Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

Delaying New IR laws problematic

 
9 July 2008
by Brian Boyd
Secretary

Since the November 2007 Federal election many in the union movement have argued for the promised new IR laws to be created expeditiously.

The key reason is that Australian workers deserve and need relief from Howard’s IR legacy.  His laws essentially remain intact, although many people mistakenly believe they have already gone because of the election result and because the defeat of Howard was based on hatred of his draconian IR laws.

However another key reason to move quickly is because politics in general is a moving feast.  New issues arise all the time.  The conservative forces and the employers are using the general milieu to make mischief.  They have never given up on maintaining and saving as much of Howard’s WorkChoices and other IR laws, as possible.

It is widely agreed that “industrial relations was one of the biggest vote-changing issues in the 2007 election: 62% of voters disapproved of WorkChoices and the blue collar vote for the coalition fell from 48% to 37%” (Source – May 2008 Australian Election Study).  Pro-employer commentators reluctantly concede this, but they have not stopped pushing back on I.R. against the Rudd/Gillard government.

They believe time is on their side.  They hope other issues like climate change, petrol prices, food costs and interest rates will swamp the new government and see IR drop down the government’s priority agenda.

Workers and unions are entitled to become disenchanted and even suspicious about what is unfolding on the IR front.

A number of ex-union officials have just entered the federal parliament – all steeled in the campaign to get rid of John Howard.  Yet it is expected they will be neutralised by government solidarity. 

The onus is clearly on the union movement to vigorously pursue its own agenda for fair and workable IR laws that will totally replace Howard’s IR legacy.  This is not a pipe dream but a deserved outcome after many years of hard campaigning.


 


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