ACTU boss says casual work a key issue The growing shift to part-time, contract and other insecure work must be a key issue at the upcoming federal election, ACTU president Ged Kearney says. Ms Kearney said 40 per cent of the Australian workforce was now engaged in some form of insecure employment, with some on sham contracts that didn't offer continuity of work. But she said this was simply a cost cutting exercise by business and not good for workers, communities or the national economy. "This has an enormous impact on people's lives," Ms Kearney told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday. They don't get sick leave, they don't get annual leave, they can't get a home loan or even a car loan. This is a massive issue that really needs to be noticed, before it actually becomes the norm for people to live very anxious lives. Ms Kearney said the rise of insecure employment arrangements was a particular concern for students who were struggling to balance study loads with the need to earn a living. She said it was a "furphy" to suggest students only worked for pocket money or to fund partying. These young people have to live on the money they earn. It's really important that they can get a decent wage and fit in their studies," she said. The ACTU president was in Adelaide to speak to the National Union of Students annual education conference.