”The Week on Wednesday” with Van Badham & Ben Davison
News:Politics
Ben looks at the big win for farm workers this week as up to 130,000 workers will see their wages rise from as low as $3/hr to a minimum of $25.14 an hour. Despite a second record harvest year in a row and as many as 16,000 jobs needing to be filled the usual corporate agri-business lobbyists are condemning the outcome and suggesting they will appeal. The Australian Workers Union has said "If you work on a farm and aren't being paid at least $25 an hour someone is stealing your wages."
The hospitality sector is claiming it needs 100,000 temporary migrant workers to meet demand even as it claims a $44Million program from the Victorian government designed to boost demand in hospitality. The sector is rife with wage theft, super theft, rostering abuses, sexual harassment and awful working conditions. None of which the Hotels Association is suggesting they will fix before the importation of more easily exploitable temporary migrant workers.
These "labour shortage" claims come as RBA and ABC reports show that 2.2M Australians who want to work do not have the work they need. More than 200,000 people who want to work can't due to caring responsibilities and a lack of access to appropriate alternative care for their child, elders or family member with a disability.
The systemic problems are low wages, poor working conditions, lack of support to enter the workforce through the provision of care facilities and services and a quick fix mentality among many in these sectors that have become hooked on easily exploitable temporary migrant workers.
There's also info on the launch of the new children's book by the Victorian Trades Hall Council "Sticking Together", a new track by mr?e & the 4.I.S crew, an update on FriendlyJordies' effective win over Barilaro and Van's in studio appearance on Marcus Paul to talk Alan Jones, Morrison's disgrace and Qanon and On.
Episode 87: Morrison demands workers take pay cuts, voting has started and the 3rd leaders debate
Weekend Wrap May 8 2022: Waleed gets it wrong on Insiders, Tanya nails workplace reforms, Medicare scandal and 2nd debate
Episode 86: Halfway through election 2022 who is winning? Morrison or Albo?
Weekend Wrap: May Day 2022, James Campbell’s Insiders embarrassment, Labor’s campaign launch & Morrison’s campaign chaos
Episode 85: Morrison bungles the economy, Labor launches economic policy and chaos in the coalition campaign
Weekend Wrap: Morrison’s ”blessing” a curse on NDIS, Barnaby’s Insiders sell off plus wage theft & pork barrelling
Episode 84: Morrison promises wage cuts, Labor to reform NDIS, COVID rules changing and good news on solar storage
Weekend Wrap Easter Election: Insiders calls out Morrison’s bigot strategy, Morrison dodges ICAC, a new health minister & disinformation warfare
Episode 83: Morrison ”hosts” the media, election campaign highlights and low lights, good news about solar panels at night
Election kick off special: Morrison has called the election!
Episode 82: Morrison’s trust deficit worsens, Liberals with questions to answer, election battle lines drawn, good news about Fortnite and Ukraine
Weekend Wrap 3 April 2022: Frydenberg’s train wreck on Insiders, Unions are campaigning to lift wages & Putin’s war crimes?
Episode 81: Morrison’s election budget misses the point as Liberals expose who he really is, COVID making a come back and good news about wind turbines
Weekend Wrap with Van: Pre-Budget Insiders, Morrison’s Hillsong lies, Putin’s War and good environmental news about cows!
Episode 80: Morrison cuts wages, Albo’s reality signalling, Putin’s war and good news about forests
Weekend Wrap 20 March 2022: Labor wins in South Australia, Morrison couldn’t stop a penguin invasion, teachers under strain & pork barrelling backfires
Episode 79: Morrison’s cost of living crisis can’t wait until budget night, Malinauskas on path to victory in South Australia, Putin’s War and good news about solar powered water
Weekend Wrap 13 March 2022: Morrison’s defence waste exposed on Insiders, Flood fundraiser highlights Liberal failures, Eureka ban a symbol of skewed priorities
Episode 78: Morrison’s flood disaster and the crisis of small government, Putin’s War and energy in the West plus solar panel flowers
Weekend Wrap 6th March 2022: Dutton’s incompetence shines through poor Insiders interview, Morrison fails flood victims, profits soar as wages fall
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