Business groups fight union push to give casual staff the right to ask for full-time jobs

Business groups are opposing a push by the Australian Council of Trade Unions to introduce a new ability for casual workers to request full-time employment, arguing that it will eliminate flexibility in the workplace.

The ACTU kicked off its Secure Jobs, Better Future campaign this morning, arguing that about 40% of the workforce is in insecure employment which includes casual and short-term agreements.

The group argues that those workers don’t receive any additional benefits such as sick or annual leave and that they lack the ability to plan with their income.

It also argues that the high level of under-employment suggests that workers want more hours.

The plan is similar to one raised by the Greens last year during the election period.

Business groups oppose the plan, with Australian Industry Group industrial relations director Stephen Smith saying it was necessary to maintain flexibility in the workplace, adding that “flexibility cuts both ways”.

“Employers need the flexibility to be able to match the supply of labour with demand for products and services, and employees want a higher degree of flexibility to be able to balance their work and family lives,” he says.

Smith points to the inclusion of a clause in some modern awards that already allows for employees to request full-time employment and argues that because few employees have used that request facility there isn’t necessarily a reason to believe they will elsewhere.

“When employees are given the ability to convert they don’t and for two reasons,” he says.

“The first is they don’t want to lose flexibility and the second is that they don’t want to lose the 25% casual loading on top of their pay.

“We just don’t see a need for this. The ACTU alleges there is a huge increase in casual employment but that isn’t necessarily the case.

“The ABS figures show although causal employment was at 16.9% in 1998 it was 20.5% in 2004 and 20.4% in 2009.”

Smith says the facts show that although the overall rate of casual workers is high it has hit its peak and that there is no longer significant growth there.

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry director of workplace relations David Gregory agrees and says while the ACTU has been pushing this proposal for a while “I’m not sure it’s going to be too successful”.

“Employees like casual work. It suits people who are working a second job who are more interested in the money than some of the other conditions,” he says.

“I would suggest that what the ACTU deems to a problem isn’t actually one. The facts suggest that employees like casual work and there are benefits there they want to enjoy.”