Rights at work

Bakers Delight workers lose sick leave, annual leave and penalty rates

A newspaper report today shows that young workers at Bakers Delight outlets in regional Victoria are losing their paid sick leave and annual leave entitlements for as little as 75 cents an hour.

Commenting on the report today ACTU Secretary Greg Combet said:

"These Bakers Delight workers are getting a raw deal and workers could expect worse under new WorkChoices laws, effective later this month.

The Government's new work laws effectively give a green light to employers who want to remove basic conditions.

These workers are being put onto an employment contract that trades away their entitlement to paid sick leave and four weeks paid annual leave.

It also removes their entitlement to penalty rates for working nights, weekends and public holidays - instead offering a flat hourly rate for working until 10pm at night or on weekends and public holidays.

A 16 year old employee who works at this Bakers' Delight outlet would receive only $8.13 an hour for working on a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday.

Under the award, they should be paid more than twice this amount for working on a public holiday - $17.88 an hour -- and $6 an hour more for working on a Sunday.

The Bakers' Delight rosters can also be changed with a day's notice, even though the current award requires workers be given 14 days notice.

Unions warned that young people and other vulnerable workers would lose out under the Howard Government's IR laws and this shows that we were right. People are already starting to be worse off."