John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Braddon for his question. The answer is yes. The latest example appears to have been the member for Perth in relation to a company called Esselte, and I seek the permission of the House to take the House through some of the detail of this. Last Thursday in this place the member for Perth, brandishing what was purported to be an AWA, asked the following question:

Isn’t it the case that this AWA leaves a full-time employee—

of Esselte—

working a Saturday shift $65 a week, or $10,140 over three years, worse off?

That was the claim. According to a statement from the company, released today, the facts are different from those suggested by the member for Perth. Amongst other things this is what the company had to say:

The management of Esselte understands that the $65 pay cut allegation was raised in connection with Saturday work. Esselte does not regularly work any of its employees on a Saturday.

It went on to say:

Esselte has never engaged a person to work their regular hours on a Saturday.

So, on the basis of the member for Perth’s claim, that particular claim is false. Further, Esselte said:

At certain times of the year, due to increases in warehouse volumes, the existing full-time warehouse staff are asked to work Saturdays on an as-required basis. This Saturday work is voluntary and has always been in addition to the employee’s week hours and is worked at overtime rates of pay.

The AWA that was offered to Esselte staff increased the minimum hourly rate to $18.39 an hour, compared with the collective agreement of $17.39 an hour, and also compared with the relevant award, which had a rate of $13.78 an hour. On the basis of a calculation along the lines of that made by the member for Perth of an employee working 38 ordinary hours and three hours overtime, they would actually be $27 a week better off, not $65 a week worse off, and $4,000 better off over the three-year period.

I understand that the agreement offered included increases in wages, increases in some allowances and an increase in sick leave provisions. On Saturday, one of Australia’s most respected union figures, Mr Joe de Bruyn, had something to say about people taking liberties with the truth in the industrial relations debate. That was referring to Spotlight; it may well also have referred to Esselte.

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