Voters and workers' rights

Date: 19 July 2008

A major national poll is showing that the public is losing patience with the demands of business lobby groups who want to keep major aspects of WorkChoices.

The Galaxy poll of 1009 respondents nationally shows the public strongly rejects big business proposals to delay restoring workers' protection from unfair dismissal and collective bargaining rights until at least 2010.

The poll finds almost three-quarters of voters (73%) believe there should be no delay in improving workers' protection from unfair dismissal and nearly seven in ten voters (69%) oppose a delay in restoring workers' rights to bargain collectively.

The poll shows overwhelming support for the immediate scrapping of WorkChoices and the implementation of Labor's IR policy among people who voted in the Rudd Government last year. Almost nine in ten (89%) ALP voters oppose a delay in laws to improve protection from unfair dismissal and 85% of ALP voters oppose a delay in restoring workers' rights to collective bargaining.

AMWU National Secretary Dave Oliver said the union acknowledged that the Rudd Government has started dismantling Work Choices, including by banning new Australian Workplace Agreements.

But he is concerned that key elements of WorkChoices remain in place so long after last year's election.

"There are still employers out there defying bans on AWAs," he said.

"This poll contains an important message from the Australian public to the business community and to the government: there can be no delay in getting rid of WorkChoices and restoring a fair go in the workplace," Mr Oliver said.

"This is what most Australians voted for last year, and they clearly expect action as soon as possible. Business needs to listen to these voters and stop lobbying the Government to delay or undermine what was promised last year.

"And the Rudd Government must deliver its promises to the Australian people."

For further information

WWW:	http://www.amwu.org.au

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