Pay Equity

Workplace changes inquiry a must: ACTU

By ACTU

The ACTU says it is essential the Senate hold a comprehensive Inquiry into the biggest changes to the nation's workplace laws in 100 years and will today launch a campaign for all Australians eligible to vote to contact a Senator and request an Inquiry into the IR changes.

The ACTU is today writing to all Senators to request they support an Inquiry. We are also urging working people and concerned citizens to target Coalition Senators and request they hold an Inquiry with public hearings into the workplace changes in all States and Territories.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow said today:

"What has the Government got to hide? Recently Kevin Andrews, Minister for Workplace Relations, said there would be a Senate Inquiry into the Government's proposed new industrial relations laws. But Prime Minister John Howard has backed away from this commitment.

Instead, the Government plans to spend more than $20 million of taxpayers' money on a misleading and deceptive advertising campaign. Already the Government has spent $900 million of taxpayers' money on advertising and this new unnecessary ad campaign could bring the total advertising spend close to $1 billion.

Respected independent commentators Ross Gittins, Tim Colebatch and former NSW Auditor general Tony Harris have all criticised the Government's IR advertisements:

The claim by the Government that it will 'safeguard workers with a modern award system' Gittins calls 'quite dishonest' and the Government's claim that it will 'protect workers from unlawful dismissal' he says is 'quite sneaky'. The establishment of the new 'Fair Pay Commission' and a year long delay in the next adjustment to minimum wages is 'an old trick for cutting real wages' says Gittins. He also says the Prime Minister's plan to stop awards being the safety net is 'far too crafty'. (Sydney Morning Herald, 11 July 2005)

The Age columnist Tim Colebatch has also shown that the Government advertisements pushing individual contracts are factually incorrect: "In advertisements in all major newspapers, the Government claims workers on Australian Workplace Agreements earn 13 per cent more than workers on collective agreements. But Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that full-time, non-managerial workers who had their pay set by collective agreement earned 50 cents an hour more than workers contracted by Australian Workplace Agreements." (The Age, 14 July 2005)

Tony Harris, former NSW Auditor General says the Howard Government's ads are unethical and "[The Government] will ignore all conventions, disregard ethics and seemingly break laws that say governments may spend only for governmental purposes." (AFR 2 August 2005)

Now that the Government has full control of the Senate it does not want to listen to anyone -'the Howard Government [has] slashed the number of hostile questions it fields each day and seized more time for soft queries from its own side.' (The Age 10 August 2005)

However, public pressure can make the Senate live up to its constitutional role as a genuine house of review. This will help safeguard Australian democracy and could also protect the living standards of working Australians from the most damaging aspects of the Government's plans.

Some Senators are earning around $200,000 a year. Surely Senators can find the time to run an Inquiry into changes that will affect the incomes and job security of millions of working people who are already struggling to keep their heads above water?" questioned Ms Burrow.

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/general/20050823_work.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005