The Australian Services Union applauds the commitment by the crossbench Senators to stand with Australian workers against the Abbot Government’s unfair changes to the Fair Entitlements Guarantee (FEG).
FEG (formerly knows as GEERS) was one of the central safeguards that ensured workers who were caught up with the Ansett collapse got assistance when they were out of work. And union members at Ansett had to fight hard to get the then Howard Government to implement GEERS.
We condemn the Federal Government for breaking an explicit election promise by trying to reduce protections for workers whose hard-earned entitlements are threatened by company insolvencies. Abbott, in his anti-worker agenda, attempted to reduce the percentage of funds available to workers in those circumstances.
FEG is the only policy that ensures workers who are caught up in genuine insolvencies or phantom companies, get the entitlements owed to them when businesses go broke.
The attempt to remove this safety net is a clear indication that the Abbott Government does not have the interests of Australian workers at the forefront of his policy decisions.
Australian unions and workers from a variety of industries, met with crossbench Senators who decided to stand with workers against Abbott’s Agenda. We are proud that Senators from across Australia and different parties understand the needs of Australian workers.
Watch Reg’s real story and why Fair Entitlements Guarantee is crucial:
What we need to see in the future is not an attack on workers, but rather action against unscrupulous business operators who avoid paying debts and employee entitlements.
Click here for more information about the Fair Entitlements Guarantee.
