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

ASU Media Release - Award modernisation fails office workers at first hurdle

Media Release

15 September 2008

Award modernisation fails office workers at first hurdle

The Rudd Government’s award modernisation process has failed workers at the first hurdle, with Victorian office and administration employees set to lose pay and conditions under the draft award released by the AIRC.

In June this year the AIRC announced that the award for clerical and administrative employees would be one of the first modern awards created. On Friday the AIRC released its first draft of the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2010.

ASU branch secretary Ingrid Stitt said Victorian office workers would have their casual leave loading slashed and lose the entitlement of accident make-up pay, if the draft award went ahead.

“This modernisation process has failed workers at the first hurdle,” Ms Stitt said.

“The AIRC has failed to take the best conditions from each State and Territory and it means that Victorian workers will be earning less and not have the same conditions,” Ms Stitt said.

Ms Stitt said under the draft Clerks – Private Sector Award 2010, casual loading for Victorian employees would be reduced from 33.3% to 25%.

“This would mean a casual employee who works 30 hours per week stands to lose about $45 every week - or about $2,300 every year.

“That is a hefty hit when the price of everything else is going up and workers are not supposed to be disadvantaged by this modernisation process.

She said accident make-up pay had not been included in the draft award, an entitlement that Victorian workers currently have in their award.

“The Rudd Government made a commitment in Forward with Fairness that no workers would lose out under their award modernisation process, yet the draft released on Friday will see a drop for Victorian office and administration workers.”

“Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard needs to be asking the AIRC to explain why it is planning to taking pay and conditions away from our State’s office workers.”

“This national process should not result in the lowering of standards.”

Ms Stitt said the ASU had even greater fears about how the AIRC wanted to apply the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2010.

“The AIRC released information on Friday indicating its preference for most clerical workers to be employed under their industry award and for the new award to only apply to a small number of clerical and administration workers not covered by a specific industry award.

“The AIRC has again indicated its desire for most office workers to be covered by their industry award, but we know from experience that when office workers are covered by an industry award they are often ignored in favour of other, larger sections of the workforce.

“It is nonsensical to think that the clerical award, which was identified as a priority award and is being painstakingly developed, will only end up applying to a small number of workers.”

“Unless changes are made, we will see the basic standards for all office workers falling as a result of this modernisation process.”

Media Contact: Angela Bell (03) 9320 6702 or mobile 04303 55554.


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