A REPORT which looks at the way in which young casual employees are treated will be launched this week.
During 1999-2000, 1409 young casual workers around Australia, aged from 15 to 30, were surveyed by members of the Young Christian Workers (YCW) to develop a clearer picture of their situation in Australia.
The results of the survey, along with a new association to support such workers, will be launched this week.
National co-ordinator of the SMARTCasual association, Katrina Norton said it ‘represents, serves and educates young casual workers of their rights within the workplace’.
‘The report highlights not only the reality of young casual workers in Australia but also areas of policy that must be addressed.’
Ms Norton said some of the key findings in the report, called ‘Don’t bother coming in today: Casual work, casual nature’, were that 55 per cent of those surveyed did not know their correct rate of pay.
‘Sixty-one per cent of those surveyed had worked while they were sick and 41 per cent of this group said that it was due to financial necessity.’
Other findings included 41 per cent of respondents wanting more hours and 33 per cent working unpaid overtime.
Ms Norton said, for more than a decade, YCW had been interested in and reporting on the situation of casual work among young people.
She said 27 per cent of the labour force was now employed casually but that percentage rose to 44.5 per cent for young people.
Ms Norton said nearly one in two young people were employed casually, twice that of the rest of the workforce and the YCW was acting on the issue because of its significance to young people.
She said young people filled out the survey forms at shopping centres, TAFE colleges, fast food outlets, universities, youth groups, pubs and other places they were likely to congregate.
They were asked about their experiences of wages, hours of work and shifts, occupational health and safety and their knowledge of awards and entitlements.
Ms Norton said recommendations to state and federal governments as well as unions would be forthcoming from the report and the statistics it contained.
She said the report would be launched at the Trades and Labour Council Building, South Brisbane at 11am on August 22.
