New Long Service Leave rights in ACT

Date: 06 May 2005

Canberra's workforce will now be able to access their long service leave rights much earlier than in any other State or Territory, following the adoption of new legislation in the ACT Legislative Assembly today.

ACT workers will now be able to take leave after seven years instead of waiting ten years to take a break from work, thanks to a bill introduced by Katie Gallagher, ACT Minister for Industrial Relations.

"The improved access to leave entitlements will be of particular benefit to women workers, especially those working in areas such as childcare and aged care, where staff turn over is particularly high," Lyndal Ryan, ACT LHMU Assistant Branch Secretary said today.

" Women also tend to have breaks in their employment due to child rearing responsibilities."

Sally Scanlain, who works as a carer in an ACT aged care facility, is typical of the ACT employee who will benefit from the change.

Sally is a single parent who has worked in her present part-time employment for many years but during this time has moved in and out of several other part-time positions in the community services sector working at two part-time jobs at a time in order to make a living wage.

" I think it is great to see the ACT Government helping women workers in this sort of low paid, high turnover industry.

" Why shouldn't we have at least some of the benefits enjoyed by workers in the public service, " she said.

"I know many care workers who simply can't hack the low wages and conditions leave long before they can qualify for long service leave," Sally Scanlain said.

" Community service people are dedicated to their jobs and work hard - they deserve the break which will now be available to them because of these important changes to long-service leave rights."

For further info:

Lyndal Ryan, ACT LHMU

61201 202 or 0411 643 982

Sally Scanlain

0419 410 827

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union
Phone:	8204 7206
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au/

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