2020-08-25
The Greens have described a government bill to extend IR ‘flexibility’ and create a special tier of businesses as corporate welfare at workers’ expense.
The government’s bill creates a new class of corporation that can cut its workers hours and pay without the workers getting JobKeeper.
The Greens will move to excise these powers from the bill, arguing that if these businesses need support, then the Government can extend JobKeeper to them as well.
“The government is using the pandemic as a cover to attack working people,” Greens Leader Adam Bandt said.
“The government says a company can cut workers’ wages because the business is suffering, yet it won’t give the same workers JobKeeper because the business is doing too well.”
“If an employer cuts a worker’s weekend and late-night shifts, a 40% hours cut could translate into a much bigger pay cut.”
“Workers will be left without a safety-net.”
“The Greens support the extension of JobKeeper to next year, but we don’t support the government's cynical attack on workers in the middle of a recession.
“With this move, the Government is handing out a new form of corporate welfare paid for by workers.
“A 10% annual turnover decline may be very common in the midst of a recession, so millions of workers stand to be left without a safety net.”