Unions launch bid to give Aussies an extra week of annual leave
Updated . First published
Australians could get up to one-and-a-half months of leave per year under a new plan launched by the largest trade union in the country.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) have announced their bid to increase the annual leave given to working Aussies to five to six weeks, claiming Australians carry out over a month of unpaid work a year, citing figures from the Centre of Future Work.
They argue this leads to a higher rate of stress and burnout, which should be addressed.
LIVE+BLOCKED: Iran made chilling nuclear threat, US claims
The ACTU claims Australia is behind severa;l European countries in the amount of annual leave it gives workers. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Currently, many working Australians have four to five weeks of annual leave per year.
"Getting back one of these weeks is fair and reasonable. It will mean a better rested and happier workforce," ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said.
"The majority of European countries have already moved beyond four weeks," she claimed, naming several European countries like France, Germany and Austria.
READ MORE: The reality of being an Aussie stuck in Dubai during the Middle East crisis
The ACTU will table the plans to the National Employment Standards (NES) as part of a parliamentary enquiry into the NES.
They say if the changes are approved, it will be the first increase in the minimum standard of annual leave since the 1970s.
McManus claims younger workers are doing the most unpaid work, and will benefit more from the changes.
READ MORE: Eight-year-old Australian girl dies at Japan ski resort
Sally McManus claims younger workers are feeling the pinch the most. AFR/Luis Enrique Ascui
"Younger workers – from 18 to 24 years old – most urgently need to see this burden start to lift. They are the ones doing the most unpaid work," she said.
The ACTU also claim the gap between productivity and real wages has widened, but concede increasing annual leave by a week will add an extra two per cent to employment costs.
However, they claim it would not have a negative impact on the overall economy, because workers would be more to stay in their jobs and would be more productive due to a lower rate of burnout and other fatigue factors.
BREAKING: Australia's economy growth stronger than expected, new GDP data shows
Business Council of Australia CEO Bran Black urged the federal government to block the changes. Dominic Lorrimer
The Business Council of Australia has opposed the move, saying it wasn't appropriate for such a policy to be mandated at a broader level without consideration for specific businesses.
"With weak productivity growth, inflation rising and living standards under pressure, this proposal does nothing to address these real challenges," Business Council chief executive Bran Black claimed.
"This proposal assumes businesses can simply absorb the cost of extra leave without any improvement in productivity, effectively mandating that employers fund higher costs without addressing the underlying drivers of wage growth.
"We support flexible working arrangements and entitlements, but a one-size-fits-all government mandate is the wrong approach."
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.
- Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
- Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
- Sign up to our breaking newsletter here
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
