Page 8 - ETU Journal Autumn 2017

CAMPAIGNS > CUB55 SENATE INQUIRY
SENATE INQUIRY INTO THE CORPORATE AVOIDANCE OF THE FAIR TWORK ACT
CUB Senate Inquiry – update We decided to do
he Senate Inquiry into
the Corporate Avoidance of the Fair Work Act is kicking off with more than
200 submissions received from individuals and organisations.
The inquiry will be hearing further evidence in public hearings throughout 2017, but the evidence already before the inquiry is overwhelmingly damning.
CUB55 video submission
The ETU made a video submission on behalf of the CUB55. It was the first submission in video ever received by the Senate.
After visiting Parliament House
in Canberra with a delegation of
the CUB55, we were struck by the absence of any normal-looking, ordinary working people. It was wall to wall suits of MPs, staffers
and corporate lobbyists. Nobody we saw looked like they could survive outdoors for eight hours, let alone 12.
a video submission
to remind the senators
that it is real people, with real lives and stories, who are being hurt by their laws.
To see our video submission, you can check it out on our YouTube channel
www.youtube/CHgUa3ODygg
Key points of our submission
We made a written submission to concentrate the inquiry’s attention on two major flaws in the Fair Work Act that need fixing immediately:
• the use of labour hire and contractors by businesses to evade existing and future obligations to employees
• businesses undermining collective bargaining
rights and conditions – with unrepresentative agreements forced onto employees.
EXCERPTS FROM
SUBMISSIONS
TO THE INQUIRY
The reason for labour hire is purely and simply to permit industry to avoid industrial relations laws and consequently to shift risks to workers so businesses can take the benefit
of labour without the burden of complying with laws.
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF TRADE UNIONS
The Fair Work Act does not prevent an employer from using its much greater resources and access to persuade employees, particularly non-union members, to move onto a
lesser agreement.
QUEENSLAND NURSES UNION
expressly recognise a host company (of labour
hire workers) will, in certain circumstances, be deemed to be
the true employer for the purposes of
unfair dismissal.
JOB WATCH: EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS LEGAL CENTRE
We know from our practice experience that non-payment of short-term employees is a business model for some small businesses.
LEGAL AID NSW
Failing to effectively address illegal conduct against workers carries negative impacts on business and communities where employers using
The FW Act should be amended to
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THE ETU > AUTUMN 2017