They fear employer moves to get rid of a requirement for a minimum 10-hour break between shifts will put clients at risk.

New laws stripping away protection the 63 workers now enjoy will be debated in the Senate next week.

Australian Council of Trade Unions president Ged Kearney was in Albury yesterday to highlight the dangers of changes she said would make it easier for bad bosses to rip off workers by having them sign away their right to compensation.

The Australian Services Union said Mercy Centre was pressuring workers to sign contracts by threatening to cut their work hours.

ASU delegate and Mercy Centre employee Des Pumpa said there was a lot of worker anxiety about what would happen with their job if they signed.

“Will they have a change of location or work in areas they don’t feel confident in or feel afraid of?” he asked.

Mr Pumpa said the biggest concern was rosters and staff getting the hours they needed.

Ms Kearney said she hoped senators could be convinced to reject the Fair Work Amendment Bill that has many features of the federal Coalition’s rejected work choices policies.

The changes cut wages and penalty rates, allow workers to be paid “in kind” rather than cash and remove the right to strike by allowing bosses to veto industrial action.

The bill would also make it harder to have access to union support at work.

“Flexibility agreements exist now, but there’s lots of protections too,” she said.

Ms Kearney said the Albury case was a warning to all workers.

“We need to make the crossbenchers realise what this legislation will do to workers in regional areas,” she said.

“Here you can’t just leave one job and get another one.

“Mercy Centre claims workers will be “better off overall” on these contracts because by working longer hours in a shorter periods, workers will get to spend more time with their families.

“It’s outrageous for an employer to claim stripping away workers’ wages and important conditions around health and safety will improve quality of life.”