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Bad form

CFMEU NSW Secretary Andrew Ferguson said: "Someone who is injured at work should be guaranteed protection from dismissal, but increasingly we are seeing unscrupulous employers use clauses in Howard's new laws that allow workers to be sacked without reason."

The workers are unable to run unfair dismissal claims because the company that employed them had less than 100 workers.

The CFMEU told Unions NSW's Labor Council that this case also highlighted the deficiencies in NSW workers compensation laws. Unions NSW is to make representations to the State Government seeking protections for workers under the workers compensation legislation against victimisation.

No option but AWA

To get a job as international cabin crew staff with Jetstar will require signing a pay-cutting AWA, according to the ACTU.

The ACTU alleges workers will be paid between $2600 and $8200 a year (or up to $160 a week) less than other Australian cabin crews on international flights. Reduced allowances will also mean that the incomes of many workers on the AWA individual contracts will be reduced by more than this amount. The AWAs also provide for a major potential increase in working hours for cabin crew.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow said unions are concerned the AWAs will allow Jetstar to reduce staffing levels on its international flights below existing standards.

"If this is the case then what these AWA individual contracts will mean is not just lower pay for workers but also fewer jobs than would be the case under a properly negotiated collective bargaining agreement in which minimum cabin staffing levels are specified to ensure safety and service standards are maintained," she said.

"Jetstar is part of a profitable company. Qantas made $670 million last year and has just upped the entitlements of its senior executives by $12.2 million. It is extremely disappointing that Jetstar would decide to treat its new workers in this way."

Lecturers to be offered AWAs

University of Sydney management has announced it will offer AWAs to its 5500 staff.

In a press release dated August 12, National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) Branch President Michael Thomson said: "Universities should be about excellence in teaching and research, not about ideological warfare.

"The University can't explain how the AWAs will promote academic excellence."

NTEU (NSW) State Secretary Chris Game said: "Staff shouldn't be fooled by the unguaranteed six per cent [performance bonus] offer when the University is grabbing key conditions and job security with the other hand and when the longer term prospects under an AWA are all bad news for pay and conditions.

The NTEU said that like all other universities, the University of Sydney was required to offer AWAs to all staff by a August 30 deadline in order to be eligible for its share of a $260 million pool of funding which the Federal Government has made contingent on them making the offer.

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Last Modified: 24 Aug 2006