MR MORRISON’S GIG WORKER STUFF UP

Scott Morrison has embarrassed himself in Question Time by falsely claiming gig workers are casual employees with a pathway to permanent employment.

Labor asked Mr Morrison about food delivery driver Rosya, who suffered a concussion and arm injury in a crash while on the job. She says she had to return to work before she was ready because she had “no other choice” and then was sacked because she couldn’t ride fast enough due to her injuries.

Bizarrely, Mr Morrison tried to claim his industrial relations legislation would give people like Rosya a pathway to permanent employment – confirming he has no understanding of the plight of gig workers.

“That is why in the changes we bring forward into this place we are creating the pathway from non-permanent work, casual work and other forms of work, into permanent employment,” he said.

But under the current law gig workers like Rosya are not even classed as employees – meaning they can be paid below the minimum wage, and have none of the entitlements or protections of other workers.

That’s exactly why Labor has proposed giving gig workers more rights under the Fair Work Commission – so they’re not exploited, ripped off or forced to work in dangerous conditions.

The government has not proposed doing anything for these workers. After today’s performance it’s clear Mr Morrison doesn’t even understand there’s a problem let alone have a plan to fix it.

Mr Morrison was also given two opportunities to say whether he agreed that two workers doing the same job at the same workplace should get the same pay, rather than having wages undercut by dodgy labour hire.

The first time he refused to answer the question. The second time he just said it was “complicated”.

That’s exactly what Christian Porter said last week when he was asked whether gig workers should get the minimum wage: “It’s complicated.”

It’s really not.

In Australia, no worker should be paid less than the legal minimum. That’s why we have a legal minimum.

And in Australia, workers doing the same job at the same workplace should get the same pay – and not be undercut.

Labor has a plan to fix these problems with its Secure Australian Jobs Plan because Labor is on the side of workers.

Mr Morrison doesn’t care about insecure work – all he wants to do is use his legislation to cut workers’ take home pay.

MONDAY, 15 FEBRUARY, 2021