Thanks to the efforts on the QNF, the ACCC has announced that it proposes to grant authorisation to collective bargaining arrangements designed to give newsagents a greater voice in the terms and conditions we receive from publishers and distributors of newspapers and magazines. The ACCC announcement quotes ACCC Chairman Graeme Samuel:
“The ACCC accepts that newsagents are generally small businesses that are negotiating with well resourced and experienced large suppliers such as News Limited or Fairfax,” ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today.
“In this context, collective bargaining is likely to lead to public benefits by addressing the imbalance in bargaining power between newsagents and the major publishers and distributors.”
This is timely given that new contracts are to be negotiated soon.
Well done to the QNF. Thank you for hard work.
Well folks what we have here is a disgruntled employee. Work choices did not chang a thing in my agency. staff were and are stilled paid above award wage. They dont work Sundays because we cant afford it, and we work work it. Dont tar everyone with the same brush, just goes to proving your intelligence.
Nelson,
We were not a supporter of workchoices, but nor are we a supporter of the proposed award ‘modernisation’. The increased penalty rates are not justified.
In a modern workplace the concept of weekdays and weekends is far more fluid than it was in the past. Why should work performed on a Sunday entail rates 100% higher than the same work performed on a weekday?
We attended workshops on workchoices when it was fist introduced – NOT to screw our staff (many of which are on above award wage), but to understand the changes and make sure we were compliant. I think you will find the majority of businesses were there for this very reason. Few small businesses I know used the workchoices legislation to ‘screw their staff’.
Nelson, across at the Tower blog I wrote about this several times:
http://towerblog.towersystems.com.au/2007/07/05/the_human_treasurer.html
http://towerblog.towersystems.com.au/2007/02/13/not_all_employers_are_the_same.html
http://towerblog.towersystems.com.au/2005/11/13/workchoices_is_this_type_of_i.html
We pay our staff under the NSw state based award, an award administered by successive labour governments. We were not under the workchoices award as it only covered federal awards. Again don’t be so quick to judge us all, as my staff were happy to stay protected from workchoices in my business. Not all employers are the same just like not all employees are the same. Its not my fault Kevin707 is not doing the job some people voted him in for.
Simply because Workchoices was bad legislation does not make the new award modernisation good. Both fail to reach a balance and reflect the modern workplace.
I agree with Jarryd (finally). My staff are on Federal awards as modified for our own use, 9 day fortnights etc etc. The new ‘modern’ award takes us back to the dark ages and reduces our flexibility. It really needs some more work.
We are looking at lodging our own award along with others in our group. I must stress also we do this to protect our current staff. I am not a big fan of moving away from state award plateforms but we cannot afford a potential increase of somewhere between 10-15% on wages.
The comment before about newsagents complaining when it comes to mags but silent over staff rights has a very narrow view of us. And yes I did see you own 50% of a business.
I pay above the award for my full-time staff as I believe you need to invest in them. The weekend casual wil be the one’s that get shafted with this new award.
Finally Brett, I thought that under this modernisation that your modification has a 5 year life span?
yet again we have allowed ourselves to get sidetracked and off the major topic.
I am not sure what Workchoices had to do with the ACCC collective bargaining report of Marks?
Stop talking about last week and get over it. Move on or go and get therapy elsewhere!
As a group we need to stay focussed with the proposed sale of Lotteries there are bigger battles ahead.
Brad,
Only if it’s a formally registered WPA. Ours is an informally authorised workplace understanding.
Maybe Nelson could explain the 17.5% loading on holidays ??? This new legislation may be the thin end of the wedge that will lead to the loss of paper deliveries as we know it. It will disadvantage many, including those that will loose their jobs as a result.
Brett,
I only ask as I have gone do wn the track of making it formal and so far it hasn’t been the nightmare I thought it would be.
Nicole,
Issues such as these are topically today. It was only last night this was passed by the senate. Sale of lotteries etc are a massive concern but I would think still months if not years away.
Same old story Nelson. Award wages + loading + Super + Public Holiday + sick days + Maternity leave + careers leave + long service leave + days off because of a horse race + days off for easter ( when ya not religious) + all the other bits and pieces = close of business = no jobs, The big companies are going under or off shore and people ask why. You tell them Nelson
Are you serious Brad, about lotteries sale years away. And even if that is so , do you propose waiting until the 11th hour to fight it. Great solution. I wish I had you confidence in the Rees government, but I don’t and talking to the lotteries state manager recently this is a very real and imminent concern. And thanks for the facebook site Nicole, have recommended it to all as well as petitions on the counter
Chris, Not in NSW and your government could organise a chook raffel or winning state of origon team. And if I was yes different story.
No I don’t propose to wait but as I stated still a massive concern. The real issue in this blog post is over the move to modernise the current award. The fear I have ‘now’ is the immediate threat that wages will increase to a point where having weekend staff is not possible. Lottery sales, mag distribution, lottery commissions, newspaper sales, rentals, and unemployment still occupie my thoughts. So chris in response to your question yes I am serious modern award is my immediate concern.
Nelson, I hope you buy only Australian made products and nothing made in those sweat shops. And the products sold in your 50% share Agency does not sell envilopes from Indonesia, Glue from Germany and so on. There is a reason why imported products are so cheap. I have nothing against award wages, but I would prefer to pay all workers as sub contracters, flat rate for hours worked, same rate M to S , night or day and they pay all the bits and pieces. A Womans Day sells for $4, 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day, but the staff that sell it get different wages depending on when they sell it.
All workers should be paid what is fair by their own standards, the employers should wear all costs and when all the small business are closed and only the big operators are left then we will see the workers cry poor me.
In the US Walmart has a near monopoly as they have driven small business to the wall and they pay their employees below the social security threshold.
Every country that has tried a workers state has failed or is near failure it was called communism, even the chinese have pulled out of that one because without employers putting their livelihoods on the line there will be no employees.
If an employee loses their job they can get a new one if a small business goes broke the owners lose everything because that is what we put in not just 50%.
Without