Miss
Posted by Rachel - 07:47 PM 02.07.12
I am a Trainer assessor and I am employed by a Non Profit RTO. How far do i have to treavel before I qualify for accomodation and meal allowances ? I am employed in a Regional office and now i am being asked to drive 350kms or 3hrs 25mins for travel allowance of 74cents per km only. No meals or accomodation so I am driving for 3.5hours delivering training for 7hours and driving another 3.5hours home and only being paid for 6.5hours after lunch break is deducted.
Unions Australia answered on: 03.07.2012	read comments post a comment

Not getting payed in time
Posted by Dany - 02:46 PM 02.07.12
My partner is on his last year of his apprentiship to becoming a plumber. He is currently employed by a small plumbing business who have taking on a contract with a building company. His pay days are ment to be friday's (always after 6pm) but over the last 6 months or so every other week he and other employees have not been getting payed until the following monday or Tuesday. What can he do about it, every time he askes his boss whats hapening he just shrugs it off and says " it'll be in by Monday". Is this fair that everyone works a full week and does not get payed until the following week. What can he do?? he is too scared to take it any further as he believes he may get fired or treated differently for going to someone about it which is why i am asking for help.
Unions Australia answered on: 03.07.2012	read comments post a comment

Miss
Posted by Dee - 11:27 PM 29.06.12
We have just signed new contracts. we were advised that moving forward because we earn 25% more above the award rate we will no longer accrue a day in lieu if we are to work a public holiday. We are under what's called a award free whatever that means and we are employed under the national employment standards
Unions Australia answered on: 02.07.2012	read comments post a comment

Not getting paid for attending staff meetings
Posted by Sharyn - 08:28 PM 28.06.12
I am a part time employee in a retail store.We have our own EA instead of the VIC Award. It states we are to be paid for attendance at staff meetings (usually these are after hours) however everytime we have a meeting or its organised a few of us ask if we will get paid and say we wont attend without being paid. Its always made into a big deal and we feel intimitated by asking, the last comment about it was "well thats not very team orientated" Im sick of feeling bad for asking for something thats my right, what can we do?
Unions Australia answered on: 29.06.2012	read comments post a comment

I think i am being taken advantage of
Posted by Jay - 04:31 PM 28.06.12
I have been employed casually through a recruiting agency as a labourer for exactly a year this week just passed. I have been asking to be put on full time for months now i signed all the paperwork and gave it to them to be told i would be on the books as of the week after the easter long weekend only to have my labour hire company ring me up and tell me that they have put a stop to it because they will lose buisness over it. Surely there is something dodgy going on here but i dont know what to do or who to talk to about this any help would be much appreciated
Unions Australia answered on: 29.06.2012	read comments post a comment

no super :((
Posted by PollyB - 07:13 PM 27.06.12
Hello. I have been working for one company for just over 2 years. Employed on salary as the manager for two cafes. I have always been paid the award rate for this role (appropriate level too) , plus weekend and pub hol penalties. recently (after other staff complained) i discovered that my superannuation had NOT been paid at all. That is mine plus most other current staff (7 in total). The business owner has fluffed over the super issue (syaing they know they have to pay the outstanding super plus fines plus interest etc and will do so). The business owner has just informed me that they are taking over some of my managerial roles (roster, invoices, processing wages = financial duties), and just suggested that i "slip" back into a permanent part time position (32 instead of 38hrs). I am concerned that with this hour reduction there will come a rate reduction, and I will be on the same level as my two shift supervisors (two levels below me). Is this legal? Or is it just general shifty practice? Should i just get the funk outta there?
Unions Australia answered on: 28.06.2012	read comments post a comment

New Member
Posted by Lily - 07:08 PM 27.06.12
I just joined this union, now I am fully protected from any future bullying or harassment.
Unions Australia answered on: 28.06.2012	read comments post a comment

Non paid Working hours
Posted by MR - 01:10 PM 27.06.12
I am currently on a 457 visa working in Brisbane as a chef In the restaurant We all signed a company standard contract stating a 38 hour paid working week. Each week we are required on our work roster to work a minimum 49 hour week and an actual working week of 50-55 hours, sometimes over 60 hours.the contract is a Monday to Friday flat rate of pay whereas we work any given day(weekend or public holiday) up to 15 hour shifts, on the same rate of pay. This is not reflected in our pay slips. the pay slips stats a 38 hour worked, 38 hours paid. We are being forced to comply with the abuse for fear of loosing our visa what measures can be taken to stop this ?
Unions Australia answered on: 28.06.2012	read comments post a comment

Fair Work - not very fair
Posted by Sue - 05:19 PM 26.06.12
In Feb 2011 my son started a Chef Apprenticeship in the cellar door restaurant at a local winery. He realised he was being paid much less than other 1st Years - he was on $7.33 an hour, his peers (at TAFE) were on $9.60 an hour. I contacted the Fair Work Ombudsman who confirmed that he was being underpaid and on the wrong award - he was employed under the Wine Industry Award which has no category for Chefs or Cooks, and has as its only apprenticeship that of Apprentice Cooper. We wrote to the now ex-employer with a detailed claim for hours underpaid but received no response. We again contacted the Fair Work Ombudsman Dept, putting everything in writing - they then proceeded with Assisted Voluntary Resolution, and contacted the Winery directly. Shortly after FWO rang, advising that there had been a previous Determination at that Winery, and they were allowed to employ all staff under the Wine Industry Award. I asked for details, so that we could appeal and /or take further action. I was told that the previous Determination was confidential, and no details would be released to us! I have asked FWO Dept for another Determination on this specific case - not knowing any details about the last Determination means I cannot judge whether it was relevant or not. I feel this case may have national ramifications - there is now an enormous number of Wineries that have Cellar Door Restaurants.
Unions Australia answered on: 28.06.2012	read comments post a comment

BUllying in the Workplace
Posted by Kylie - 10:30 AM 26.06.12
I work for a large charitable organisation. We have just had a new Area manager appointed 8 months ago. She is a bully and has told everyone not to bother applying for promotions - we won't get them. She has also told us not to be too comfortable in our jobs - there is no such thing as job security. We have complained to upper management but he turns a blind eye and hides away in his office with his door closed all day. We have been told by the Area Manager that we are not allowed to email out Regional Manager or cc him into correspondence. Everything must go through Area Manager... everyone is scared. Does upper management have any accountability here
Unions Australia answered on: 26.06.2012	read comments post a comment