Wages are going backwards and have been for 10 years.
Workers’ wages are now worth less than they were 10 years ago. Add to this the cost of living and the housing crisis and many people are really struggling.
Too many jobs have been contracted out or made insecure. Labour hire workers on average earn $4,700 less than people doing the same job.
Big companies like Qantas have used loopholes in workplace laws to keep wages down, contract out work, and take away working conditions – all while CEO bonuses are going up.
Australia’s workplace laws need updating to protect workers from loopholes used by some big business to drive down wages and conditions, while CEO bonus go up.
Qantas is our best example:
- Qantas has at least 36 companies that it contracts its workforce to.
- For cabin staff alone, they have 14 different companies and contractors.
- You can catch a plane and have 4 flight attendants all working for 4 different
companies – all on different pay and conditions. - Qantas axed and outsourced 1700 ground staff, baggage handlers and cleaners – all
essential jobs now being done by low-cost contractors. - Labour hire is being used as a race to the bottom on wages, all while profits and
bonuses go up. - This is how big companies game the system to drive down wages and conditions