Laurie Ferguson (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given the subject on which I want to address the House tonight, it is very timely and positive that the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations raised the question of workplace bullying and proposed that the Fair Work Commission might be utilised to try and conciliate disputes so that people can quickly resume normal relationships, get on with the job and overcome these deep problems. He made the point that people have actually suicided, particularly young people, in these situations. He conditioned that with the comment that reasonable management practice requiring reasonable performance at work is not bullying. I raise that issue because I want to talk about a few industrial relations matters this evening.

On Sunday night I spoke to a constituent who had been to my office about a matter on which I had written correspondence to two ministers on behalf of her and her son. In commenting in passing on public policy in this country, she said that nobody is making sure that young people are protected. She further noted that parents often would not have a clue about their rights and ability to fight for their kids. This woman is a very competent person in the clerical sector, and being involved in enterprise she knows a fair bit about the way the world works. She mentioned the problems she is having in trying to fight for another son and commented, 'A whole week—we tried to pursue it but it was just too difficult.' And she has more ability than most citizens in this country. She raised the question of her son's unpaid work as a building apprentice, which comes under the provisions of the Joinery and Building Trades Award. He has to travel vast distances from my electorate on the far fringes of the city, where head office is, throughout Sydney. There are hours of travel involved and, under the provisions of the award, no money is given to him for the cost of travel. His mother makes the point that it is difficult for a young person to gain a licence and to maintain a car. It is indisputable that he could not work without a car. Yet the award makes no provision for the associated expenses.

I note that the ministers have said that Fair Work Australia is undertaking a very drawn-out process in reviewing awards and that it will cover relativities, appropriate demographics and competence, and will perhaps look at based progression of wages et cetera. I also raised the question of this apprentice's wages. That is a very real problem in this country with regard to industrial relations.

I further note recent comments in a report by Andrew Stewart and Rosemary Owens on unpaid work in this country. It is worthwhile noting that journalists and people in the media are amongst the main group of people who are suffering as a result of unpaid work. I have not had too many volunteers for unpaid work from parliamentary colleagues. Andrew Stewart and Rosemary Owens talk of unpaid work experience, internships and trial work that could be seen as undermining the award system and other labour standards. In one case a person doing a four-week course was unpaid until they were hired later.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive, Peter Anderson, in very comforting comments said that the report deserved considered thought but 'there should be no rush to judgement or knee-jerk responses by the inspectorate or the government'. He further said, 'Short periods of informal work experience and properly developed internships have for many years been a feature of the labour market.' I do not he think we are talking about short periods. This report analysed gross exploitation of people, people that need money, people that are suffering but that are not paid for long periods of involvement.

On this front also we have had restaurants' dirty secrets revealed after an analysis in Sydney of underpayment in the restaurant sector. Fairfax Media commented that it was aware of 40 restaurants that are paying their staff wages as low as $8 an hour, but it could not name them for legal reasons. The opposition, including the member for Mayo and the member for Kooyong, along with Peter Reith of mobile phone fame, are saying to Tony Abbott: 'Keep quiet. Don't tell them what you are going to do after the election. Make sure we put this on the back-burner. Don't threaten people with reduced conditions in this country. Don't threaten to undermine the unions further' et cetera. This is a very real threat to people who, even in the current situation, are not protected enough. These are young workers who are not getting paid for large parts of their working day, others who are not paid for periods before they become fully employed and people who are bullied on the job. These are real problems facing my constituents, and it is ridiculous for people opposite to say that industrial relations in this country is too intervening. (Time expired)

House adjourned at 22:29