Dominic King, Greens candidate for Cowper has today given his full support to the union led campaign for equal pay for community sector workers that is being run across the country, saying that the Greens have a proud history of standing up for workers’ rights in NSW.
“The Greens are proud to support the Australian Services Union’s test case with Fair Work Australia to gain equal pay for community sector workers,” said Dominic.
“There is a sense of urgency to the current equal pay case because of the large number of community sector workers in NSW who have lost wages and conditions under the award simplification process put in place by Julia Gillard.
“Labor’s Fair Work legislation has not delivered on the promises made to the electorate during the Your Rights at Work campaign in the 2007 federal election.
“Labor’sFair Work laws dumbed down state awards to the lowest common denominator, which resulted in workers in NSW losing take home pay.
“Community sector workers perform some of the most valuable work in our community, such as childcare and aged care. They are predominately women and on the whole their work is undervalued in the market.
“It’s the role of industrial regulation, federal awards and, if necessary, federal legislation to correct that market value, to ensure that women’s work in particular is properly valued.
“Achieving equal pay is also about ensuring that women can maintain viable careers, even if they wish to take a break from work to raise a family and care for relatives.
“The Greens have a proud track record of upholding worker’s rights. Wevigorously opposed Work Choices and voted to repeal it.
“In the Senate the Greens secured important improvements to Labor’s Fair Work laws, including giving parents and carers the right to request flexible working hours, cutting the review of awards from four to two years and allowing more time to lodge an unfair dismissal claim.“