WorkChoices - Never Again
The Australian people sent a clear message during the 2010 federal election that their rights at work matter. They will not support parties that are committed to policies which undermine workers’ pay, conditions and rights.
As part of the ongoing union and community campaign to restore worker’s rights and achieve fairer industrial relations laws, the WorkChoices – Whatever the Name, Never Again campaign succeeded in forcing the Liberals and all major political parties to commit to fair work laws.
The 2010 federal election was the second election in which WorkChoices has been decisively rejected by the Australian public.
Your rights at risk… again
In 2010 working Australians were faced with the very real prospect of a return to key aspects of WorkChoices if the Liberal-National Coalition had been elected.
Tony Abbott, the leader of the Liberal Party, has a long history of supporting unfair industrial relations laws.
The Howard Government’s industrial legislation, it was good for wages, it was good for jobs, and it was good for workers. And let’s never forget that.
Tony Abbott, Canberra 19 March 2008
Then just this year, he said he’d bring back individual contracts and cut unfair dismissal laws – the worst of WorkChoices. But during the election campaign, he said 'WorkChoices is dead' but then added:
Obviously, Um, I can’t give an absolute guarantee about every single aspect of workplace relations legislation.
3AW, 19 July 2010
And during the election campaign, another senior Liberal Mr Abetz admitted that the Liberals would ‘tweak’ the legislation if they were elected.
Liberal Senate leader Eric Abetz says there is room to tweak Labor's Fair Work laws.
AAP 17 July 2010
At a meeting this year with business executives, Mr Abbott said he would remove protection from unfair dismissal for workers in small business.
You know, at four elections running we had a mandate to take the unfair dismissal monkey off the back of small business and we will once more seek that mandate.
12 February 2010
Mr Abbott also promised a return to individual contracts in his major speech on the Federal budget in May 2010. He also said he will allow employers to negotiate job contracts with young workers that cut their pay and conditions by reducing the requirement to be paid for a minimum number of hours.
Despite attempting during the election to downplay his support for unfair industrial relations policies, it was clear from Mr Abbott’s record that if he won then it was only a matter of time before brought back WorkChoices under another name.
WorkChoices – Whatever the Name, Never Again
In 2010 unions and the ACTU campaigned to prevent a return to WorkChoices and to win better industrial and policy outcomes for working Australians and unions.
In the first term of the Labor Government we had already helped achieve:
- The preservation of hundreds of thousands of jobs during the Global Financial Crisis
- The end of WorkChoices and new Fair Work laws
- A government procurement policy to support quality jobs
- An historic $26 a week minimum wages increase
- A new National Paid Parental Leave scheme
- A rise in union membership and density
In the course of 2010 the ACTU and unions successfully campaigned for the Labor Government to increase national superannuation to 12%, protect workers’ entitlements, increase support for aged care, introduce paid paternity leave and improve tax concessions for low and middle income workers.
Yet many union members were disappointed more had not been achieved, particularly in relation to equal rights for construction workers, climate change, award modernisation and respect for unions.
Despite this, unions and the ACTU made a substantial contribution to the election outcome through information and involvement of union members, on the ground support in target electorates and a substantial media campaign focussing on the danger of a return to WorkChoices under the Coalition.
At the beginning of 2010, 53% of people believed Tony Abbott would bring back WorkChoices and by the end of the election campaign 67% believed he would. A post-election poll by the ACTU found one in three voters said that WorkChoices was very important in determining their vote at the 2010 election. [link to the attached PDF]
Independents support new Gillard Labor Govt
Working Australians are relieved there was not a change to a Government led by Tony Abbott and the parties which brought in WorkChoices.
Under the new Labor Government led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard unions will continue campaigning for stronger workers’ rights and further improvements to the Australian industrial relations system.
We want to prevent a return to WorkChoices or any policies that undermine workers’ rights, and achieve decent jobs with strong workplace rights for all Australians.
