Govt faces women voter backlash

Date: 12 August 2001

The Federal Government faces a backlash from women voters concerned about job security after a record loss of full-time jobs last month, the ACTU said today.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow said women were bearing the brunt of Government policies causing higher levels of insecure part-time and casual work, while full-time and permanent jobs continued to disappear.

Ms Burrow called on Employment Minister Tony Abbott to cancel Government plans to make it easier for employers to use more casuals instead of permanent staff.

The secret plans were revealed last week in a leaked Cabinet document that proposed exempting small business employers from Award conditions on casuals. The Cabinet document said the proposal would be criticised "as exacerbating the so-called trend towards casualisation of the workforce at the expense of permanent positions."

"It's ridiculous that while the ABS says 150,000 full-time jobs disappeared in the last four months, the Government describes it as a 'so-called trend'. It is a real trend, and real people need more security," Ms Burrow said today.

"It's time Mr Abbott started doing his job as Employment Minister by improving job security, not removing it. Mr Abbott's only jobs policy has been to make it easier to sack people by watering down the unfair dismissal laws.

"Working women are telling me daily that they are angry with this Government because it is failing to deliver on jobs with a future."

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show women hold more than 70% of Australia's casual jobs and 68% of all part-time jobs.

ABS labour force data released on Thursday showed a record 79,200 full-time jobs disappeared in July, with the only employment growth recorded in part-time jobs.

Among OECD countries, Australia has the second-highest level of female representation in part-time work, according to a recent OECD report.

For further information

Contact:	Jeremy Vermeesch
Union:	ACTU
Phone:	03 9663 5266
Contact Mobile:	0408 513 849
Fax:	03 9663 8220
Email:	media@actu.asn.au
WWW:	http://www.actu.asn.au/

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