Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

Long Service Leave proposal brings Victoria into line

The Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary Leigh Hubbard today welcomed the proposal by the Victorian Government to amend the Long Service Leave Act in line with standards in other states.

'We are glad that Victorian workers can look forward to being rewarded for their service after 10 years of employment, instead of 15,' Mr Hubbard said.

Under the proposal, workers will be entitled to take long service leave after 10 years on a pro-rata basis, giving them two months leave compared to the current three months leave after 15 years.

Trades Hall estimates that up to 1 million Victorian workers will benefit from the changes.

Mr Hubbard said that even though the changes proposed by the Government do not go as far as unions would have liked, they provide a welcome boost to the rights of Victorian workers.

'We are particularly excited by the amended legislation clarifying that casuals do have the right to access long service leave. This should stop employers from putting what should be permanent employees on as casuals in order to escape their obligations.'

'We welcome the proposal to recognise all parental leave as service, and the averaging provisions for payment being calculated so as to not disadvantage workers who move in and out of part-time work. This will particularly benefit women who are the majority of Victoria's part-time workforce,' he said.

The amended Act is set to include a number of new provisions beneficial to workers, including:

· workers will now be entitled to have their LSL paid out after resignation or termination following 7 years of service (down from 10);

· casuals will be eligible for LSL where there has been no more than 3 months break in service, with provisions made for seasonal employment and casuals where the absence is due to the nature of the employment (the Act is currently unclear on provisions for casuals);

· unions will be able to prosecute employers on behalf of members for non-payment of entitlements;

· workers and their unions will be able to recover unpaid entitlements within 6 years of the non-payment occurring (currently 12 months);

· workers taking LSL will not have public holidays absorbed by their entitlement ( as is the case currently).

'Victoria's long service leave provisions have lagged behind other states for some time now and and its time to put things right,' Mr Hubbard concluded.


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