Union members protest against job casualisation outside Ken O’Dowd’s office

Protesters took to Gladstone’s main street to express their anger and frustration over job casualisation in Central Queensland.

Union members sent a loud and clear message against the casualisation of jobs during a protest in the heart of Gladstone on Thursday.

Assistant general secretary of Queensland’s Council of Unions Jacqueline King said the event, held outside Federal Member Ken O’Dowd’s office, intended to highlight Central Queensland’s insecure work ‘crisis’.

A crowd of union members gathered outside Ken O'Dowd MP's office to protest the casualisation of work in Central Queensland today.

“More than one in two workers are in insecure jobs and two in every five Central Queensland workers are in casual work, which means no access to annual or sick leave,” Ms King said.

Ms King explained the mining industry in 1996 was characterised by full time work, however, today’s workforce painted a very different picture.

Assistant General Secretary of Queensland's Council of Unions Jacqueline King said today's event was used to highlight Central Queensland's insecure work crisis.

“Now more than half of the workers in the mining industry are insecure, casual, labour hire workers,” she said.

“Most of those workers are earning 30 to 40 per cent less than a permanent worker at the same site would.

“At the same time, the mining industry made $35 billion last year, so you have to ask yourself why they are trying to drive down wages.”

Ms King said Central Queensland’s casualisation of work was much worse than the state’s average.

“The casualisation rate in Central Queensland is 40 per cent, compared to 25 per cent for the rest of Queensland, which is why we almost say it is a crisis figure,” she said.

“It’s a tale of two cities, you have half the workforce who have full-time, secure jobs and the other half who are living week to week and can’t take an annual holiday.”

State organiser of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Unions' Gladstone branch Phil Golby said he wanted to guarantee industry personnel in Gladstone had permanent work.

State organiser of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Unions' Gladstone branch Phil Golby said there was a new generation of people who need secure jobs.

“There is a new generation of people who need secure jobs, this whole community needs them,” he said.

“Without them, we are going to have the same problem as we had after the construction of the gas plants.

“They made it so everyone bought real estate, we need to make sure there are secure jobs here so people can buy homes.

“We also need to make sure there is proper training in place for our apprentices when projects move forward,” he said.

“The jobs those apprentices get need to be permanent, they can’t just be make-believe.”

Member for Flynn Ken O’Dowd MP said casual work opportunities offered more flexibility to staff that could not or did not wish to work full time hours.

“The free market allows a company and employee to agree on suitable hours for both parties,” he said.

“Any discussions regarding work conditions should be levelled at the fair work commission, as this is very much within their jurisdiction.”