Unionists have begun a campaign to protect their rights at work.

Your rights at work, worth fighting for

By Maree O’Halloran

With the campaign title "Your Rights at Work, Worth Fighting For", the union movement's campaign to protect basic rights of work and people's living standards has begun.

At the Sydney May Day rally Unions NSW Secretary John Robertson called for strong campaigning, unity and discipline in the campaign against the Federal Government's proposed new industrial laws.

Within the next few weeks TV advertisements will begin outlining the potential for the Federal Government's proposed new industrial laws to take away employees' rights at work. Unions NSW is organising a Sky Channel meeting on Friday May 27 to provide information for union delegates.

Federation is also conducting specialised trade union training about this campaign.

During the National Week of Action (June 27-July 3) a mass meeting of union delegates in NSW will be organised for Friday July 1, with a Sky Channel broadcast live from the Sydney Town Hall. Federation is aware that July 1 is the last day of term 2. However, the decision about timing was made after discussion with all NSW unions. In Victoria, the Trades Hall has called for a half day strike on Thursday 30 June 30. The timing of the National Week of Action means that it falls during the Victorian school holidays.

The mass meeting of delegates on July 1 will be urged to attend a rally for all union members at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday August 7.

On July 1, the Federal Coalition Government gains control of both houses of Parliament. It has signalled that wholesale legislative changes to Australia's industrial relations laws could enter Parliament on August 9. It is possible, however, that drafting difficulties may delay this entry until October. The changes are expected to override state systems, strip conditions from awards, give primacy to individual contracts (Australian Workplace Agreements) and limit workers' rights to organise collectively. The total effect will be to place employers in an even more powerful bargaining position than they currently enjoy.

These retrograde changes were not taken to the electorate in the lead up to the Federal election in October 2004.

As crown employees of the state of NSW, public education teachers may not be immediately subject to the Federal Government's new laws. However, NSW Liberal leader John Brogden has stated that when in Government he will cede NSW's industrial relations power to the Commonwealth. Kennett's Coalition Government in Victoria made that decision in the 1990s. The Bracks Labor Government in Victoria has never taken the power back and the Carr Labor Government may also decide not to run an industrial relations system for a relatively small group of workers. Furthermore, the Federal Government has signalled that the provision of federal funding in TAFE will be contingent on the offering of Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) to employees. Schools will be next.

Federation and its members must work with the broader union movement to defeat or ameliorate the Federal Government's proposals. Our salaries, working conditions and living standards are at risk.

Maree O'Halloran is the President.

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