Albo is being ‘a hypocrite’ say furious casual workers
PRIME Minister Anthony Albanese says workers don’t need pandemic leave payments because employers are already allowing them to work from home while sick.
The PM has doubled down on his insistence the government would not reinstate a $750 payment to casuals without sick leave.
“The idea that no one is getting any sick leave at the moment, it’s just not the case,” he said.
“Good employers are recognising that people are continuing to work from home while they have Covid and are receiving, therefore, payments through that.”
The furore over the government’s decision to axe the payments is his first major test.
Mr Albanese is under pressure from the unions, state leaders, the opposition and his own backbench, who have called the decision to axe the sick leave payment into question.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said she hoped Mr Albanese would back down.
“You can’t on the one hand say people have to stay at home and on the other hand say you are not going to get paid and you are left with nothing,” she told Nine.
“It is abandoning people and not the Australian way, we have to fix it.”
Social media users were quick to point out many casual workers who hold jobs in retail and hospitality could not just work from home.
Earlier, Health Minister Mark Butler confirmed the government had received no health advice over whether the scheme should be continued.
Federal opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston called on the government to explain why it was abandoning workers.
“What we’re questioning is the timing of the removal of these Covid supports as we’re just heading into what the medical experts are saying is a very dangerous wave,” she told Radio National.
“Is the decision being made by the government based on the health advice?”