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Stimulus package needed; ACTU

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is pushing the Federal Government to release a stimulus package for the Australian economy in wake of the increasing number of job losses.

“The ACTU is calling for is a scheme that protects all entitlements when workers are made redundant or retrenched. BHP is planning to retrench over 3000 people in the coming months and the ACTU wants to make sure that those facing retrenchment receive everything they are entitled to including long service and accrued leave,” a spokesperson from the ACTU told MINING DAILY.

“There are gaps in the system and we are calling on the Government and employers to work with us to close those gaps so that nobody misses out on their rightful entitlements.”

ACTU president Sharan Burrow said the threat to the economy and to jobs had not lessened since the $10.4 billion injection into the economy late last year, and a new stimulus had to target immediate job starts.

“This is good news that the Prime Minister is looking at introducing another stimulus package, which is absolutely essential as the outlook for the global economy becomes bleaker by the day,” Burrow said.

According to Burrow, retaining jobs is the number one focus for the ACTU currently, however, retaining real wages is also essential.

“History has shown that cutting wages in a downturn is counter productive when the recipe for economic recovery is stimulating demand,” she said.

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