Entitlements
As part of every pay packet, workers are entitled to more than just their hourly wage. Your award or agreement outlines the different allowances you are entitled to.
These entitlements usually include sick and holiday leave, superannuation and allowances such for clothing or travel. Details should be on your payslip.
Sometimes, problems arise with getting your proper pay and conditions. Contact your union delegate or branch to talk about these problems and your entitlements
Super
Superannuation is a right of all Australian workers. A percentage of your total pay must go into a super fund.
This superannuation money is on top of your normal pay, wages must not be reduced to pay this.
It is also important to keep an eye for bosses who try to get workers to join a new fund or make changes to the super arrangements.
Many United Voice members are in industry funds. The union supports these as members have a say in what they do through representatives on their boards.
Industry super funds offer good returns with low costs, and all profits go to fund members instead of shareholders.
Which fund should I join?
Three industry super funds cater especially to United Voice members:
Australian Super (formerly Australian Retirement Fund) - One of the largest super funds
in the country, and is the main fund for those in the cleaning and security industries.
HESTA super fund - A large fund which has been set up for employees in the health and
community service sectors.
HOSTPLUS super - Large fund for members in the hospitality and tourism industries.
How do I get the most from my super?
There are many different ways to work out the best superannuation plan and super fund to suit your needs.
The peak superannuation body has ways to calculate a super smart plan of how much to contribute to reach your retirement goals.
They also have a calculator compare fund fees and work out which fund has the lowest fees.
ATO: Superannuation - Superannuation information on the Australian Taxation Office
web site.
The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia - Superannuation fund's peak
body.
Leave pay
All permanent employees are entitled to employment leave, including:
- Sick leave
- Holiday leave
- Long service leave
- Family leave
The amount of leave you are entitled to varies, but is usually at least four weeks holiday leave and five days sick leave per year.
To find out more, contact your union delegate or branch.
Redundancy
In today's economy, no employee is completely safe from redundancy or retrenchment. At times company executives have a knee-jerk reaction to economic factors, and seek to cut costs. This can lead to the outsourcing of work or a reduction in the number of employees doing available work.
Almost 1 million Australian workers have been made redundant at some time in the past decade.
If you have been made redundant, you should contact your union delegate or branch for advice. In some circumstances, you may be able to campaign on the job or in the community against the management decision. In other cases, you may have a claim for unfair dismissal, if you have been unfairly selected for redundancy or if your employer has failed to follow established rules applying to bigger workplaces.
What are your redundancy entitlements?
If you are made redundant, you can expect to receive:
- unused long service leave,
- unused holiday pay,
- unused leave loading, and
- termination (pay in lieu of notice and/or severance pay), and/or
- other redundancy payments
In some cases (depending on the award or enterprise agreement you work under, or State law) you may be entitled to be paid out for unused sick leave entitlements.
Unfair dismissal
All too often, employees are given the sack, made redundant or forced to resign unfairly. If this happens to you, it is important to remember that there are laws in place that may protect you. Big employers must follow certain rules before dismissing workers.
If you feel that you have been unfairly dismissed, you may be able to take action. Keep all records of your pay (payslips, bank statements) and the hours you are working (timesheets, diary) and be familiar with the right pay rate at the right classification or grade. Then contact your union delegate or branch for help.
When is a dismissal unfair?
An unfair dismissal occurs when an employee is sacked, made redundant or forced to resign iin violation of their contract, award or enterprise agreement, and/or when their treatment is harsh, unjust or unreasonable.
In most states, factors such as the reasons for the dismissal, prior warnings being given and whether you had a right of reply are taken into account.
The definition of an unfair dismissal varies from state to state, and many employees - particularly in small business - cannot take action even if they are dismissed.
The Howard government greatly restricted the access of workers to a hearing on unfair dismissals.
Underpayments
Every year, workers in many industries lose thousands of dollars due to dodgy pay arrangements. Employers may be paying less than the award, not classifying workers correctly or treating permanent staff as casuals. Union action is the main way to win back any wages you are not paid properly.
If you think you are being underpaid, you can solve problems to win what you are due. By standing together, United Voice members have won hundreds of thousands of dollars back from unscrupulous employers.
How do I know if I'm being underpaid?
Your proper pay and conditions are outlined in the relevant award, agreement or contract. If you suspect you are being underpaid, compare your actual pay (on your payslip) to your proper pay and conditions. Then contact your union delegate or branch about what you can do. Get in touch with the union as soon as possible.
Casualisation
More and more Australian employees are working in casual jobs, especially in industries covered by United Voice. Over 11% of all United Voice members are casual workers, with this figure climbing to 23% of those aged under 25.
Casual workers may be employed for any length of time, and are paid by the hour or by the day.
The difference with permanent workers is that casuals don't receive entitlements such as sick or annual leave or have protection from unfair dismissal.
But if you are casual then you should receive loadings of 15-25% more than usual pay. And if you work regularly you are entitled to superannuation and long service leave.
The exact details of casuals entitlements are outlined in the relevant award or agreement.
United Voice campaigns to give casuals better rights and entitlements.
Contact your union delegate or branch to find out more.
