Hamish Heard
Federal Member for Corangamite Stewart McArthur has locked horns with Australian Council of Trade Unions president Sharron Burrow over a surge in Geelong workers signing Australian Workplace Agreements.
The Independent two weeks ago reported a 23 per cent jump in local workers signing AWAs.
Mr McArthur claimed the surge came as workers sought to protect gains yielded in negotiations with employers in case federal Labor “sneaks in” at this year’s election.
But Ms Burrow has visited Geelong to argue any gains were in favour of employers.
“The fact is AWA individual contracts cut the pay and conditions of workers and the Government’s Workchoices changes got rid of unfair dismissal provisions, which means less job security for local workers,” she said.
Ms Burrow pointed to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showing Victorians on collective bargaining agreements received an average of $90.10 a week more than workers on AWAs.
She also said more than 50 per cent of AWAs abolished overtime pay, 59 per cent slashed annual leave loading, 68 per cent cut penalty rates and 70 per cent reduced incentive payments.
“This government data shows the flexibility is all one way under Howard’s IR laws and that working families would be better off without AWA individual contracts.”
But Mr McArthur said Victorian workers on AWAs were earning more on average than workers on award rates.
“I’m proud to stand on my record, which is being an influential part of a Government that has delivered personal income tax cuts five years in a row…reduced the unemployment rate to 4.2 per cent, seen the creation of 358,000 new jobs over the past 14 months and a 20 per cent rise in the real value of wages over the past decade,” Mr McArthur said.
“The last time the unions ran Australia, with ACTU Secretary Bill Kelty at the table of the HawkeKeating government, workers’ real wages fell 1.7 per cent, unemployment escalated to 11 per cent, interest rates climbed to 17 per cent and the nation was plunged into recession.”