There is a welcome focus on job creation in the Victorian State Budget, but we must not forget a crucial component – ensuring the safety of workers, the quality of employment opportunities, and the security of income during the toughest times. We learned invaluable lessons at the height of the pandemic and we should not lose sight that protecting rights and retention of employment is key to financial security.
May 04, 2022
JobWatch, Victoria’s only specialist employment rights community legal centre, calls on the Victorian Government to invest further in rights for workers. With forecasted significant employment growth in Victoria, record low unemployment rates in both metropolitan and regional areas, and high participation rates, the Victorian Government is in a unique position to further protect the rights of workers.
“Most employment law issues are typically considered a federal responsibility through national legislation such as the Fair Work Act 2009,” says Zana Bytheway, Executive Director of JobWatch.
“However, considering that the Victorian Government has already demonstrated their willingness to step into industrial relations matters through important initiatives such as the Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee and investment in Wage Inspectorate Victoria, there are other measures that the state government should consider implementing to better support the rights of Victorian workers,” she continues.
“Getting people into jobs is one thing,” says Ms. Bytheway. “Ensuring that these jobs are safe and secure for all Victorian workers is another thing altogether.”
JobWatch is calling for further policy and budgetary commitment to:
We need to see increased commitment to promoting rights for vulnerable Victorian workers, with a strong commitment to building nation-leading approaches for safe, secure and equitable workplaces for all.
Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved
JobWatch acknowledges and is grateful for the financial and other support it has received from our supporters.
JobWatch acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we are located and where we conduct our business. We pay our respects to ancestors, and Elders, past, present and emerging.