Coalition MPs back unions’ push for casuals

A committee chaired by Barnaby Joyce has backed the union movement’s push to guarantee casuals permanent employment.

The committee chaired by former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce called for an inquiry into the use of casual and labour hire employees. Picture: AAP

A Coalition-dominated committee chaired by Barnaby Joyce has backed the union movement’s push to guarantee casuals the legal right to convert to permanent employment after a set time.

The committee has also called for an inquiry into the use of casual and labour hire employees, backing changes to the Fair Work Act to ban the replacement of directly employed workers with long-term casuals.

The committee — made up of three Nationals, two Liberals and three Labor MPs — examined mining industry support for regional businesses, expressing concern about the increased use of casual labour hire by mining companies.

As well as Mr Joyce, the committee members includes Liberal MP Tim Wilson and Nationals MP George Christensen.

In its report, the committee said the increased use of casual labour hire was causing financial difficulty for workers who were “often forced to move to capital cities for work, creating a ‘second class’ of mining employee”.

“The committee understands that during the downturn the mining industry was looking for ways to economise, but these kinds of work practices can be damaging to communities, impacting on companies’ social licence to operate, and should be reviewed,’’ it said.

The committee said it supports moves to legislate to prevent further casualisation and outsourcing of mining workforces.

“The committee recommends the Federal Government conduct a review into the use of casualised workforces and labour hire companies in the mining and other sectors with a view to amending the Fair Work Act 2009, in order to prohibit the move towards replacing directly-employed, full time workers with ‘permanent casual’ employees, and other similar casualised employee types.

“Changes to the Act should also include provisions that guarantee that employees have a legal right to convert from casual to permanent employment after a set period of time.”

ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the committee’s report was a “stunning about face” by Coalition MPs.

“George Christensen, Barnaby Joyce and the other Morrison Government MPs representing working people in mining regions know they are toast at the election if the Morrison Government continues to allow big business to casualise what should be good secure jobs,’ she said

“We need to change the rules and close the loopholes that allow business to destroy good, secure jobs through the use of labour hire and other underhanded tactics.

“This means making sure people can negotiate deals where they get the same pay for doing the same work, whether they’re employed directly or through a labour hire company.

“It also means putting a proper definition of casual in the Fair Work Act so that these loopholes are closed and that working people’s basic rights are restored.’