The confected hysteria now being generated by this industry is just that.
Confected Hysteria!
After ten years of representing workers in this industry, I have yet to find one mired with as many illegal activities as this.
Non-payment of legal wages, non payment of penalty rates, no superannuation, no Workcover and the lack of OH&S in almost every workplace are the conditions bosses expect workers to endure.
I speak from experience when I say that most workplaces pay casuals $10 per hour,m sometimes even less, and they are expected to accept cash in hand so there is no record of employment. At the same time there is no record of super payment and no workers compensation.
Most workers are expected to work unfriendly hours without any recourse to penalty rates.
Should workers challenge their pay or conditions they are forcibly reminded of the growing number of unemployed waiting to take their jobs, even on the low wages paid in the industry.
If employers are paying cash in hand below the legal rate then employees, through no fault of their own, are just adding to the black economy .
So no one pays taxes but want the services provided by governments .
This industry has been rocked by allegations of trainees, unaware of their legal rights, working for 2/3 weeks and then being put off without pay.
Unfair dismissals are common and, without union representation, they will continue to soar as employers continue to demand more for less.
I challenge those representing this industry to disprove my claims or to check with the union and Fair Work Australia and look at the prosecutions that are brought before the courts and the massive amount of underpayments robbing workers and in some cases expecting some on 457 visas to work for slave wages.
bagman says
Thanks for your reply Eamonn
Eamonn says
Exactly, how can these ill-informed business people (or just plain liars) expect something that is so rarely,if ever paid, to be more than halved. The wages and conditions delivered in this sector is a joke, mainly due to lack of Union membership for various reasons. (i.e back packers) We know what youre really up to and its not going to happen….
Helen says
This is so funny…heard a cafe owner on the radio whingeing about penalty rates. He was asked why he did not work on Sundays and he said he wanted to be with his family. And then read a story where some ex-AFL Lygon St restauranters have a big sook about the public holiday on Grand Final day, saying they will not open because they can’t afford penalty rates. Yeah, right, I’ll believe that when I see it! Nice work Denis.