Statistics released today by the ABS show casualisation of work continues to rise under the Turnbull Government.
Since August 2012, the number of workers without leave entitlements (i.e. casuals) and independent contractors have risen by 110,000 and 51,300 respectively.
This has coincided with a 113,000 decrease in the number of workers with full leave entitlements.
One third of employees (33.1%) aged 15 to 34 are without leave entitlements, compared with nearly one in five aged 35 and over (17.8%).
Quotes attributable to Ged Kearney, President, ACTU:
“Casualisation has a huge impact on job security, pay and conditions for Australian workers, and the Turnbull Government needs to take action to arrest the flow of workers out of the full-time workforce and into casual employment.”
“But beyond the impact on pay and job security, these figures show that casualisation stripping leave entitlements from thousands upon thousands of workers in Australia.”
“Since 2012, 113,000 more workers have been deprived of leave entitlements. Leave is critical for maintaining a healthy and productive workforce and the erosion of such a central condition of modern employment is a catastrophe for the Australian labour force.”
“Nearly half (48%) of all employees without entitlements are in three vulnerable industries, retail, accommodation and food and health care and social assistance, and that is nearly one in eight of all employees (11.8%).”
“Casualisation also disproportionately affects young women, further disadvantaging a group which is still a long way from achieving equality in the workplace.”
“The Turnbull Government should consider parents who can no longer take time off to spend time with their kids, and do something to prevent casualisation eating away the basic rights at work including penalty rates that the union movement has fought hard for on behalf of all Australians.”
ENDS
