YAPA applauds NSW move to protect young people from WorkChoices
The NSW Government will protect young people under 18 from the Australian Government's WorkChoices industrial relations laws.
NSW will draft a law requiring employers to provide under 18s with employment terms and conditions at least equivalent to NSW awards and legislation.
The legislation will benefit 150,000 working teenagers.
The NSW Government has power to make employment laws for "child labour" and the WorkChoices legislation provides for this.
YAPA is delighted that the NSW Government had taken active steps to protect young people from exploitation at work. Many young people, parents and community members are rightfully concerned about the impact of WorkChoices on young people.
Young people are vulnerable at work and do not have the work experience or bargaining power to successfully negotiate. This move will provide the protection that they deserve.
Young people are a valuable part of our community and deserve every support to gain meaningful and rewarding employment. We want young people in NSW to have real jobs with fair pay and fair conditions.
YAPA member 17 year old Joel Clark from the Blue Mountains, and YAPA Executive Officer Kristy Delaney were present when the Minister for Industrial Relations, John Della Bosca made the announcement. Joel and Kristy also each gave a speech at the Minister's press conference.
Joel said that protections were needed for young people because young people are vulnerable and inexperienced. He said that the new law would ensure that young people are protected in the workplace and it would help attract young people into the workforce.
The Minister said that he hoped other state governments around Australia would introduce similar legislation. Mr Della Bosca said that the proposed legislation would be discussed in parliament as soon as possible with the new laws to be introduced prior to the NSW State Election in March 2007.
YAPA staff Kristy Delaney and John Ferguson spoke on ABC radio about the NSW Government's plan to protect under 18s from the Australian Government's Work Choices laws:
Other media coverage:
Impact of WorkChoices on youth services
Late in 2005 the NSW Government established a taskforce to investigate the impacts of WorkChoices on the delivery and quality of community services in NSW. In August 2006 YAPA met with Justice Marcus Einfeld, the Chair of the Taskforce, to discuss potential impacts of WorkChoices in the youth services sector. > more on Impact of WorkChoices on youth services
YAPA talks to parliament on WorkChoices
On 18 July, YAPA's Executive Officer, Kristy Delaney, and Policy & Training Officer, John Ferguson, made a visit to NSW Parliament House to give evidence to Parliament's inquiry into the impact of the Commonwealth WorkChoices industrial relations (IR) laws.
Unfortunately the committee cannot overturn the WorkChoices legislation, however, we recommended that they call on the Federal Government to abolish AWA's for young people. As we've seen in YAPA's recent report, young people face a weakened bargaining position and the real likelihood of reduced pay and conditions. We also discussed the impact of WorkChoices on rural communities, the dangerous interaction it will have with the new welfare system and the impact on harassment, injuries and exploitation.
At a state level, we discussed the need for a Young Workers Advisory Service and the need for a greater emphasis on occupational health and safety (OH & S) and harassment information in schools. As another strategy to protect young people against WorkChoices, we discussed the need to encourage more young people into apprenticeships combined with an increased effort to support them to complete their training.
What YAPA said: Read the Hansard (transcript) of what John & Kristy said to the committee. Go to http://tinyurl.com/h23up and download the PDF.
YAPA survey results: Young people negotiating at work
In response to the Federal Government's new Work Choices industrial relations law, YAPA conducted a survey: Negotiating at Work, with 400 young people aged 12-25, about their experiences and perceptions of negotiating at work.
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Call to ban individual contracts for young workers (media release 25/4/06)
...YAPA research shows young people in weak bargaining position in workplace... -
Young People, Industrial Relations and Workplace Negotiations: Not a Young Person's Choice (180KB PDF report July 2006)
youth: an occupational hazard
During April 2006 the Sydney Morning Herald ran a major feature on young people and workplace injuries called: youth: an occupational hazard. Two of the Herald articles quoted YAPA:
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Why young can't quit bad jobs (April 2006) by Debra Jopson
...Almost one in five workers under 26 is unhappy with pay and conditions, but most young people will not quit a job straightaway even when they feel poorly treated...
