Two cent pay rise puts the 'Spotlight' on unfair IR laws

[Djinn]

Retail giant, Spotlight, this week has used the Howard Government's new industrial relations laws to offer individual contracts to all new workers that remove penalty rates and overtime, and undercut workers pay up to $90 a week. The AWA also removes paid rest breaks, breaks between shifts, maximum and minimum shift lengths, and a cap on the number of consecutive days worked.

The Spotlight example where workers will lose up to $90 a week and other conditions is proof that the Government's laws have opened the door for employers to drive down wages and conditions. Mr. Howard's comments of support for Spotlight send a clear message to employers and working families - this Government is on the side of employers and profits, regardless of the costs to working families.

With increasing petrol prices, rising costs and interest rates moving up the last thing Australian working families can afford is a $90 a week pay cut. Workers in the retail industry are not on high wages by any stretch of the imagination. That these people can have their wages forced down, while the Government sits back and applauds shows how out of touch Mr Howard and his Government are with ordinary Australians.


Tell Spotlight what a pack of tightwads they are here:

http://www.spotlight.com.au/about/contact_us/contact_us_form7

For more info:

http://www.cpsu.org.au/news/

[PinkUnicorn]

1. How unsurprising

How could anyone have seen this sort of thing happening. :sarcasm:
Of course the politicians and management will be exempt from such "re-negotiations"

[Djinn]

2. and another..

Despite highlighting Spotlights exploitation yesterday, the ABC have been awfully quiet on the story of their cleaners being told they could apply to become "contractors" with the company recently awarded the ABC's cleaning contract.

Nineteen cleaners have been told that there is no job for them at the ABC once the contract with Baytons Cleaning expires on June 1, 2006.

" QUAD won't give them a guarantee of a job, but during interviews they asked many whether they would consider becoming subbies for less pay than they receive under the Award," NSW LHMU Cleaners Union Assistant Secretary, Mark Boyd, said.

Insisting someone pays their own super/workcover etc on what are already very low wages is insulting, and something we all face if we let Work Choices survive

[Matilda]

3. I hate shopping in their stores anyway.

Everything cut to the bone, and cheap goods piled high everywhere - nothing spent on making a
pleasant shopping environment. I go there only because all the little suburban craft shops I
used to know have disappeared. I'm not surprised they're horrible to work for.