No PPL for female jockeys
Frustrations are building as years of campaigning for female jockeys to be included in the paid parental leave scheme have amounted to nothing. Around a quarter of all jockeys in Australia are female, with the number rising to around half for the apprentice ranks.
The Australian Jockeys Association began lobbying the government in 2013 to change the anomaly that makes female jockeys ineligible for the scheme, but three social services ministers later, the association says it has failed to get any concrete movements on the issue, despite the government agreeing it needs to be fixed.
Racing safety regulations prohibit female jockeys from riding after their first trimester, making them ineligible for the scheme, as it requires women to have worked 10 of the preceding 13 months before having a baby.
A spokesperson for Social Services Minister Christian Porter said the government was currently in ‘good faith negotiations’ with crossbenchers to work through changes to include women in dangerous occupations in the legislation. (Source AAP)
Worker exploitation a national disgrace
Edwin De Castro’s account of his work life to a Senate inquiry into foreign worker exploitation is harrowing. It includes 60 to 70 hour working weeks, dangerous working conditions, gross underpayment of wages and overcrowded accommodation.
De Castro was one of dozens of people recruited by a labour hire company to work on a building site in Narrabri, NSW, until they were dismissed without notice and evicted from their accommodation.
Over the course of a year and 10 public hearings, the Senate inquiry, chaired by Senator Sue Lines, heard first hand evidence from victims, regulators, unions and academics, outlining cases of wage fraud, worker exploitation and in some cases slavery.
It has now released a report with the apt title A National Disgrace: The Exploitation of Temporary Work Visa Holders. (Source: SMH)
Tea company in hot water
In Montreal, Canadian beverage chain DavidsTea is facing a simmering challenge over alleged use of ‘on call’ shifts to control labour costs.
Attorneys general in New York and eight other jurisdictions have written to the company and others seeking information about their alleged use of a scheduling practice that requires employees to call before a shift to find out if they are required to work.
The letter asked DavidsTea to confirm whether it uses the controversial scheduling practice and submit information and documents by 25 April.
“Such unpredictable work schedules take a toll on employees,” said the.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that on call shifts are unfair because unpredictable work schedules make it difficult for employees to arrange reliable childcare or other pursuits while adding to stress and strain on family life.
DavidsTea has not commented on the accusations. (Source: Owen Sound Sun Times).
