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Issue No. 302 | 07 April 2006 |
The Cowra Clause
Interview: Head On Unions: Do You Have a Moment? Industrial: Vital Signs Economics: Taxing Times Environment: It Ain�t Necessarily So History: Melbourne�s Hours Immigration: Opening the Floodgates Review: Pollie Fiction Poetry: The Cabal
Abattoir Boss Slaughters Andrews More Slaughter in South Australia Where The Bloody Hell Is Our Contract? Building Crusade Raids Pockets Howard's Skills Solution: Sack Apprentices Spineless Companies Block Safety
Politics Politics The Soapbox Postcard The Locker Room Obituary
Social Action French revolution Fan Mail Belly Spreads The Word All Out! Lying Lies And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them Help Wanted
Labor Council of NSW |
News Howard's Skills Solution: Sack Apprentices
SA Unions secretary Janet Giles understands it is illegal to sack an apprentice, saying it will mount a legal challenge to test whether the federal government's harsh new industrial laws override apprentice contracts. "Apprentice contracts explicitly prevent the termination of apprentices. If an employer cannot fulfil the apprenticeship, they must negotiate with the appropriate government department to either suspend the apprenticeship or transfer it to another employer," says Giles. "In the instance of 19 and 20 year old Yorke Peninsula based third year apprentice electricians Robert Elkson and Greg Garrard, they, along with three other workers were sacked without notice on Monday March 27, the day the new work laws took effect." "We believe the company involved deliberately used the new laws in order to sack these apprentices and further believe this is illegal under the South Australia Training and Skills Act." Ms Giles says if the challenge finds that apprentices can be sacked then it's a blow to Australia's skills base and the careers of thousands of young people. "It is unthinkable that at a time of severe national skills shortages, when the federal government is importing workers from overseas, that our apprenticeship system could be undermined in this way." SA Unions' has launched their "I've been sacked" hotline on 8279 2222, and are encouraging any worker who has been sacked to get in touch.
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