The Casual and Growing Attack on Workers' Rights



The casualization of our workers is gathering speed, and with it comes job insecurity, dangerous workplaces, anxiety, bullying and standover tactics. It means no holiday pay and no paid sick leave. It ensures a culture of distrust and division amongst workers. It exposes our families to the whims of profit-hunters.

Apprentice Cameron Hill joined us at ETU HQ as a Victorian Trades Hall Council [VTHC] summer intern, and reported on his experience in such a workplace.

Importing bad practice that brings unskilled labour and deliberately undermines worker leverage

This foreign-owned, electrical contracting company has a small number of proud Union members. However, they [the workers] are overwhelmed by unskilled, casual labourers doing the work of electricians.

This is doubly concerning as it affects the safety of airports around Australia.

It was common practice for site managers to be subcontracted or casual employees. Even the OH&S representative was a subbie chosen by the boss, without consultation. This allowed the company directors to palm worksite issues off on casual site managers who were under pressure to keep management onside, leaving employees’ concerns out in the cold.

A revolving door showing casual workers in, and those who speak up — out

Workers more experienced in fair workplaces would speak up over pay, conditions and health and safety to their cost. They were usually shown the door by generally younger (inexperienced), subcontracted, or casual site managers protecting their own jobs. Management had successfully created a culture in which workers preferred to shut up, rather than speak up.

Becoming a change agent meant becoming a target

Perhaps it was my parental union heritage, or perhaps it was the posters around our site urging us to stand up, speak out, come home, that inspired me to try and make a change.

I noticed that my wages and entitlements were inconsistent, so I made enquiries. This was immediately met with fierce denials and threats of termination. I was asked to attend a meeting where I was handed a list of fictitious overpayments to me totalling several thousand dollars, and a threat that more questions would lead to a demand for reimbursement.

When it became apparent that the company-selected OH&S rep had left the company seven months prior, I decided to put my hand up for the job.

What I did was paint a huge target on my back.

Union rescue

I was immediately victimised, isolated from my work group and demoted to lesser duties, all while being under the everwatchful eye of the company attack dog, the subcontractor site manager.

I was lucky. I was an apprentice with a formal full-time contract, and I was protected.

The ETU had my back from my first phone call enquiring about my pay, to the strong legal team that protected me. I could not have done it without my Union.

Becoming a digital revolutionary to build public awareness of casual work pitfalls

We must educate the public on why casual employment over the long term is so much worse than full-time, union-protected work. As part of my research project I created a social media post to begin the process by blogging on current issues within our workforce, and posted it to the Union Australia Facebook group.

My post received over 160 likes, over 115 shares and a reach of 50,000 in just over a week. Good start!

Lessons learned

  • Talk to your workmates about the issues that concern you.
  • Stand together, ask your Union for advice. Nothing will change if you don’t change it.
  • Become an ETU member. The ETU EBA has a section that allows employees to become full-time, with all the benefits, after eight weeks in a six-month period.
  • The ETU EBA also provides that subcontractors and employees of contractors must enjoy wages and conditions that are no less favourable than those provided for in the ETU agreement.
  • When it comes around to your new agreement, make sure you have your Union in your corner — they will fight for what’s fair.

 

Thanks

My time with the VTHC youth program, and with my host Union, ETU Vic, was extremely beneficial and educational. I would highly recommend it to any young worker with a concern to ensure all workers are protected.