General

Rudd takes the axe to Workchoices

By AAP

Government starts dismantling Work Choices
Parliament to debate new laws in February
First measure will stop any new AWAs

FEDERAL Cabinet has taken the first steps towards removing the Howard Government's Work Choices laws.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said his senior ministers had agreed today to three key measures which he said would protect working families.

Labor will introduce the first round of its workplace legislation when Parliament resumes in February.

"Today Cabinet formally approved a range of specific measures which will ... prevent the creation of new AWAs once these laws are passed," Mr Rudd said after Cabinet ministers met in Canberra.

"Secondly, it abolishes the previous government's so-called fairness test, and that will of course become applicable as soon as the legislation is through the Parliament.

"Thirdly, we'll be introducing a genuine no-disadvantage test and again, that will become applicable once the laws are through the Parliament."

Mr Rudd said the former Government's industrial relations laws had been the most extreme in Australia's history.

"Today in Cabinet we've taken our first step towards the removal of those laws," he said.

"Cabinet today has agreed on key amendments to the Workplace Relations Act 1996 and we will introduce these amendments as soon as Parliament returns.

"We believe that this is an important step forward because so many working families have been adversely affected by the existing range of laws."

Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard said Labor's transition Bill would ban any new AWAs.

"That will be fairer to Australian families," she said.

"But the transition Bill will also kick off a new era of industrial relations with a streamlined and modern awards system."

The transition Bill will charge the Australian Industrial Relations Commission with modernising Australia's awards over a period, ending on December 21, 2009.

"This is not only better for employees who rely on the safety net, it is better for employers who want to have a simple modern safety net, something that they can check easily and know what their obligations are," Ms Gillard said.

Ms Gillard said a more substantive Bill would be introduced into Parliament next year after a consultative period with industrial relations stakeholders and a business advisory group.

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

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/general/20071217_workchoices.html
Last Modified: 17 Dec 2007