This board was getting boring again, so I figured I'd post this:
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/opinion/story/0,22049,22011549-5001031,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/opinion/story/0,22049,22011549-5001031,00.html
Work Choices: Another example of why it's fucked
- Thread starter Goreripper
- Start date
salty
Member
For anyone too lazy to click on the link:
How the AWA made me pay, by Alice McCarthy
WHEN I worked at Chili's Restaurant I was asked by my manager to pay a $130 bill for a table of dishonest patrons. They had skipped out on their bill and I was made to take the blame. I was just an employee.
I was excited to land a job at Chili's. I understood that I would be working for $13.44 an hour. Along with a group of about 20 other young people, most of them still in high school, I signed the Australian Workplace Agreement presented to me.
I didn't really understand the implications of the AWA at first. I thought it would not really make a difference to my working conditions. I also believed that the whole fuss about the WorkChoices laws was created by politicians wanting votes.
But I was wrong because the AWA I had signed really did make a difference to the job. Sadly, my enthusiasm and excitement over my new job was quickly dampened by the harsh realities of the conditions of my employment.
Most of the time I was given only two-hour shifts, meaning I got just $26.88 a night. On several occasions I turned up at the allocated time only to be told to wait around until it got busy enough to work. Sometimes I would wait for up to 45 minutes without getting paid because there were not enough customers in the restaurant.
I couldn't grumble because everyone else was doing the same. It was seemingly an accepted practice. I didn't want to be labelled a whinger.
I soon realised I had been put on as a part-time worker but was being given casual hours instead of the 10 hours a week stated in my agreement.
I was also requested to bring my own $50 float in to work. The $50 float was carried in my apron with the rest of my takings and would sometimes get up to around $700. It is unnerving carrying all that money on you when you are only a slightly built 53kg girl coping with some "mischievous" customers.
Then I was also told to pay for discrepancies in my float. After I was asked to pay the bill for the table of customers that had skipped out, I realised I would have to work for weeks with no reimbursement to pay back the money. There was no resolution so I sacrificed my last pay packet and resigned.
What continues to amaze me is that all this is not uncommon practice at this workplace.
For the people working at Chili's, the Government has created a scheme that is supposed to be "simpler and fairer". I just wonder when it was that I was supposed to have sat down and talked to my employer to work out a fair workplace agreement.
--
Anyone who continues to eat at Chili's after this is a traitor to the working person.
How the AWA made me pay, by Alice McCarthy
WHEN I worked at Chili's Restaurant I was asked by my manager to pay a $130 bill for a table of dishonest patrons. They had skipped out on their bill and I was made to take the blame. I was just an employee.
I was excited to land a job at Chili's. I understood that I would be working for $13.44 an hour. Along with a group of about 20 other young people, most of them still in high school, I signed the Australian Workplace Agreement presented to me.
I didn't really understand the implications of the AWA at first. I thought it would not really make a difference to my working conditions. I also believed that the whole fuss about the WorkChoices laws was created by politicians wanting votes.
But I was wrong because the AWA I had signed really did make a difference to the job. Sadly, my enthusiasm and excitement over my new job was quickly dampened by the harsh realities of the conditions of my employment.
Most of the time I was given only two-hour shifts, meaning I got just $26.88 a night. On several occasions I turned up at the allocated time only to be told to wait around until it got busy enough to work. Sometimes I would wait for up to 45 minutes without getting paid because there were not enough customers in the restaurant.
I couldn't grumble because everyone else was doing the same. It was seemingly an accepted practice. I didn't want to be labelled a whinger.
I soon realised I had been put on as a part-time worker but was being given casual hours instead of the 10 hours a week stated in my agreement.
I was also requested to bring my own $50 float in to work. The $50 float was carried in my apron with the rest of my takings and would sometimes get up to around $700. It is unnerving carrying all that money on you when you are only a slightly built 53kg girl coping with some "mischievous" customers.
Then I was also told to pay for discrepancies in my float. After I was asked to pay the bill for the table of customers that had skipped out, I realised I would have to work for weeks with no reimbursement to pay back the money. There was no resolution so I sacrificed my last pay packet and resigned.
What continues to amaze me is that all this is not uncommon practice at this workplace.
For the people working at Chili's, the Government has created a scheme that is supposed to be "simpler and fairer". I just wonder when it was that I was supposed to have sat down and talked to my employer to work out a fair workplace agreement.
--
Anyone who continues to eat at Chili's after this is a traitor to the working person.
Bucko
Member
phlogiston
Bejabbers!
To wear another hat for a moment, is this actually a problem with AWAs? Sure Chili's (at least this particular Chili's; I'm not sure of the company structure and culture) are being arseholes, but was any of this actually in her AWA? Or if it was, did she take the time to actually read it and understand it?
It sounds to me like this is actually a case of youthful naivity and misplaced trust.
But then you need to ask if she was given the opportunity to research into any further, although from the article it sounds like she wouldn't have done that even if she had the chance.
But that then raises the question of whether it's fair to ask young'uns and those otherwise unable to understand these sorts of contracts sign them, which then comes back to the question if there's a problem with AWAs or not.
It sounds to me like this is actually a case of youthful naivity and misplaced trust.
But then you need to ask if she was given the opportunity to research into any further, although from the article it sounds like she wouldn't have done that even if she had the chance.
But that then raises the question of whether it's fair to ask young'uns and those otherwise unable to understand these sorts of contracts sign them, which then comes back to the question if there's a problem with AWAs or not.
I think part of the answer to your question phloggy is in the last sentence of the article. Most of the people who work at these places are just kids, excited about getting their first job, so a lot of them probably don't read their agreements. Part of my argument is that they shouldn't have to. Individual contracts are fine where employees have the knowledge and experience to negotiate them, but the most complex thing some of these kids have had to deal with at their time in life is working out which way the condom goes on. It's not appropriate to ask 15 - 18 year olds with no work or life experience to sign AWAs. It's that simple.
Bucko
Member
If you are under 18 a parent or Guardian must also sign, ok if your parent or Guardian is a Lawyer, or someone who understands all the mumbo Jumbo
That's standard practice for any contract, but I'm wondering how many of them actually do it. I can't quote anything here, but I've heard stories of under 18s being offered jobs and being told they need to sign an agreement right then and there or they won't be hired.
Shannow
Stunt Plough Rider
phloggy, the Mean Fiddler incident was another example of how AWAs are being mis-used.
Staff turn up ANZAC day, and are told "here's your new AWA"...minimum wage, and no penalty rates (although patrons were charged 10% public holiday loading).
Some of them walked, some of them worked...all were ripped off.
Staff turn up ANZAC day, and are told "here's your new AWA"...minimum wage, and no penalty rates (although patrons were charged 10% public holiday loading).
Some of them walked, some of them worked...all were ripped off.
Southy
Proud Brisbane Metaller
AWA's might work in a small place where there is a few employee's, but then why bother having them in that case, what ever happened to an agreed understanding between employer and employee?
Despite Howard's spin-doctoring, AWAs simply can't work in some areas of employment. In industries where workers are traditionally ripped off, like hospitality, there simply needs to be some broad protection on workers' rights and AWAs just don't do this. If you work in finance, or law or in a semi-professional area where individual contracts are already in place and you can sit down with your boss and fellow workers and negotiate, they probably work well. But in your corner coffee shop or mega-chain supermarket or fast food factory they're just exploitative.
Southy
Proud Brisbane Metaller
Shannow
Stunt Plough Rider
Didn't they just get a pay rise? I wish I could just go around being an arsehole and get paid shitloads for it.
phlogiston
Bejabbers!
, just in case it needed it.
Not that I think whay happened at the chillis joint is ok; but maybe the young lady should have read her contract and made sure she understood it, if she didnt like it, she should have left and found work at another fast food joint that would pay $12 an hr.
Shannow
Stunt Plough Rider
Dan,
so you agree with us that work "choices" give you the choice of taking it or going ?
I thought it was all about allowing people to negotiate themselves a better position without all those pesky awards and unions.
so you agree with us that work "choices" give you the choice of taking it or going ?
I thought it was all about allowing people to negotiate themselves a better position without all those pesky awards and unions.
Yep, Work Choices offers you two choices: work for us for shit money and conditions, or don't work and get nothing, because if you're unemployed and you knock back a job you've been offered, you can't get the dole.
Priest of Evil
Adores the Number 666
- Dec 1, 2005
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