Budget must focus on women, says ACTU

ACTU president Michele O’Neil will say the May 11 budget must do more to assist the losers in a post-pandemic recovery.

ACTU President Michele O'Neil. Picture: Matt Taylor

ACTU president Michele O’Neil will say the May 11 budget must focus on “delivering a budget for women”, and demanded the Morrison government do more to assist the losers in a post-pandemic recovery which “has not been a shared or inclusive one”.

At a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra on Tuesday, Ms O’Neil will reiterate the union movement’s call for government-paid parental leave to be extended from 18 weeks to 26 weeks — a position big business has also adopted.

“In two weeks’ time, when the Treasurer is on his feet, Australian women will see what the government chooses to do about this inequality. We will see if they have a gender lens, or still have gender blinkers,” she will say.

Amid expectations the Josh Frydenberg will announce expanded subsidies for childcare, Ms O’Neil will repeat her call for free, universal childcare to boost women’s workforce participation.

While employment has returned to above pre-pandemic levels, the labour market recovery has been “brutally unfair” on younger Australians. Ms O’Neil will also question the security of the jobs created since the crisis, saying two-thirds of the post-­recession jobs growth has been in part-time work.