Unions launch push to fight rise of casual employment

Unions are preparing to fight the rise of casual employment in an effort to address what they say has become chronic work insecurity. It sets up a fight with industry groups, a showdown which could affect millions of Australian workers.

Workers at Federation Square in Melbourne Source: SBS Arabic24

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) says the battle against workforce casualisation is all in the name of a better standard of living.

 More than 2 million Australians are deemed casual workers, despite the fact there is no standard definition of what a casual is.

Around 40 per cent of those workers are between 15 and 24 years old, and just over half are women.

 The ACTU is calling for a sharper definition of casual work and the option for those workers to convert to permanent positions after six months of regular work with one company.

 ACTU secretary Sally McManus says it is a matter of securing basic rights for the workers involved.

 

Interview with Raland Jabbour, National President of the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry to shed light on the position of employers on this issue.