Spare A Thought For Lot of Jockeys

Date: 09 November 2006

Australian jockeys deserve a fairer crack of the whip, with many doing it tough despite the racing industry reaping record profits, the Australian Workers' Union said today.

AWU National Secretary and Victorian Jockeys' Association Director Bill Shorten called for the introduction of a national uniform set of conditions, including ride fees, workers' compensation and superannuation.

Mr Shorten said many Australians would be surprised to learn that many jockeys outside the top ten earners in the industry have an average income of up to $53,000, from which they are expected to help fund their own public liability insurance and death and disability insurance.

"Imagine a job where you're expected to be available for work 363 of 365 days a year (including weekends), maintain your bodyweight at 20% below its normal level, and be guaranteed to incur at least one injury in your career that involves a fracture to some part of your body," Mr Shorten said.

"All this, for a career that lasts on average for only 10 years, with no job security beyond that."

Mr Shorten said Victorian jockeys had achieved a significant breakthrough in August, with the Victorian Jockeys' Association (supported by the AWU) negotiating a losing ride fee of $145 (the highest in the country). In an Australian-first, Victorian jockeys have also won an additional ride subsidy of $60 a day for any meeting at which a jockey has three rides or less. As well, Racing Victoria pays jockeys additional $5 per race in retirement benefits, rising to $10 in 2008-09.

"The AWU is calling on other Australian racing clubs to adopt the Victorian jockeys' agreement as a minimum industry standard around Australia," Mr Shorten said.

"Why should a jockey in WA earn almost 33% less than one in Victoria?"

Mr Shorten said the conditions of Australian jockeys trailed behind those in other countries, including Japan, UK, Ireland and Hong Kong and Macau.

"For example, the losing fee for an unplaced jockey is $125 in Queensland and $120 in Western Australia - compared to A$310 in Japan, $219 in Britain and $190 in Hong Kong, $175 in Macau and $208 in Ireland

"Similarly, the share of prize money for Australian jockeys is below that in comparable countries," Mr Shorten said.

"In Australia, the share of the prize-pool for place-getting jockeys is five per cent, with owners receiving 85% and trainers 10%," he said.

This is half the allocation for jockeys in Macau (10%), and well below that for jockeys in Hong Kong (9%), the UK (7.5% ) and Ireland (8%).

For further information

Union:	The Australian Workers' Union
Phone:	03 8327 0888
Fax:	03 8327 0899
Email:	members@awu.net.au
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au

LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed
by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW
[Credits] [Site Matters]