Choice to cash in leave a 'Clayton's choice': Kobelke

11/07/05
The State Government says a contract forcing reporters at The West Australian to agree to cash in two weeks' annual leave if they want a job is an example of the 'Clayton's choice' offered under Australian Workplace Agreements.
Mr Kobelke said a draft workplace agreement presented to a reporter by the newspaper included a condition that The West Australian 'may, at its absolute discretion, pay out up to 10 days of your annual leave entitlement each year'.
The Minister said the AWA proved that claims by John Howard and The West Australian that the contracts offered workers better choice were a nonsense.
"What you see here at The West is a Clayton's choice - an employer promising workers choice when there is actually no choice at all," he said.
"People who want a job with WA's only State-wide daily newspaper have to sign a workplace agreement where two weeks of annual leave is at the 'absolute discretion' of the newspaper."
Mr Kobelke said the forced two-week reduction in accepted annual leave entitlements was only possible through the use of one of John Howard's workplace agreements.
"This is exactly why the Gallop Government, in its major labour relations reforms when it came to power, abolished the State's unfair workplace agreements system," he said.
"The Howard Government is proposing even lower standards than those currently provided under AWAs."
Minister's office: 9222 9211