Strengthening the fabric of society

Fair industrial laws and universal, quality public education strengthen the fabric of our society. Yet the Howard Government would undermine both, writes MAREE O'HALLORAN.

The very notion of an egalitarian society seems to be fast disappearing under the Howard Government's stewardship. In the lead up to gaining control of the Senate, the Federal Government has begun a radical attack on employees' rights and entitlements. This attack must be seen in conjunction with its disproportionate funding of private schools and continued undermining of the value of public schools. Together, the attacks demonstrate that this is a government for the wealthy and privileged in society.

The Federal Government's intention to introduce a national, unitary system of industrial relations is about the abuse of power to drive down labour costs. That abuse of power is being cloaked by the debate about state government jurisdiction versus federal government jurisdiction.

Federation will mount a strong, determined and long campaign with the rest of the union movement for fair industrial relations laws. Any fair system of industrial relations must include:

• the right to bargain collectively on any issue affecting the workforce
• the right for unions to organise and support workers
• a strong independent umpire
• the right of protection against unfair dismissal.

The Federal Government's current regime and its new proposals do not, and will not, meet the 'test of fairness' as described. In fact the Federal Government threatens to remove state Industrial Relations Commissions entirely and then strip from the Australian Industrial Relations Commission the power to make wage judgments. The alternative being mooted, American style minimum (that is, subsistence) wage rates, is a gross threat to low paid workers and all other workers. For example, in Kansas the minimum wage rate is US$2.65 an hour compared to our minimum wage of $12.30 per hour. Where minimum wages are kept savagely low, the middle salary levels inevitably face downward pressure.

Nor has any real case been mounted by the Howard Government for tearing into the conditions and wages of workers. Premier Bob Carr said in State Parliament on March 2: "Employers have nothing to complain about. Record profits -- the profit share is 26.7 per cent -- make that point very clearly."

The case for reform made by Federal Workplace Minister Kevin Andrews in a speech on February 25 drew extensively on the views of the Business Council of Australia. In the most perverse of ways, Mr Andrews mounted his case on the grounds of 'fairness'.

"Regulatory excess in the name of fairness is misconceived, finishing the job of deregulating the labour market actually rests on fairness," Mr Andrews said.

Ironically, the Howard Government's drive for a unitary system with minimal regulation is misconceived even from the point of view of employers, who often seek recourse themselves from union demands in the industrial relations commissions. A right wing backlash has begun against plans for a unitary system. John Roskam from the Institute of Public Affairs told the H R Nicholls Society on the weekend of March 19-20 that the move has dangers, particularly when the pendulum swings back in Labor's favour.

Not only are the Howard Government's plans steeped in hubris but they are a diversion from issues such as the severe skills shortage. The current skills shortage is, of course, the product of market failure. Further "labour market" deregulation can only exacerbate the shortage as evidenced in New Zealand where lower wages pushed workers offshore, leaving a gap in the labour market.

The decade-long lag in training has at its root the collapse of public sector apprenticeships and employer abuse of youth training subsidies. The Howard Government's response is to introduce Australian Technical Colleges, aggressively spread individual employment contracts and float the idea of guest workers. In response to the public's growing concern about the skills shortage, the Premier announced on March 20 a plan, "Securing our Skilled Workforce". While the plan needs further discussion and funding, it certainly represents an alternative to the Federal Government's damaging proposal. The next step is for the Premier to expose the flaws in the Federal Government's proposed Australian Technical Colleges and refuse to facilitate their establishment in NSW.

Perhaps nothing could more sadly symbolise the Howard Government's preparedness to tear at the fabric of our society than the spectacle of immigration officers removing children as young as six from our public schools. Such actions deserve the harshest condemnation.

The campaign for the future of public education is a campaign for a better society underpinned by social justice principles. On May 19, Public Education Day, with our national counterparts, we will highlight "Public Education -- Worth the Investment". The release of the Vinson audit on that day will assist our campaign by setting directions for the targeting of new investment.

While leadership remains unstable and lacklustre in the Department of Education and Training, the new Minister made a calm and resilient address to Council. Council applauded a good performance and yet there was a worrying element of stubbornness about her address, particularly in relation to funding and salaries. With salary negotiations scheduled from July this year, Federation's Senior Officers have called on the minister in the first instance to:

• make payment from January 1, 2006
• eschew the notion of "trade offs"
• give priority to additional increases for the top of the scale.

The Minister is mouthing words about the State Government's policy of three per cent per annum. Federation's Senior Officers have made it clear that such an offer would undermine the gains made in the 2004 work value case and anger the profession, particularly in light of the Public Service Association settlement of four per cent per annum. It would reignite a heated dispute with the State Government at a time when our energies are best directed at a Federal Government intent on ripping apart the fabric of society.

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March 2005 contents