The National Farmers Union is pushing for employers to be able to take “non-monetary benefits” provided to employees into account when negotiating workplace deals. 

Australian Workers’ Union National Secretary Daniel Walton told Oly Peterson he was surprised and the proposal is a scary proposition for workers.

“What workers need right now is a good and steady pay rise and in the fruit and veg industry we’ve been fighting really hard to get the minimum wage,” he said.

“If you work in construction, oil and gas, mining, accommodation is part and parcel of what you do. This is a strange difference… where somehow workers should feel as though they’re privileged to receive a job.”

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Walton said he hopes things have been misrepresented in the report.