FACTS

YOUR job rights

YOUR conditions

YOUR security

WILL BE CUT

... if the Howard Government proceeds with changes to industrial relations legislation

On 1 July 2005 the Howard Government took control of the Australian Senate.

They now intend to use that absolute power to push through industrial relations changes that remove many conditions and rights from the majority of Australian workers.

The word is out that YOUR job rights, YOUR conditions and YOUR security are now under threat. Most of the changes are based on ideology and not reality. They will hurt many workers particularly women and their families.

The Democrats want you to have the facts to ensure you can filter the fiction from Government propaganda. We no longer have the ability to use balance of power in the Senate to stop bad legislation, but we do stand charged with the job of fighting for what is fair and to hold the Government to account.

We support the role of unions and business but we are NOT beholden to either. We are interested in what is best for Australia and Australians.

Senator Lyn Allison
Leader, Australian Democrats

Democrats EXPOSE Government SPIN

GOVERNMENT SPIN

FACT

The Government claims industrial relations reforms are needed for continued economic growth.

There is no evidence to support the government spin. Australia has low inflation, low unemployment and strong growth. The government should invest in infrastructure, research and development, education, skills and a fairer tax system. Why go down a path that will destroy our ‘fair go’ society?

The Government will introduce new safeguards for wages and conditions.

The new "safeguards" are much weaker than the existing safeguards protecting workers.

The Government will safeguard workers with a modern award system.

The safety net is being weakened and reduced. Workers offered a job on condition they accept an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA) will no longer be protected by the award system.

The Government will "protect the right of workers against unlawful dismissal".

Yes, unlawful dismissal laws will remain but the government will remove protection from UNFAIR dismissal for those 3.7 million Australian workers who work in businesses with less than 100 employees.

Abolishing unfair dismissal laws will create 50,000 to 77,000 jobs.

This claim is nonsense. A recent Senate inquiry found no empirical evidence to support the claim that unfair dismissal laws have prevented job growth and no evidence to support the claim that getting rid of 2500 unfair dismissal claims a year will produce 77,000 jobs.

Award wages won’t be cut. Under the Howard Government real wages have increased by 14.7% since 1996.

Real wages have increased largely because of Industrial Relations Commission decisions. The government plans to take the minimum wage responsibility away from the Industrial Relations Commission and give it to a "Fair Pay Commission". The intent of this change is to reduce annual pay awards and the real minimum wage over time. In addition, overtime and penalty rates will no longer be protected by a safety net. The effect of this change could see take-home pay fall and real wages decrease.

The right to strike will remain.

The right to strike during bargaining will remain but the government plans to introduce secret ballot processes to make strikes harder to organise. Bargaining with an employer for better conditions will become more adversarial.