Unions campaign together for employees’ rights

By Maree O’Halloran

Federation is working with the ACTU and Unions NSW for fair industrial laws at both state and federal level.

Employees' rights and entitlements are at risk if the Howard Government's radical proposals to change industrial laws are put in place.

On March 16 the ACTU Executive said the Howard Government's changes "if enacted, will place further unfair powers in the hands of employers".

"The changes will impact harshly upon millions of Australians, forcing down living standards and diminishing job security and workplace safety. They will potentially destroy institutions at national and state levels which for over a century have been charged with balancing the interests of employees and employers through periods of dramatic changes," the ACTU Executive said.

The joint union campaign will include paid advertising, lobbying and a national week of campaign activity before legislative change. The date of this campaign activity will be determined in the near future.

Federation members are advised that national Sky Channel meetings are possible and have been foreshadowed by Federation Council.

Unions NSW Secretary John Robertson said: "The problem is that the level of awareness is very low at the moment. We need to tell people this will mean all employees will have less control over their working hours." (Sunday Telegraph, March 13) ACTU Secretary Greg Combet said: "The fight is about protecting employee rights -- looking after low paid, bargaining rights, union representation, the award safety net and the role of the Industrial Relations Commission as an umpire." (The Australian, March 17) Federation is a state registered union. We have a long industrial history back to 1920 of awards being made in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission. There is no need to abolish the state jurisdiction. The Howard Government is using the idea of a "common sense" single, national system as a cloak to hide laws that will hurt workers.

Our job is to protect our members' rights and to help other workers. The test of any new laws at federal or state level must be that of "fairness". That is, are employees given rights or is the balance tipped too greatly to employers.

NSW Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca has announced plans to challenge the Howard Government's laws in the High Court. Federation supports that challenge. Federation Council has also welcomed the Premier's defence of our conditions and called on him to ensure that protection continues through the next award negotiations (see letter above). That protection would provide concrete evidence to NSW teachers of the NSW Labor Government's fairer industrial relations regime and assist the fight against the Howard Government's proposals.

Federation's strength is that it has never relied on any government or political party for protection. Our task now is to help create the fairest industrial laws possible in the political circumstances and then to continue to act collectively as and when needed.

Maree O'Halloran is the President.

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March 2005 contents