[Greens-Media] Working Women's Centres abandoned by ALP

[Twomey, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)]

Working Women's Centres abandoned by ALP 

The decision by the Rudd Government to remove funding from Working
Women's Centres has shocked the Australian Greens.

"Just yesterday we had the Government boasting about how better off
working women were going to be under the new budget, yet at the same
time they are cutting funding to the most disadvantaged working women"
said Senator Rachel Siewert, Greens spokesperson on employment and
workplace relations.

"Working Women's Centres (WWCs) are community based not-for profit
organisations offering important advice on employment and workplace
issues to women, particularly disadvantaged women - the women who are at
most risk of social exclusion and should be front and centre of the new
Government's agenda," she said.

"This is outrageous. It is what the Howard Government did to Employment
Law Centres two years ago" said Senator Rachel Siewert.

The Government has told the remaining WWCs that they will not receive
any more funding from future budgets - forcing these centres to shut
down.

"Our workplace relations and employment laws are very complicated. With
the ALP's substantive changes to the Workplace Relations Act not coming
into effect until 2010 the need for these support services is even more
pressing," said Senator Siewert.

"However, Julia Gillard seems prepared to leave vulnerable women workers
without access to advice to negotiate these difficult and unfair laws.
This situation is made worse for those women caught up in the welfare to
work regime which this new Government is not in a hurry to change."

"There is enormous unmet need from people requiring appropriate advice
on their employment entitlements and conditions. If this Government's
rhetoric about supporting vulnerable workers is to be believed it should
be increasing funding to these types of services not closing them down"
concluded Senator Siewert.            

Senator Siewert is available for comment in Canberra today on 0407 725
025