UnionsWA has today begun a major campaign of workplace visits, train station handouts and other activities in a call for more secure jobs in WA.

Owen Whittle, Secretary UnionsWA said:

“Over a quarter of a million working West Australians, around one in five, are in casual work; eighty-three thousand have to hold down two or more jobs to survive.

“Insecure work means that bills can’t be paid; loans can’t be obtained. Women and young people too often have their lives limited by insecure work.

“The pandemic has highlighted risks that all of us face from insecure work – the necessity to work puts pressure on those who should isolate, multiple insecure jobs mean many more are at risk from those infected.

“Look at our truck drivers – too often contracted for short periods of poor pay over long hours of work. Unreliable hours and insecure and inconsistent work poses a risk to truck drivers and all road users both in terms of road safety and transmission of the virus.

“A stronger economy can’t be built upon bad jobs on low pay.

“Today unions in WA started the first major activities leading up to the next federal election and the focus is on job security.

“Union organisers and delegates are having conversations in workplaces about the relevant forms of job insecurity, whether that’s casual work, contracting out of work or low pay or irregular, unsociable work hours.

“We have volunteers handing out information sheets at train stations across Perth. These are just the first step in efforts that will continue up to and beyond the next federal election.

”We are seeking reforms to workplace laws and enforcement, including 'same job same pay' provisions - those doing the same job should get the same pay whether they are on the books of a labour hire company or directly employed.

"Unions are also seeking to tear up new laws passed by the Morrison Government that make it even easier for an employer to call someone a casual, even if they’ve done regular hours for years.

Further information

WA (August 2020)[1]:

• Casual 280,400
• Fixed Term 55,900
• Independent contractor 104,600
• Multiple jobs 83,800
• Total employees in main job 1,147,800
• Total employed persons 1,351,600
• Unemployment 99,500[2]
• Underemployment 140,100
• Youth unemployment (15-24) 28,700[3]

These are taken from the ABS Characteristics of Employment available online here.  

[1] ABS TableBuilder  CoE most recent August 2020

[2] ABS Labour Force 6202008 States, month of August 2020

[3] ABS Labour Force 6202016 States, month of August 2020