The call comes as Australia’s union membership has tumbled to a historic low of 12.5 per cent after almost 50 years of decline.
A major union head has suggested charging “free-riding” workers who benefit from pay deals negotiated on their behalf, as the movement grapples with a record-low base that he says will dash the success of recent landmark workplace reforms.
Kennedy’s 150,000-member organisation includes early educators, whose industry will likely be the test case for multi-employer deals after both providers and workers signalled their willingness to overhaul bargaining in the low-paid, staff-strapped and highly feminised sector. Last month the Australian Bureau of Statistics published its latest figures on the nation’s proportion of union membership, which has tumbled to a historic low of 12.5 per cent after almost 50 years of decline.“As it currently stands, it is an expectation this minority of works will carry the burden for up to 50-60 per cent of the workforce ... so you’ve got a lot of free-riding going on,” Kennedy said.
The United Workers Union head also proposed relaxing red tape for right-of-entry permits, which are required for union representatives entering workplaces, where they can meet prospective members. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry head Andrew McKellar described Kennedy’s suggestions as “predictable asks from a tired union wish-list driven by the self-interest of officials, rather than meeting the changing needs of workers as workplaces rapidly evolve”.
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