The Community and Public Sector Union is calling for the mutual obligation reporting requirements for those receiving unemployment benefits to be waived indefinitely after the government said the requirements would be paused for just one week.
Under the jobseeker payment (formerly known as Newstart), recipients are required to apply for a certain number of jobs per week or undergo training.
Late on Tuesday evening, the government announced those requirements would be suspended until March 31.
Speaking with Sky News, National Secretary Melissa Donnelly said that period was not long enough.
“We have been calling for a relaxing of those mutual obligation rules. We know that there is going to be really significant unemployment and we are also dealing with a public health pandemic,” she said.
“So whilst it’s been good it’s been relaxed for a period, it’s clearly not long enough.”
