Casual Workers Should Have Annual Leave

A report from the Australian Council of Trade Unions has recommended that casual workers should be entitled with an annual leave and that they should also be given permanent work status. 

Brian Howe said about 40 percent of Aussie workers don’t feel secure with their work. He added that casual workers must not be subjected to long-term employment without being given a permanent post. 

Howe also said that employers should not be allowed to create temporary jobs especially if the projects are for long-term. And in situations where employers hire casual workers, they should be given an annual leave.

The former deputy prime minister said labor hire firms should act like they are employers and that they should be part of a licensing system. 

With these recommendations, the issue is being raised to strengthen the national employment standards to help protect casual workers. Howe added that these temporary workers are often given multiple roles. 

They are also not given proper training because employers want to save money on personal development. As a result, these casual workers have low or outdated skills and competencies. 

Howe said the situation is worrisome for temporary workers because they are constantly facing concerns of being laid off without warning. They are also commonly subjected to work only periodically, which means their families suffer financially. 

According to the report, millions of Australians have experienced moving from one job to another without being given permanent work status. As a result, they do not enjoy benefits allocated to regular employees like paid leaves and holidays. 

The report covered 22 cities and towns in the country.