Federal Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, has welcomed news that Fair Work Australia has acknowledged the Gillard government’s retail award 3 hour minimum was unfair for regional students.
Mr Tehan said it was welcome relief for students, their families and small retail businesses in regional and rural Australia who had been suffering for months as a result of the Gillard government’s blanket ruling on the minimum shift in the retail award.
“This is a great win for rural and regional communities, and particularly those who have been fighting for fairness in the retail award such as Matthew Spencer and Leticia Harrison who used to work at the Terang Co-Op after school.
“This ruling means that students will be able to work for an hour and a half after school, instead of the minimum of three hours that just wasn’t an option for students in the country.
“It is a real credit to those people who have fought for this change, and I congratulate them on their amazing efforts to bring fairness to this issue.
“The courage that Leticia and Matthew have shown through this matter is outstanding. They stood up to industrial lawyers and had the strength of their convictions to fight for what they knew was right – a fair go for students to work after school.
“Thanks too must go to all those who supported the petition that was circulated, and who helped Leticia and Matthew to fight for what was right.
“This ruling has limits in place and it only relates to students working on a school day between 3-6.30pm and takes effect from July 1.
“I am very pleased that Fair Work Australia has finally seen sense on this issue and again congratulate Matthew Spencer and Leticia Harrison and their families, and Charlie Duynhoven from the Terang Co-Op for their commitment to changing a wrong to a right.”
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