Rudd/Gillard Government Axes After School Jobs
Friday, 09 July 2010 17:33
Today’s decision by the Rudd/Gillard Government’s Fair Work Australia rejecting an application to vary the minimum hours for school children wanting to work after school completely fails the common sense test.
The decision by Fair Work Australia Vice President Watson is indicative of the Rudd/Gillard Government’s ‘straight jacket – one size fits all’ approach to industrial laws and means thousands of young Australians will now miss out on jobs.
The case was brought following media attention over the plight of Victorian teenagers Matthew Spencer and Leticia Harrison who lost their jobs at a Terang hardware store after Labor changed the minimum hours they could work from two hours to three.
In handing down the decision, Fair Work Australia acknowledged that Labor’s new laws are having a particular impact on some individuals in Victoria but Vice President Watson went on to say:
However it has become apparent that the change from two to three hours in some areas has led to less employment of school students after school because their availability to work during shop opening hours is often less than three hours. The impact on individuals in that situation is significant and has an impact on employment opportunities for youth in regional areas in particular. It also has an impact on the flexibilities available to employers and other employees.
However despite admitting that “The impact on individuals in that situation is significant and has an impact on employment opportunities for youth in regional areas in particular,” Vice President Watson concluded:
However in my view the evidence and concerns raised by the applicants fall well short of satisfying the test that the variation is necessary to achieve the modern awards objective. The applications are dismissed.
Where’s the common sense in that!?
Today’s decision is another broken promise by Labor; Julia Gillard promised black and blue that she would fix this problem, but she hasn’t.
Instead Ms Gillard simply passed the buck to Simon Crean to clean up her mess and the Minister should step in immediately and do something to help the thousands of young Australians who have been left hung out to dry by Labor and who are now without jobs.
