if workplace agreements are so good, why aren't MPs on them?

Question

In Australia the government is touting how amazingly good workplace agreements are, and how amazingly bad it would be to scrap them now they are law. If they are so good, why aren't all our federal and state parlimentary ministers on workplace agreements? Lead by example!

Answer 1

If they were, they wouldn't have a bench full of friendly judges giving them two pay rises a year ~ they might think WAs are great, but nothing beats two pay rises a year, lol.

Seriously though ~ while I'm sure your Q was tongue in cheek, you've hit on the essential point. They don't go on WAs because a WA would NOT be as beneficial to them as their current arrangement ~ and they can choose, unlike the rest of us!

Cheers :-)

Answer 2

What a good question. Doesn't worry me all that much in fact as I'm on a certified agreement. By the time the one after next comes around I will probably have retired. Yippee!

Bloke two desks away has been angling for an AWA for a year and the boss isn't interested in negotiating one, though there are a few people on them. Could be that AWAs will be a dead letter after the end of this year along with the mendacious crowd that brought them in.

Answer 3

If future people wish to travel, under workchoices what hours will they have to work just to get the cost of the Airfare, it world take another government to change all that so that we can enjoy the benifits again, as Minchin & Costello will change all that is current in Workchoices, so with people on lower pay, cannot go anywhere even to around Australia because of the ever increases of the cost of Petrol. So they will not be traveling very much , and that will put a lot of towns budgets at risk , because they depend on the traveling public to survive as well. So I hope that the Australia Liberal Party is Voted out before we lose everything that we have so long fought for.

Answer 4

MP's wont have to worry about being forced onto workplace agreements, because they only tell people - people like us - to go on AWA's because the Liberal parties support business employers. Money is much more important to the Liberal, as the Liberal DO NOT represent the workers of Australia. Cheers to ALL the Liberal supporters who are themselves workers in Australia!

Answer 5

Hey! What are you saying? Surely if our Prime Minister for Companies and Big Business says they are good, We must believe Him. He is the Best thing we have had since some one decided to slice bread. Guess like Howard, Sliced bread is a thing of the past. Let's get some new Bread.

Answer 6

good question, why? i think they are on fixed term contracts, but they shouldbe treated to the same workplace laws as the rest of, no protection from unfair dissmissal, lets sack them just cos we can, out with the Howard government, only have to wait till the old fool calls the election.

Answer 7

Thank God they aren't because John Howard is the boss then we would never be able to get rid of him.
You have very valid point though but then again when have politicians ever lead by example.

Answer 8

The term "workplace agreement" suggests that it is only applicable in places where work is done.

Answer 9

AWA is actually bad for the business! Imagine, an employer has to pay an employee extra or more than the AWARD!
Therefore, it is bad for a government as an employer to these politicians to place them under AWA. Taxpayers would lose again.

Answer 10

Maybe they have a strong union.
Have you noticed how many payrises they have had? It's way out of proportion to the minimum wage.
When they say AWA's are good, they mean good for businesses.