EMPLOYMENT
The employment of Australians and their conditions of employment has to regulated by government as it it has been shown that many potential employers have a tendency to exploit potential workers in many ways. The Christians for Community believes that the minimum standards laid out via regulations and various laws ought to be exceeded by honourable employers. The Minister responsible for the employment portfolio should do all he can to see that the employment market is expanding to accommodate any increases in the workforce numbers. It is important to understand the relationship to wages growth and the rate of employment/unemployment. The greater the pool of unemployed people in any class of work will tend to increase the greater pressure to force wages growth downward, and conversly the lower the pool of unemployed in any class of work then the greater the upward pressure on wages growth. Often it has been the claim of the employers that we need to permit overseas employees to come into Australia to fill unfulfilled work classifications – this actually is often a process to put downward pressure on certain class of wages and is a morally questionable employment practice, that must be resisted as far as possible.
Policy:
- To aim for full employment in all classes of employment so as above award wages will become the norm.
- To recognise that certain times of working is actually worth higher payments and hence support for penalty rates.
- To encourage businesses to do their process work or manufacturing work in Australia so as to retain jobs for Australians in these classes of work.
- To promote the whole principle of “Build Them Here” in all aspects of manufacturing as is possible.
- To value all classes of work as important fort he whole of society to work well so that those without accedemic qualifications can know that their contribution to the community is valued highly.
- To set basic remuneration at a level that will deliver sufficent funds to provide adquate housing, food, clothing, essential services, reasonable entertainment, and reasonable holidays from employment.
- To set workplace safety standards so that every employee can reasonably be expected to return home healthy and without injury.
- To expect that every employee will have evidence that any payment paid on behalf of the employee to a third party and that the payment be made promptly.
- That wages owed to employees to be treated as a secured debt and to paid ahead of other secured debtors
