"Bush wage" apprentice incentives don't address the real reason people don't go into trades, says union.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) said today that apprentices in rural and regional communities would be no better off by having their wages subsidised by Government under the new "bush wage" scheme announced by Prime Minister Morrison.
AMWU National President Andrew Dettmer said that the announcement did nothing to address the number one reason why Australian's can't take up skilled trades; that they can not afford to live on apprentice wages.
"Apprentices in Australia are already 'working poor' by any definition. The Government announcement on "bush wages" does nothing to address the reality that apprentices get a very rough deal already and that many Australian's literally cannot afford to live on apprentice wages."
In the last five years, the Federal government has ripped $3 billion dollars out of the vocational education and training sector. TAFE fees have also skyrocketed for apprentices in many states.
"The Government has taken an axe to the cost of living for apprentices in the last five years. Their response to the crisis is to give a small number of businesses in regional Australia free money to employ apprentices in a half-baked scheme made as a sop to Pauline Hanson."
"We need to be having a conversation in this country about systematically lifting wages for apprentices, improving how employers treat them and the quality of their training, rather than endlessly relying on importing our skilled workers from overseas.
"Australian kids deserve a real chance to get into the skilled trades – that means a living wage."
"Everybody knows that the cost of living in this country is going up but wages have flat-lined. I simply don't know how an adult apprentice with a family makes ends meet currently. The Government has cut some significant assistance to apprentices in the last 5 years, in the form of allowances. Token subsidies for a tiny number of regional small businesses won't achieve anything."
Conversely, the Government could boost skills in Australia tremendously if it acted decisively to address the scandal of apprentice wages."
