Smith Family wants martyrs, not workers

Workers at The Smith Family would be forced into unpaid 
overtime and lose all penalty rates for weekend and shift work 
under individual contracts being pushed by the charity. The 
workers have called on people who donate to the charity to 
suspend their donations until the individual contracts are 
withdrawn.

The Australian Services Union (ASU) is urging all Smith Family 
workers to reject non-union contract — the Howard Government's 
Australian Workplace Agreements — as one of the worst examples 
of charities expecting their workers to become martyrs.

The proposed agreement, which has been circulated to The Smith 
Family's 200 staff nationally would abolish: 

* Annual leave loading;
* Overtime payments;
* Weekend and shift penalties;
* Payment for working public holidays.

Workers would also give up the right to be consulted on workplace 
changes, could be directed to work outside their rostered hours 
for no extra payment and could be stood down without pay as a 
result of industrial action — whether or not they are 
participating.

All these conditions are being traded off for a three percent pay 
rise — even though the next minimum wage increase would deliver 
2.9 per cent without any trade-offs.

The ASU's Sally McManus said the Smith Family's AWA is one of the 
worst examples of a charity cashing in on the goodwill of a 
dedicated workforce.

"Workers enter the community services field aware that they will 
not make a fortune, but at least they can have the protection of 
a union and some decent conditions. 

"It appears that The Smith Family wants to embrace the very 
workplace policies that lead to the social breakdown it puts so 
much hard work into redressing."