"The growth in casual employment has really set Australia apart from other developed countries. This has been attributed to the award system recognising casual work as another valid form of employment but without any restrictions or safeguards..." Brigid van Wanrooy
Just as a home is one of the foundations of social well-being, so too is a job. The chapter on work and employment by Brigid van Wanrooy highlights three dimensions to inequality in the labour market — earnings, hours and forms of employment.
On earnings, she points out that inequality can be problematic when there is no protection by a safety net, or no ceiling to reign in exorbitant remuneration. In the past decade both these scenarios have played out in Australia. Consequently the earnings of 51 CEOs of companies belonging to the Business Council of Australia grew by 564 per cent from 1990 to 2005. When compared to those of average workers, these CEOs’ pay grew at a ratio 63:1.
Long working hours continue to be problematic for one in five workers who are working more than 50 hours a week, yet 13 per cent of people cannot access as much work as they would like. This long-working-hour culture reinforces the divide between men and women in the workplace, particularly women who have caring responsibilities. Van Wanrooy argues that the Government should follow the European example and specify how many hours are too long and detrimental to workers’ well-being, instead of the New Employment Standards which provide no protection against long hours.
As well as disparities in earnings and hours, the growth in casual employment has set Australia apart from other countries. In all, despite recent steps in the right direction, there is much policy makers and practitioners can do to improve labour market equality.
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