"It is quite interesting that this matter has not been bought up earlier"
It's been done to death on PPRuNe over the years - but it never stopped pilots working for less than their legal entitlements!
We gave up naming and shaming employers. Perhaps it's time we named and shamed pilots who accept employment on less than Award conditions???
"Who, working in GA, actually has an employment contract (or agreement, or something on paper) that defines the financial relationship between you and your employer?
Who, on the other hand, is working purely under a verbal agreement?"
Pray tell, what purpose would that serve?
You are either employed under an individual registered ITEA, a registered collective EBA, another legitimate form of registered industrial instrument, or the Award applies.
No employee in Australia is exempt, nor can they contract out of their legislated entitlements.
I am yet to see a legitimate circumstance where an individual pilot may be employed "on Contract" as a "sub contractor"!
Whilst I am open to suggestions, I do not believe it possibly under Australian law and in particular Australian tax law. Read
Bendo's post above - he's spot on the money!
I sincerely recommend you read of the current
Workplace Relations Act 1996 and the
Pilots (General Aviation) Award and if necessary, seek advice from the
AFAP or
Workplace Authority.
It intrigues me why an individual would study for one to two years, spending something in excess of $70,000 to obtain a CPL, whilst having no idea of his/her entitlements, not read the relevant industrial relations legislation and accept employment on little or no remuneration.
At least five or six who posted in this thread should have saved their $70,000 CPL cost - Maccas are paying $17 per hour, full time work, no training required!
Un-believable!!!
