The ACTU and Australian unions have been running TV and radio advertisements in the first phase of an $8 million advertising campaign designed to raise awareness that the Howard Government’s proposed industrial relations changes will take away key rights at work. The advertisements show how taking away rights to unfair dismissal can wreak havoc on Australian families and how individual contracts will undermine job security and take home pay.

Union campaign gathers support

By Dennis Long

At the end of the first phase of the union movement campaign against the Howard Government's attack on workers' rights, public opinion is firmly against the proposed changes.

Since March, the union movement has concentrated on an education strategy involving community campaigning, media advertising and industrial action.

The outcome has been negative poll ratings for the Federal Government with its plan under legal and industrial clouds.

On July 27, Roy Morgan Research reported that 70 per cent of those polled disagreed with the abolition of unfair dismissal laws for employers with 100 staff or less. The poll, conducted July 20-21, indicated that 79 per cent of Australians have heard about the Federal Government's proposals. Only 10 per cent believed they and their families would be better off under the proposed changes.

On July 5, under the headline "IR blamed for Howard poll plunge", ABC Online said that "new polls have shown a sharp drop in support for Prime Minister John Howard after last week's nationwide protests against the Government's proposed industrial relations changes". ABC Online reported an AC Nielsen poll for Fairfax showed Mr Howard's personal approval had dropped 10 points to 49 per cent while a Newspoll conducted for the Australian said the Prime Minister's rating had fallen seven points to 47 per cent. The Nielsen poll said Mr Howard's personal approval was at its lowest since August 2001. Sixty per cent of respondents opposed the Federal Government's industrial relations changes.

On July 10 the Sunday Telegraph reported a Galaxy poll conducted for News Limited on July 8-9 found 63 per cent of the 500 adults surveyed registered concern that the proposed changes would mean lower pay and worse conditions.

An online poll conducted from July 31 by ninemsn for current affairs television show Sunday asked if respondents supported "the Federal Government's $20 million industrial relations advertising campaign". Although online polls are easily manipulated, the result, with up to 98 per cent of those taking part voting no, is a setback for the Government.

The Howard Government plan for a single, national industrial system also faces legal hurdles. On June 4, after the state Premiers refused to cede their industrial powers to the Federal Government, Sydney Morning Herald state political editor Anne Davies reported that then NSW Premier Bob Carr revealed "his early legal advice indicated a High Court challenge had more chance than first thought". Federation understands that the NSW Government remains hopeful that a legal challenge to a federal takeover of industrial relations will be successful.

Finally, the Howard Government faces a determined and united union movement. 100,000 workers in NSW took part in Sky Channel meetings on July 1. Federation's Annual Conference authorised Council or Executive to consider statewide industrial action "when appropriate", particularly if "Australian Workplace Agreements, individual contracts or so-called 'performance pay' are offered in any Federation workplaces".

The Howard Government now has effective control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Unions NSW chose August 7 for activities at Olympic Park and provincial centres to mark "the last weekend" prior to the resumption of both Houses on August 9 for a two-week sitting. The Parliament is also scheduled to sit for two weeks each in September and October with further sessions continuing, "if required", until December 8.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly said that the union movement is misleading the Australian people with a scare campaign and that the truth will out when the details of the legislation are revealed. The Galaxy poll found 78 per cent of those polled thought the Government had not done enough to explain the proposed new industrial laws.

The ball is now in Mr Howard's court.

Dennis Long is the Editor.

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