Today's outcome in the Workpac v Rossato case is a yet another blow for hard-working Australians.
Countless numbers of Australian workers are struggling every day with no paid leave entitlements, no confidence about where their next shift is coming from and no job security. Workers and their families are finding it harder than ever to make ends meet because of the rampant casualisation of Australian jobs and the exploitative "permanent casual" model of employment favoured by labour hire operators.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Liberal National Government promised to deliver new laws to crack down on workforce casualisation and the exploitation of workers. Shamefully, the Morrison Government chose to break this promise and instead passed laws earlier this year to make a bad situation even worse.
Today's High Court decision means the Prime Minister has nowhere left to hide.
Mr Morrison must today commit to urgent new laws to crack down on the rampant casualisation of Australian jobs and the exploitation of workers by labour hire companies with their "permanent casual" model of employment.
The Government must deliver on its promise to help Australian workers secure decent, permanent jobs with proper pay and conditions, including guaranteed hours, holiday pay and sick pay.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:
"The outcome of today's decision is yet another blow for many hard-working Australians, who have nothing left to give after 18 months of economic hell.
"Workers across the country are struggling with no paid leave entitlements, no confidence about where their next shift is coming from and no job security. Insecure work is making it harder than ever for families to make ends meet. For example, casuals employed in mining are paid $30 per hour less than their permanent co-workers, and still they have no rights to paid sick leave or holidays.
"Instead of fixing this situation, earlier this year Scott Morrison passed new laws to make it harder for workers to secure permanent jobs, giving the green light to rampant casualisation, rolling out the red carpet to dodgy labour hire operators and making a bad situation even worse.
"Covid has shown us that casualisation is a weakness for our country - with one-in-three workers stranded with no sick leave during this one-in-a-century pandemic. This is a health hazard for the community and a threat to the Australian economy.
"Mr Morrison must today commit to new laws to crack down on the casualisation of Australian jobs, smash unscrupulous labour hire operators with their exploitative "permanent casual" model of employment and help working Australians secure permanent jobs with proper pay and conditions including guaranteed hours, holiday pay and sick pay."
