PM Transcripts

JAUSiX AIAAg
PRIME MINISTER PRESS STATEMENT NO. 159
December 1973
ANNUAL LEAVE
The Australian Government has decided to introduce
legislation to provide for the payment of an annual leave loading
to all its employees of the Australian Government. I
The legislation which will be introduced to the Parliament
next year will provide for the payment of a loading of an amount
equal to average weekly earnings of all adult male wage and salary
earners as disclosed by the Statistician for the September quarter
immediately preceding the accrual of such leave.
It will apply to leave accruing on or after 1 January 1974.
The legislation will not seek to cover leave accruing in
1973. However, when the various Public Service Unions' claims on
annual leave loadings come before the Arbitrator, the Government will
indicate that it would raise no objections to an interim settlement
in respect of leave accruing on or after 1 January 1973 on the
following basis:
An annual leave loading of 17 per cent of the
employees salary at date of accrual, for the
period of leave accrued at that date, subject
to the total bonus payment not exceeding the
equivalent of the average weekly earnings figure
for the September quarter of the preceding year,
or alternatively, the * shift loading which the
employee would have received had he been on annual
leave if such shift loading exceeds the leave bonus.
CANBERRA, A. C. T.