Policies, Publications & Submissions
ACTU Policies, Publications and Submissions
Recent Policies, Publications & Submissions
National Plan to reduce Violence Against Women and their Children
October 6, 2017
ACTU Submission to the Inquiry into the Delivery of National Outcome 4 of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children
ACTU Submission to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017
September 28, 2017
The ACTU welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Committee on this bill and the
program to which it refers. The ACTU opposes this bill and asks that the Committee strongly recommend
that it not be accepted by the parliament.
Inquiry into Superannuation: Assessing Competitiveness and Efficiency
August 23, 2017
ACTU Submission to the Productivity Commission
Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011
August 16, 2017
ACTU Submission to the Review of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011
Treasury Legislation Amendment (Improving Accountability and Member Outcomes in Superannuation) Bill 2017
August 4, 2017
ACTU Submission to treasury
Inquiry regarding Penalty Rates
July 18, 2017
ACTU Submission to the Education and Employment References Committee Inquiry regarding Penalty Rates
Inquiry into Establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia
May 4, 2017
ACTU Submission to the Inquiry into Establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia
Productivity Commission Draft Report – Superannuation: Alternative Default Models
April 28, 2017
ACTU Submission to the Productivity Commission Draft Report into Superannuation: Alternative Default Models
ACTU Submission to the Inquiry into the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Bill 2017
April 11, 2017
The exploitation of workers especially temporary visa holders has become a business model for some employers.
Unfortunately, examples of exploitation are no longer rare. Rather, these practices have become normalized and are particularly prevalent in some sectors. A good example was the widespread exploitation of international student visa holders working in 7-Eleven stores across Australia. We need to examine the structural factors that create the vulnerability of temporary visa workers and predispose them to exploitation.
The coercion of temporary visa workers into breaching their visa conditions was particularly pertinent to the plight of international student visa workers in the7-Eleven scandal and while the ACTU welcomes many of the measures in this Bill we believe there is much more that can be done to address systemic exploitation of temporary work visa holders.
Businesses like 7 Eleven, Caltex, Pizza Hut and others must take responsibility for their flawed business models. Similarly, the government must ensure rampant exploitation of workers through the underpayment of wages cannot be normal practice for some firms any longer. What is clear from these recent wage scandals is that business size is not a guarantee against widespread breaches of workplace laws, neither is commercial success, nor is being a common household name present on many high streets.
Temporary Migrant workers – estimated to make up 10% of the workforce – are particularly susceptible to exploitation by employers. Most temporary migrant workers are present in poorly regulated industries; agriculture, meat processing, hospitality and accommodation have a particular high concentration. The ACTU fears that exploitation has become systemic in many sectors and noncompliance of workplace laws has been long standing. While this Bill, in many ways, is recognition of the scale of the problem, the provisions of the Bill do not go far enough if the Government is to truly address the systemic exploitation of temporary work visa holders. Below we explain where the Governments proposals are lacking and can be improved upon.
Unfortunately the prevalence of wage theft in some recent examples of exploitation of vulnerable workers is a clear sign that this has been the prevailing business model. A 7 Eleven internal survey taken in July and August 2015 indicated that 69% of franchisees had payroll issues including fraud (the Four Corners episode quoted a 7 Eleven Australia insider as saying that all franchisees were involved in wage fraud).
As former Australian Consumer Commission observed in relation to the 7-Eleven ‘the business model will only work for the franchisee if they underpay or overwork employees’
ACTU submission to the Annual Wage Review 2016-17
March 31, 2017
The ACTU is calling for an increase to the National Minimum Wage for full-time adults of$45 per week, to $717.70 per week or $18.89 per hour.
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