‘Bring unions into schools’
A TSS teacher wants unions to enter schools to stop students being ripped off by employees.
Giving evidence at the State Government inquiry into wage theft, business and legal studies teacher Jessica Prouten said young people were being taken advantage of.
On September 17 in Brisbane, Ms Prouten said she had been exploited in a previous job and was using her position as a teacher to help stop it happening to students.
“In my role I have often had students ask questions about their employment rights,” she said in an email to Currumbin MP and inquiry member Jann Stuckey.
“Most are unaware that there is an option of joining the union.”
She said students had raised questions about their jobs, which worried her.
These included:
■ Is it legal to pay me in kind with product?
■ Can an employer tell me I can’t have a break when I have worked all day?
■ I answered an ad in the paper and I was told I had a job but now my boss wants me to apply for an ABN because I am a contractor, not an employee – what’s the difference?
■ How do I know how much I should be paid?
■ My boss fired me because I asked for Sundays off to go to church, is that legal?
■ My co-workers are calling me names and play pranks on me and my boss won’t do anything about it.
In her email to Mrs Stuckey, Mrs Prouten (pictured) said the solution was simple.
“In the past, with the blessing of school leadership, I have had people from various unions come into schools ... covering the topic ‘Can my boss ask me to do that’,” she said. “What was revealed was frightening, especially when considering that a majority of businesses that were discussed were run by parents ... who were ostensibly the good guys in employing these kids.
“Instead they took advantage of their employees.”
Asked by the Bulletin if union officials provided workshops for TSS students, she said they did not to her knowledge. “I believe young people should have access to experts with knowledge in relevant fields but ultimately it’s a school decision,” she said.
TSS did not comment.