City-centric ACTU ignores regional Australia
The ACTU looks to have ignored regional Australia and the carbon tax in its national inquiry on jobs, Nationals Senator, Fiona Nash said.
The union today announced a national jobs inquiry with public hearings to be held in capital cities next February and March[1].
The inquiry’s been tasked to focus on “insecure work”; the extent of, causes of, and effects of the problem; and workers most at risk.
Senator Nash said the ACTU should expand the Terms of Reference to investigate the likely impact of the carbon tax on jobs and financial security, especially in regional communities.
“The carbon tax will impact regional businesses through added costs. Small businesses alone comprise 96 per cent of all businesses nationally, with a large number of them in regional Australia, employing thousands of people,” she said.
“A recent survey by the Australian Retailers Association[2] found almost 85 per cent of those surveyed expect the carbon tax to negatively impact profitability, and over a third of surveyed retailers said they would shed staff as a result of lost trade.
“Agriculture, abattoirs, regional aviation, tourism, transport, and local government to name a few will also be affected by the carbon tax. These are major employers in regional Australia.
“If the ACTU is serious about job security, it would ensure public hearings are held in regional Australia and address the truth about the carbon tax.
“But bizarrely, the union supports the Gillard government’s carbon tax despite admitting incomes will take a hit.
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“Union members must surely be wondering why they’re paying membership when they have clearly been abandoned.”
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