calling themselves the Australian Building and Construction commissioner threatening two fine him something in the vicinity of $22,000-00 for not attending work on the said day.
I contacted this mob calling themselves the Australian Building and Construction commissioner and spoke to a very rude arrogant man who gave me the impression that he had been given the power by the Australian government to do what ever he liked to any worker working in the building industry and regardless of whether the day off had been agreed to by the workers employer or not if this mob decided the day off was illegal then it was illegal.
This rude man told me my Son had to write a letter to him explaining his reasons for not attending work on the day, which my son did.
A little more than two years since this event took place my Son has never heard from the Australian Building and Construction commissioner, nothing to say they received his letter, not a thing.
The major concern I have is that we keep hearing about people being hauled in by this mob (ABCC) years after the event and apparently these people are not permitted to defend themselves. They are not allowed independent representation nor are they allowed to discus the goings on of the trial, tribunal or what ever you like to call it with anyone. To do so would result in something like a $26,000-00 fine and or imprisonment.
Even more concerning is that I presume that this (ABCC) mob are the same mob that is presently attacking the candidate for the electorate for Franklin right on the eve of the start of election campaigning.
Any person soliciting my vote at the coming federal election will need to assure me that they will be doing all in their power to see this ABCC mob shut down and the stand over merchants that run this organisation are at the very least sacked, although from my point of view they should be charged with terrorism as that is precisely what this mob has done to this family.
Just in case I haven’t made myself totally clear I am extremely angry about this situation where a young person does the right thing in this country and is subsequently attacked by the Government for doing so.
Your article entitled 'Hung Up on Workers' (CPSU e-NEWS: Issue 79-27 July 2007) highlights the extent of genuine hardship to Australian working families resulting from the implementation of 'WorkChoices' agreements.
With the Federal Government currently engaged in a massive media campaign to win public support for the concept of WorkChoices, surely examples such as the above should be far more widely publicised.
Much of the current Government advertising campaign is extremely misleading, e.g a radio ad I heard this morning which states categorically that no employee can be compelled to sign a WorkChoices agreement - the above is an example which in effect contradicts this 100 per cent.
The very name 'WorkChoices' was, I suspect coined with tongue in cheek - You have a choice with your work: accept our conditions or leave!
Without definite and ongoing action by the Australian union movement to counter the constant barrage of cleverly-worded advertisements in support of WorkChoices, in time many of those who are currently dubious about the honesty and equity of WorkChoices may succumb, and this would be tragic for democracy as a whole within this country.
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