Youth exploitation

A major new report shows that the Coalition Government's WorkChoices IR laws have left young workers and the low paid vulnerable to exploitation.

The Australia@Work report is a five-year study of more than 8,000 workers and was partly funded by a Commonwealth Government research grant.

Key findings of changes under WorkChoices include:

• Young and low-skilled workers are more likely to be on non-negotiated Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs), which also provide the lowest earnings outcomes and worst hours.

• Many of the AWAs are characterised by a lack of negotiation. Almost half (46 per cent) of AWA employees feel they do not have the opportunity to negotiate their pay with their employer.

• Workers on AWAs are working more but earning less than their counterparts on union collective agreements.

• Employees on AWAs are earning on average $106 a week less than other workers.

• Most of the growth in AWAs is occurring in lower skilled occupations.

• Australia has some of the longest working hours compared to other developed countries, with over a fifth of all workers working 50 hours per week and more than two-fifths of full-time employees working unpaid overtime.

One example highlighted by the report was 17 year old brick worker Luke Wilkie who worked 12 hour shifts and lost $400 a week compared to workmates doing the same job.

Luke signed up for his first job at the Austral Bricks factory in March, on a non-negotiable AWA with no overtime and shift penalties, no extra annual leave and no paid rest breaks.

He was promised training but only saw a trainer once in six months.

Luke was forced to work through his rest breaks and was not entitled to a visit from the union, which was denied access to the site.

Workplace Minister Joe Hockey confirmed on Brisbane radio that the Liberal Party intends to push more young workers onto AWAs if the Howard Government is re-elected.

Melbourne families rally

More than 20,000 workers and their families rallied in Melbourne in September to call for a change of government to prevent the Liberal and National Parties going further on IR.

"The federal election is an opportunity for working families to vote against the WorkChoices IR laws, to prevent the Liberals going further on IR, and to protect the rights and working conditions of their children," said ACTU President Sharan Burrow. "Young workers have been abandoned by the Howard Government and left without the legal rights they need."

Some examples of exploitation of Australian youth are:

• Young workers were underpaid more than $12,000 by the owner of a Melbourne painting business who also worked as an actor in the government's WorkChoices ads.

• Workers under 18 were ripped off for more than $45,000 by Chilli's restaurant outlets.

• An investigation is underway into the exploitation of young trolley collectors in South Australia who have been underpaid more than $250,000.

• Young staff in cafes and take-away outlets in the Victorian seaside town of Warrnambool were found to have been underpaid and kept 'off the books'.

Women hit

Women have been especially hard hit by WorkChoices. Full time women workers on individual contracts earn 81 cents for every $1 a man makes and every 90 cents a woman on a collective agreement makes.