As predicted the wage subsidy has become manufactured terrain by govt & biz to drive a sledgehammer through wages & labour protections. I have some serious concerns w FWAct changes Porter has attached to the subsidy. (1)
FWAct changes would grant employr’s power to cut wages of FT staff to subsidy rate of $1500 p/fn. Full span of control over hrs of wrk incl. power to ratchet up hrs of part-time wrkrs (to squeeze value out of subsidy) is up for grabs. Low hrs women w caring resp. will suffer (2)
In addition to unilateral power to change a workers’ hrs to “match” the subsidy, they are attacking the hourly wage rate. Biz lobbyists are pushing to freeze min wage incrs (or even cut them), & cut wage incrs in negotiated EAs. (3)
Big business are trying to diminish their future legal wages obligations on the basis that they “can’t afford” wages bills. What? You mean the ones the public are subsidising at potentially 100% levels?! Weird that media aren’t calling colossal BS on this. (4)
Interestingly, a scenario where 100% wage bills are covered by a state that both assigns wrkrs to an emplyr & oversees anti-union laws is VERY reminiscent of convict 19thC Master Servant Acts. (5)
The 30% revenue decline test is weak. Many firms will doctor their books to get the subsidy. Govt is quadrupling the incentive to lie coz it will allow them to pocket $ *AND* re-engineer workplace relations & wage structures w-out having to negotiate with employees or unions. (6)
Last wk I argued the 12 mo cut off for casual qualification was NOT arbitrary. It directly articulates w the FWAct which says employers become liable to convert casual employees to permanent work at 12 mo. Casual labour (like all insecure wrk) is highly profitable to biz. (7)
Govt is primarily concerned with defending & protecting casual labour through this subsidy. It’s value to biz overall is far greater than losses from any one sector (like unis which run on 50% casual labour). (8)
Morrison has already done the cost-benefit & decided to throw entire sectors to the dogs than risk weakening casual labour. This is why protests from both unions & industry for special treatment or packages will fail w-out taking on casual labour as an emplymnt form itself.
