The Courier.
BY MARCUS POWER
7/07/2009
DISTRESSING - that is how ACTU president Sharan Burrow described
Ballarat workers' accounts of not receiving entitlements months after they
had been made redundant.
Ms Burrow met 14 workers at Ballarat Trades Hall yesterday to hear their
stories of how the Global Financial Crisis had personally affected them.
Most of the group were among those laid off by Ballarat manufacturing
companies since the end of last year.
Since that time, the unions estimate more than 500 local workers in that sector
have lost their jobs.
"There are some workers around Ballarat who haven't got their entitlements.
This is really distressing," Ms Burrow said.
"This is workers' money and it is a theft of workers' money to not put that
provision aside or at least make some guarantee where you can be assured ...
it's there when you have to make people redundant."
People were forced to eat into their savings before they were able to get
access to Centrelink payments, Ms Burrow said.
She said while the ACTU had welcomed the Federal Government's stimulus
package, more needed to be done to protect workers hit by the financial crisis.
"Australia is now falling short of advanced countries in the way we deal with
a correction or a crisis that has nothing to do with the real economy."
"If workers are made redundant in Denmark or Sweden or other countries,
then they'll get 70 per cent of their wages, they'll get a skilling guarantee and
be assisted back into work."
Former Norvil and John Valves worker Rodney Rae said the effect
of losing his job had been more than just financial.
"I carry an injury which is permanent. I'm the forgotten few,
no one wants to know an injured person," Mr Rae said.
"Financially it does break you. Mentally it will destroy you."
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