Being Ripped Off?

Or reaching the “heights of unlawfulness”.

In Australia, when we are not learning of workers being ripped off by their bosses, we learn of people on social security being ripped off by Centrelink.

As a service to readers of this blog, I’ve been researching what possible actions one can take in those cases. Here is a short list of resources.

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Workers being ripped off:

1. If you are a union member, you must first approach your union. You pay your union dues (they are tax deductible, btw) and have the right to demand their assistance. Unionists not only are your peers, they have experience in these matters and they will be happy to take your side.
2. If for some reason you are not a union member, then you have no right to demand union support. Regrettable as that is, your best chance now is to approach the Fair Work Ombudsman, a Commonwealth body.

The advantage of the FWO is that’s for free. Its two problems are:

1. They are not obliged to take your side and
2. They will only intervene after all previous avenues of resolution between you and your employer failed.

This means you will have to deal with your employer on your own, at least initially. If you were a union member you would not be alone and a more favourable agreement could be reached without the intervention of the FWO.

If you haven’t had problems with your employer -- yet -- to join a union is entirely up to you. Personally, I think prevention is always better than cure.

You have the right to join a union and you don’t need to tell your boss in advance. Once you know which is the union for you (this older list of unions may also help), you can join online or by phone. Here’s a list of additional benefits union membership offers.

Other than direct intervention, the FWO does offer plenty useful information. That’s a valuable resource, even if you don’t use their mediation services.

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I know a lot less about how to help people being ripped off by Centrelink. I’ve recently read about #NotMyDebt, a community website for victims of that extortion racket (incidentally, readers with personal experiences can contact an ABC reporter using that last link). That seems like a good starting point.

VIC Legal Aid (a non-profit providing free legal advice) has launched two court challenges against Robodebt. Another good place to start for NSW readers is the website of NSW Legal Aid. QLD Legal Aid can also be of help. Community Legal Centres also offer free legal advice, although I am not sure they deal with these matters.

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Two weeks ago the Lower House passed (75 to 67), the COALition’s cynically titled Ensuring Integrity Bill. Senate voting on the bill is scheduled for late October. That I am aware of, only The Australian reported that.

ACTU President Michele O’Neil on that:

“On Tuesday members of this Government said that this bill, which will weaken the rights of working people, threatened basic democratic freedoms. On Wednesday they voted for it.

“It should send a chill down the spine of all Australians that their Government will brazenly vote for extreme, dangerous and anti-democratic laws less than 24 hours after admitting they’re likely to violate basic human rights.

“Christian Porter has attempting a slick sales job on this bill but the truth is out – this is a dangerous, extreme and anti-democratic piece of legislation that will only benefit the Morrison Government and bad bosses.

“It’s time for the Morrison Government to abandon its ideological anti-union obsession and withdraw this bill.”

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Speaking of Christian Porter, the current Attorney General and Minister for Industrial Relations, the same one who castigated the CFMEU for the “heights of unlawfulness” they had reached: in 2015 Porter replaced Scott Morrison as Minister for Social Services. He was the one in charge when Robodebt was launched in 2016, although I would not be surprised ScaMo was the father of the creature.

By May this year, Department of Human Services (you’ve gotta love the Orwellian language) officials claimed up to $1.25 billion in “debts” had been identified, of which $500 million had been extorted from the public at a cost of $400 million. Yes, all that misery inflicted on 500 thousand victims for $100 million.

And the icing on the cake: one in five such “debts” had been proven false, either partially or in their entirety.

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(source)

In this country, it seems, you have to be a woman to have balls and tell it like it is.