Bill Shorten’s re-announcement today of a Labor workplace policy has demonstrated two skills – hypocrisy and incompetence.

In announcing his policy for the second time, this time alongside a 7-Eleven worker, Bill Shorten failed to mention one key shortcoming of the policy – It will not apply to many 7-Eleven franchises.

Section 44 of Labor’s Exposure Draft of its “Protecting Australian Workers Bill” states that the proposed increase in penalties for employers found to have exploited workers will not apply to small businesses. It will therefore exclude a range of dodgy employers, as well as many 7-Eleven franchises.

Labor’s policy states that:

44. The higher penalty will only apply to companies which could be expected to have a level of human resources sophistication; and which already have statutory duties in relation to their behaviour. The higher penalty will not apply to small businesses.[1]

Mr Shorten’s own goal provides another example of the dangers of making policy on the run. The same kind of sloppiness was also displayed in the Opposition’s ill-conceived negative gearing policy.

Mr Shorten’s announcement on underpaid workers today also revealed his hypocrisy.

When Bill Shorten was the National Secretary of the Australian Workers Union, the union entered into an agreement with Cleanevent which removed all penalty rates for low paid cleaners, with no compensation.

Cleanevent paid the AWU $25,000 per year and provided lists of employees’ names for the AWU to add to its membership lists.

The AWU deal saved the company up to $2 million in wages each year, compared to what would be payable under the award.

It is a historical fact that Mr Shorten’s union ripped penalty rates off workers in return for secret payments from their employer. Mr Shorten cannot now credibly claim to stand for the protection of worker’s entitlements.