Thursday 22 January 2009
Australian workers get 22 per cent less severance pay than rest of world, but Clarence Valley beats that record hands down
According to the Business Spectator last Friday:
Employees laid off in Australia took home close to the least amount of severance pay in the world, according to a global study by Right Management.
The release of the survey came as official figures showed a sharp drop in the number of full-time jobs in Australia in December, as the unemployment rate rose to 4.5 per cent.
Out of 28 countries surveyed by Right Management, Australia came 21st in terms of severance pay and conditions. The survey looked at 1,500 human resource professionals and senior managers, including 101 from Australia.
In cases where employees lost their job involuntarily because of a company restructure or down-sizing, they pocket on average 22 per cent less than their global counterparts, with 2.79 weeks' severance pay per year of service, compared to a worldwide average of 3.6 weeks per year of service.
If the average Australian worker gets less severance pay than his international counterpart, then Grafton abattoir workers in the Clarence Valley must hold the individual world record.
For they frequently find that they are let go with no payout entitlements being paid due to a Byzantine business model involving at various times Ramsey Wholesale Meats, Ramsey Holdings, Ramsey Food Packaging 1 and 2, Tempus Holdings, Paul Allen Contracting Service, Mortimer Administration Service and others.
Here is a brief history.
Sacked meatworkers fear entitlements lost [2006]
Workers 'boned [2006]
Merry Christmas...you're boned [2008]
New Twist as workers fight for lost money [2009]
Sacked meatworkers remain on the hook [2009]
The Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, speaking in The Daily Examiner expressed concerned about the plight of these sacked workers:
"I encourage the sacked workers who have not already done so to contact me or my office individually so that I can advocate on their behalf."
I doubt whether it has slipped Ms. Saffin's notice that some of the same individuals found as directors of Ramsey companies are also spending literally millions in total on bloodstock and race horses.
Perhaps it's time the Deputy-Prime Minister Julia Gillard stirred herself (as the minister responsible for industrial relations legislation) and ensured that any pea-and-shell corporate structuring that has a potential use which would see workers being denied their rights is made illegal under Australian law once and for all.
Rather than listening to the likes of Heather Ridout of the Australian Industry Group who would obviously like the status quo to continue for her members.
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