To:  Australian Industrial Relations Commission

cc: Julia Gillard MP and Peter Garrett MP

We, the undersigned, hereby call for the Government and the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to retain the four hour minimum call for live theatre workers.

As workers in the Live Performance industry, we have recently become aware that the Live Theatre and Concert Award 1998, is about to be amalgamated as part of the Federal Government's Award Modernisation process (stage 3) and will be known as the Live Performance Award 2010.

Under the existing Live Theatre and Concert Award 1998, our current entitlement for minimum call is four hours.  However, when the new modern award comes into effect in January 2010, our minimum call will be reduced to just three hours.

Casual workers in venues around the country will be affected by this on a weekly basis, with many standing to lose 25% of their income if this current entitlement is reduced to three hours under the new award.

It is clear that workers in the Live Theatre Industry will be disadvantaged, if the Live Performance Award 2010 is not amended to reflect a four hour minimum call for those Live Theatre Venues and Producers, who engage live theatre crew, currently bound by the Live Theatre and Concert Award 1998.

We urge you to reconsider your decision.

Sincerely,

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I work in: Commercial Live Theatre Subsidised Theatre Both