Unionists from across Adelaide will rally on the steps of Parliament House today to celebrate the introduction of new labour hire laws which come into effect tomorrow (March 1).
But SA Unions State Secretary Joe Szakacs has issued a warning to the Liberals and SA Best that working people won’t stand for these hard-fought for laws to be watered down or overturned.
“These laws passed Parliament in November last year and are aimed at tackling some of the worst abuses of workers unions have ever seen, including slave-like conditions in the food production industry.
“These workers, hired by labour hire companies, were sometimes paid as little as $5 an hour.
“Finally, under these new laws which come into effect tomorrow, those bosses who exploit workers, dodge tax, superannuation payments and workers compensation payments will lose their right to operate their business. If they ignore this – they face jail time.
“We know that the Turnbull Government opposes national laws regulating labour hire, so we’ll fight to defend these new laws here in South Australia.
“Who knows what a Marshall-Turnbull Government would do to these laws that protect workers.
“And Xenophon? He’s voted with Turnbull to cut funding to schools, to cut pensions, and to cut workers rights and conditions.
“We call on them to give a commitment to let dodgy bosses face the full extent of these new laws.”