Young workers made to suffer
Employers are cheating young workers out of more than $100,000 a year in wages as they cash in on their inexperience and willingness to work.
But the actual amount owed is even higher, as unions say most young workers do not know their rights, how to seek help or are unwilling to speak out in case they lose their jobs.
The Young Workers’ Legal Service, run by SA Unions, has recovered $680,128 in unpaid wages, entitlements and compensation for workplace breaches and unfair dismissals in its six-year history.
It has also found an increase in the past year in the number of young workers who are being sacked unfairly, from 148 workers in 2007-08 to 160 workers in 2008-09.
SA Unions says it is the tip of the iceberg, as the service only runs one day a week and most young workers do not know their rights.
Secretary Janet Giles said it was important the State Government passed its draft child labour laws bill this year to improve how young workers are treated.
“They get their first job and think that means their employer will treat them like their parents treat them and often that’s not the case,” she said.
“Also we’ve found there’s very little information given to young people before they go to work, in their education, about what their rights are.
“We think there’s an urgent need for child labour laws to be introduced in South Australia, as we think they could be the most excluded people out there because they don’t know what their rights are.”
South Australia is the only state which does not have child labour laws in force.
The Young Workers’ Legal Service received 531 inquiries last year, up from 436 the previous year, of which 160 workers believed they had been sacked illegally.
Complaints made through the service included:
Sexual harassment, such as one young woman told to wear more revealing clothing to work and who was subjected to “hubba hubba’’ remarks from co-workers;
Bullying, which was also on the rise, with workers dreading to go into work each day; and discrimination for taking leave or pregnancy.
Only one-fifth, or 105, inquiries had a legal case, as many companies were protected by the Federal Government’s WorkChoices program allowing employees to be dismissed without an explanation.
A quarter of workers helped through the service were unfairly dismissed and 28 per cent had been underpaid.
Half the workers who sought help through the service were working full-time.
