Turning Back the Clock on IR Laws
PPyenews
Easily one of the most controversial political issues for the
forthcoming Federal Election is the 'Industrial Relations' Bill that
has sent shivers down the spines of Australia's workforce. Many saw
the 'Howard Governments' changes as anything but reforms to the past
where workers had little or no rights - a package full of promises of
no protection. Aptly, many have rebelled whilst the Howard Government
continues to boast the reforms as the only way for the economy to
improve. Many it seems will continue to fight these changes, in
particular, the Federal ALP whose new Rudd, Gillard team have set it
as a major election issue.
On December 2nd 2005, the Government rammed through the Bill, gagging
the debate, despite there being 35 ayes and 33 noes. Prime Minister
John Howard said the legislation would strengthen the economy. New
industrial relations (IR) laws came into force on 27th March 2006
sparking intense political debate. The ACTU at the time claimed a poll
of 1,000 people in 24 Coalition-held marginal seats had found that
almost two-thirds of voters were opposed to the IR laws. A similar
percentage of those polled at that time said they would like to have
seen a law that would force employers to collectively bargain with
their workers, if that was what the majority of employees wanted. ACTU
secretary Greg Combet said the poll showed that the Coalition could
lose the next election because of the legislation due to it being an
important issue and a potential vote switcher.
This indeed has happened with the Rudd/Gillard team finding increased
favour among the country's voting sector, with much of the swing being
IR Laws related. Prime Minister John Howard says the ALP's newly
released industrial relations policy has handed more power to the
unions than he imagined it would. Kevin Rudd's plans for the workplace
won full support at the last ALP national conference. The package of
measures would see penalty rates restored, individual workplace
agreements abolished and employees required to bargain collectively in
workplaces where a majority wants a collective agreement. The ALP is
unapologetic about correcting the imbalance that they claim exists
under the 'WorkChoices' legislation.
A leading business group has rebelled saying employers are considering
an advertising campaign to fight Labor's industrial relations policy.
Peter Hendy from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says
Labor is turning back the clock with its plans to enforce collective
bargaining and reintroduce compulsory penalty rates, and claims
business groups will argue against the changes in the media. In all
honesty the Chamber of Commerce is only operated on every commercial
bone in its body and forgets that such a campaign would show
irreversible bias and damage to its members. The new IR Laws are
amiss of basic rights and freedom of security for workers. That is
'turning back the clock' if I ever saw it.
I'm Phillip Pye.