With a federal election looming, the Morrison Government has continued their long trend of stacking the Fair Work Commission with former business representatives – with the appointment of WA resources lobbyist Paul Schneider.
The Morrison Government has not appointed a single advocate for working people, instead continually skewing the balance of a Commission that makes critical decisions about the lives, work and pay of working people every single day.
Attorney General Michaelia Cash refused to answer questions on whether she planned to rush further appointments before the election next month at a Senate Estimates hearing on Friday. With today’s appointment, the FWC now has 29 members with employer representative backgrounds and only 16 who were previously of advocates for working people.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:
“The appointment of Mr. Schneider, another employer representative appointed by the Morrison Government, marks this Government’s 27th appointment to the Commission from an employer lobby background out of a total of 28.
“The convention of ensuring that our industrial tribunals draw from a balance of employer and employee advocates and the legal profession has been trashed by the Morrison Government.
“These actions only undermine the confidence that Australians can have in an institution charged with the responsibility to help counterbalance the excessive power that employers can wield in the workplace.
