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Truth and small businesses are the first casualties of the ACTU’s latest war on business
11 Mar 2018 | Archive
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Australian Chamber) is calling out the ACTU on its latest scare campaign against Australian business, saying if the ACTU wants to debate the issue, the least they can do is start with the truth and not scare the community.
“Their latest effort is simply a rehash of the half-truths and scares of all the other campaigns that have come out of the ACTU”, Australian Chamber CEO, James Pearson, said today.
“Implying that an employee can be “forced” from a permanent job into casual labour is untrue because it is against the law to do so, and has been for years.”
Mr Pearson said this latest attack on business, while demonising big companies, would damage small businesses across the country.
“The facts are:
- The majority of businesses in Australia are small businesses
- Australia has some of the highest minimum wages in the world
- Less than two percent of people are paid the national minimum wage – the system of awards and the rates set by the market means the overwhelming majority of people are paid much more than this.
- A level one shop assistant in Australia still gets almost $40 an hour for working on a Sunday.
“Let’s just look at one likely casualty of the union campaign. If small retail shops can’t afford to open, both the owner and the employee lose,” Mr Pearson said.
“Customers will buy online – including from overseas – and Australia will lose business.
“The world is moving on and businesses and the millions of people who work in them need to work together to keep up with the competition.
“Australians will be left behind if the unions succeed with a scare campaign to drive a wedge between employers and employees and drag down small business along the way.”
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