from YAPRap March 2006
Young people & youth workers:
Been offered an individual contract/ Australian Workplace Agreement at work?
The NSW Office of Industrial Relations has launched a new online tool to help you find out if you are better off under an individual contract (Australian Workplace Agreement) or a current award such as the Social & Community Services Award.
The Compare What's Fair comparison calculator is free and available at www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/awards/compare.
Compare What's Fair helps you to calculate the amount that you would earn over a year, including entitlements, based on your typical working week under an existing award and a proposed AWA.
Compare What's Fair also lets you evaluate the minimum hourly rate required under an AWA to give you the same annual salary as the current NSW award applying to the work that you do.
The calculator is a simple and easy way to find out what entitlements and pay conditions you could miss out on if you sign an AWA.
YAPA Executive Officer, Kristy Delaney, spoke at the launch of the Compare What's Fair comparison calculator, along with NSW Minister for Industrial Relations John Della Bosca.
At the launch Kristy said that many research reports, including a survey of over 5000 young people by the Office of Industrial Relations last year, show that young people are vulnerable workers who are often and easily exploited by employers.
Kristy said that Work Choices will have a devastating impact on the lives of young workers and will only further erode their pay and working entitlements.
Young people are more likely to be in casual and low paid jobs, are less likely to have the qualifications and experiences that are in high demand by employers, face an unemployment rate of over 20%, and are less likely to have the skills and confidence to negotiate successfully at work.
Kristy said that young people are in a very weak position to negotiate with the boss and in many situations their only choice is "take it or leave it".
YAPA welcomed the launch of the calculator as a practical demonstration of the NSW Government's commitment to helping young people reach their employment goals and get a fair go at work.
Mr Della Bosca said that many of the AWAs examined so far by the NSW Office of Industrial Relations have stripped away penalties for shift work, overtime, paid public holidays, provisions for jury service, bereavement leave, annual leave loading and meal, uniform and travel allowances.
Examples include:
- a second year apprentice motor mechanic working a 38 hour week, plus an hour of overtime per day for a flat weekly rate of $322 instead of $530.
- the coordinator of a community centre working 38 hours per week with 12 hours overtime getting $938 instead of $1566.
Mr Della Bosca said "The calculator gives workers and employers a chance to make genuinely informed decisions about their workplace arrangements.
Before you sign an AWA (individual agreement)
Before you sign an AWA you should read it carefully to check it provides for:
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meal breaks; overtime rates; weekend, late night, public holiday and other penalty rates; shift, uniform, vehicle, travel and other allowances; rest breaks; bonuses and annual leave loading (Will you get enough extra pay to compensate you for the loss of these arrangements?)
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a notice of termination clause and redundancy pay (How do they compare to award conditions?)
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pay increases (You will get no other pay increases than those listed for the life of the AWA.)
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the options available to you when it expires (If it isn't replaced by another AWA, your entitlements will be reduced to just five minimum conditions, including minimum pay. The current minimum rate of pay is just $12.74 per hour)
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seven days to consider the AWA
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if you are under 18, parental or guardian consent.
For more advice you can phone the Office of Industrial Relations free hotline on 131 628.
