Greens back new long service leave scheme
The Tasmanian Greens are pushing to change long service leave entitlements so more people — especially women — can access it. The industries it could impact >>
Tasmania
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The Greens have backed union calls for a Parliamentary Inquiry into a Portable Long Service Leave scheme for the community services, aged care, contract cleaning, and security sectors.
Workplace Relations spokeswoman Helen Burnet said thousands of Tasmanian workers are working in critically important industries without ever being able to access long service leave.
Current legislation provided for 13 weeks paid leave after 15 years, although leave is available on a pro-rata basis after ten years.
Unions say an inquiry could lead to legislation later this year.
“I’ve spoken to many people who have been in the situation where they have not been able to accrue long service leave just because of the industry they’re in,” she said.
“This has been introduced and running very effectively in the construction industry in Tasmania for 50 years.
“It’s really time for the Tasmanian Government, or the Tasmanian parliament to look to seeing how effectively we could introduce this.”
Health and Community Service Union state secretary Robbie Moore said an inquiry would be an opportunity for workers in the female-dominated sectors to make a pitch for better conditions.
“This is going to be a real opportunity for workers to explain how, why they need this scheme,” he said.
“We had a member last year in Kingston who was a disability support worker who fell just three months short of the 10 years that they needed to accrue to get part of the long service leave … they missed out on their entitlement.
“This is a predominantly female workforce, and they usually have to take their annual leave around school holidays, so long service leave is a real opportunity to have a proper break, and they’re missing out on that because of this.
“The position the government have taken for some time is that they would only move forward with the scheme if it was supported by the industry. We now know that most employers in most sectors are on board.”
United Workers Union state secretary Amy Brumby said workers in the female-dominated contract cleaning and security workers were low-paid and often worked for multiple employers.
“A lot of those workers have to take on a second job or a third job, which means that they are often working for different contractors, which means that their long service leave accrues with those different contractors.
“Contracts generally only last three to four years, and often when there’s a contract change, our members lose that entitlement.”
Liberal Minister Eric Abetz said the government did not support a portable superannuation scheme for the community sector.
“The government isn’t looking at such a proposal,” he said.
“And all I would say to those is that with all things in public policy, you’ve got to do the balancing act.
“Those sorts of things do come to the cost to the Tasmanian taxpayer and at the moment that is not on the government’s agenda.”
Originally published as Greens back new long service leave scheme
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