New union TV ad for next 2 weeks

Date: 11 November 2007

Sharan Burrow

New union TV ad highlights importance of preventing Liberals going further on IR .

Unions will today launch a new TV advertisement that highlights the importance to working families of preventing John Howard and Peter Costello going further on Work Choices after the election.

The ad highlights a Howard Govt plan to:

• push an extra 1.5 million workers onto AWAs after the election,
• Peter Costello's support for further cuts to protection from unfair dismissal and
• pressure on the Liberals from big business to get rid of all awards.

Last election they didn't tell us about WorkChoices

"If the Liberals are re-elected they will think they can go further on IR and we know that they already have plans to do so," said ACTU President Ms Sharan Burrow.

1. Howard Govt plan to push 1.5 million extra workers onto AWAs

A leaked Dept of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) tender document shows that the Howard Govt has commissioned research into the benefits of lifting the number of workers on AWAs from 5% of the workforce to 20%. This amounts to an additional 1.5 million workers on AWAs that have lower pay and conditions.

Last week Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey confirmed that his Govt had commissioned the research about going further with Work Choices but refused to release it to the public.

2. Peter Costello supports further cuts to unfair dismissal protections

Work Choices took away protection from unfair dismissal for almost 4 million workers in businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Mr Costello is on the record as stating 'there is no magic in the 100 limit' and that the exemption from unfair dismissal laws could be extended to all businesses.

3. Big business wants to scrap awards altogether

The organization representing Australia's biggest corporations, the Business Council of Australia, proposes getting rid of the award system and adopting a single, statutory minimum set of conditions. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry proposes getting rid of 16 award wage classifications and having a 'single adult minimum wage'. This proposal would have the effect of cutting the minimum award wages for a tradesperson by $150 a week.

ACCI and BCA both helped draft the Work Choices IR laws and continue to push for more workplace reforms -- running a recent pro-Work Choices advertising campaign.

For further information

Contact:	Shannon Walker
Union:	ACTU
Phone:	0414 694 476
WWW:	http://www.actu.asn.au/

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