Interns being ripped off?
July 14, 2011
A WAR of words between the
Association of Professional
Engineers, Scientists and
Managers, Australia (APESMA)
and the Pharmacy Guild of
Australia has kicked off this
week, over claims pharmacy
interns are being illegally
underpaid.
According to comments made
by APESMA yesterday, more than
half of all Australian pharmacy
interns are currently being paid
under award wages.
Based on findings by
Graduate Careers Australia and
backed by its own research,
APESMA says that interns
should be raking in at least
$19.05 per hour, as opposed to
the rate most interns are
currently taking home, $17.70
per hour.
“The evidence shows because
most employers are illegally
paying pharmacy interns less
than they are entitled to they
are the worst paid graduates in
Australia,” APESMA said in a
statement.
“Pharmacists study hard at
university and deserve better
than being ripped off as soon
as they get into the pharmacy
workforce,” the statement
added.
The Guild has since
responded to APESMA’s claims
by demanding a retraction, and
arguing that first year interns
do not work unsupervised and
that to be fair “comparison
wages should be compared to
full registration rates”.
APESMA’s claims of illegal
payment levels to graduates,
according to the Guild, are
proven false by the recent Qld
Audit by Fair Work Australia
where over 500 pharmacies
were intensively audited.
“ASPESMA does not
understand the transitional
arrangements for the pharmacy
industry award,” a statement
from the Guild said.
“At the time GCA did their
survey the first half intern rate
in Queensland was $17.65 an
hour and not the $19.05 as they
claim.
“That rate is yet to be
transitioned to,” the Guild added.
Questions over APESMA’s
potential bias were also raised
by the Guild.
“What APESMA should be
upfront about is their
executives who are University
staff who benefit from
pharmacy being added back to
Skilled Occupations List (SOL)
which benefits their overseas
student numbers,” the Guild said.
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