General

Australian Workplace Agreements

Bosses pay for Workchoices ad

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) should return the $600,000 it received from the Howard Government to promote the 'WorkChoices' IR laws following AMMA's announcement today that they intend to contribute $500,000 to a big business pro-'WorkChoices' ad campaign.

AMMA along with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the Business Council of Australia (BCA) are planning a Liberal Party-backed $11 million advertising campaign to promote the Howard Government's extreme IR laws.

The Howard Government's Employer Assistance Program (EAP) has so far used over $40 million of taxpayers' money onhandouts for business groups including $600,000 to AMMA in 2005-06 and over $400,000 to State branches of the ACCI to 'educate' employers in how to best use 'WorkChoices'.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow said:

"It is wrong for business groups to be spending large amounts of money on a pro-Liberal Party advertising campaign.

"These are the same business groups that received money from taxpayers to promote John Howard's 'WorkChoices' laws and now they are funding a pro-Liberal Party, pro-WorkChoices ad campaign in the lead up to the next federal election.

"We already know that Liberal Party pollster Mark Textor is working on this business advertising campaign and this ad campaign is a pay back for John Howard's big business friendly IR laws.

"John Howard has been pressuring business groups to run an ad campaign in support of WorkChoices for a number of months and the fact that business groups are willing to put their hands in their pockets shows that they are just a mouthpiece for the government.

"This big business advertising campaign is about nothing more self-interest and ensuring that big employer groups hold onto their new found power under the Howard Government's unfair IR laws.

"It is time for the Howard Government and big business to start being honest with Australian workers about the advertising agenda," said Ms Burrow.

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

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/general/20070727_advertising.html
Last Modified: 27 Jul 2007