The official IR reform thread! (1 Viewer)

[Generator]

More IR changes on cards: Andrews

 

[Rafy]

Editorial in The Australian

Editorial: Tables turn on Work Choices

The Government's fine-tuning on industrial relations should first scrap compulsory time sheets

THE industrial relations battle ground is shifting as the Government begins to fine-tune the Work Choices legislation and Labor and the ACTU dig in. The Government's changes, made by regulation, are modest and give no sign of being a panicked response to the relentless scare campaign being mounted against the new industrial relations regime. More small changes can be expected over the next six months to further bed in the legislation. Most pressing is a need to scrap what threatens to be a bureaucratic nightmare for employers who will be forced to keep employee working-hours records. The scheme was first scaled back to include only those earning less than $55,000 a year and has now been delayed a further six months. The ill-conceived red-tape record-keeping demand is clumsy and unnecessary and should be scrapped. The paperwork involved runs counter to the intent of Work Choices, which is to free up the workplace. The modest changes announced last week, such as the strengthening of sick leave provisions for employees and the safeguarding of holidays, are sensible and do not detract from the liberating impact of the new laws.

The longer the Work Choices legislation operates and the horrors outlined by Labor and the ACTU fail materialise, the safer the issue looks for the Government. This is particularly so as the key economic statistics continue to show that, rather than seeking to punish workers, employers are ready to hire staff and shape agreements to suit both their business and workforce. Five months after the introduction of Work Choices, 175,000 new jobs have been created, real wages continue to rise and the level of industrial disputation has fallen to its lowest quarterly rate since at least 1970. While the Government is enjoying the good economic statistics and smoothing the rough edges of its industrial relations package, Labor is looking increasingly stranded on the issue that was its big re-election hope. As reported in The Australian yesterday, business is unhappy with Labor's pledge to wind back the Work Choices legislation. A group of 10 leading business organisations representing 350,000 businesses that employ a total four million people, expressed "considerable disquiet" at Labor's windback proposal.

Labor has not been helped by ACTU secretary Greg Combet, who has set out an aggressive union agenda to reintroduce compulsory collective bargaining, to force all employees to join a collective agreement if the majority in a workplace wish to do so. There would also be a restrengthening of the powers of the Industrial Relations Commission. Labor, meanwhile, has already pledged to scrap all Australian Workplace Agreements. Labor's falling out with business over industrial relations comes as it is trying to build bridges and re-establish its economic credentials. Economic management remains Labor's weak spot, and the economy, not industrial relations, is most likely to dominate next year's election agenda. Figures released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics show the minerals boom may be coming off its peak.

The Government's decision to refine Work Choices now makes sense. As the Government appears to soften, the ACTU hard line risks making Labor appear unreasonable and lacking credibility on economic management, turning the tables on the Work Choices scare campaign.

 

[Rafy]

Labor 'employer' not real deal

The 7.30 Report: Clarke and Dawe play political football
John Clarke and Bryan Dawe toss around the political football of Work Choices.

 

[Generator]

The IR zealot whose preaching pleases nobody

 

[Rafy]

There's a debate next thursday at usyd on the topic of WorkChoices.

http://www.juiko.net/wosoc/images/workchoices.jpg


Topic: WorkChoices: Better for All Australians

Speakers:
Joe Hockey, Minister assisting the Minister for Workplace Relations
Bill Shorten, National Secretary of the Australian Workers Union

Moderator: Prof. Ron McCallum, Dean of Law, University of Sydney.

Thursday 5th October, 1pm.
Manning Bar, Univeristy of Sydney
Cost: Free for the general public

 

[Rafy]

Ruling gives low paid $27 rise

More than 1.5 million low-paid workers across Australia will get pay rises of $27.36 a week under the first ruling of the new Australian Fair Pay Commission (AFPC).

The AFPC replaced the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) as the arbiter of the nation's minimum wage, under the Howard government's industrial reforms.

Unions had called for a $30 a week increase in minimum wages, while a social welfare group said any rise had to be at least $18.90.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/ruling-gives-low-paid-27-rise/2006/10/26/1161749228070.html

Howard hails 'genius' decision

PRIME Minister John Howard today lauded a $27 pay rise for Australia's minimum wage earners as a decision of "genius" and slammed Labor for "dishonest" attacks on his industrial relations changes.

"The Fair Pay Commission has been true to its title," Mr Howard said during a tour of drought-hit properties in western NSW.

"It has been fair in its payments for low income people.

"They have been looked after but there has also been some incentive for enterprise bargaining once you get above $700 per week.

"That's what I think is the genius of the decision.

"It is very clever economically."

Mr Howard said the decision demolished the third in what he called a dishonest trilogy of opposition criticisms about the government's new IR laws.

"There were meant to be mass sackings but instead there have been mass hirings," he told reporters.

"We were meant to have mass industrial disputes but instead there have been record low industrial disputes.

"And it was meant to drive down wages and hurt the low income people.

"Quite the reverse has happened.

"The Labor Party and the unions should hang their heads in shame for the dishonest response they have delivered to our new laws." [...]

Full Article - The Australian

 

[ZabZu]

The decsision by the Australian Fair Pay Commission to given low-income earners a $27 pay rise was a public relations stunt aimed to disfuse the criticism of WorkChoices.

It has allowed Costello and Howard to come out and say that the commission is independent. Even though they appointed its members and most of them share the government's free-market agenda for the labour market. Also, it has allowed the government to claim Labor and the unions were wrong in believing the commission would minimise wage increases.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

The decsision by the Australian Fair Pay Commission to given low-income earners a $27 pay rise was a public relations stunt aimed to disfuse the criticism of WorkChoices.

In your world, the Liberals would always be wrong. If they didn't grant the large pay rise, you'd say this is proof that they don't care about bottom-income australia. Since they did, you say it's a PR stunt and they still don't care about bottom-income Australia. Either way they were doomed.

It has allowed Costello and Howard to come out and say that the commission is independent. Even though they appointed its members and most of them share the government's free-market agenda for the labour market.

As I understand... the AIRC appointments were done through the governor general, at the instruction of the government? As for the views of the members... even if they all had similar views to the liberals, that doesn't make them any less independant.

Also, it has allowed the government to claim Labor and the unions were wrong in believing the commission would minimise wage increases.

Well so far... they have been wrong.

Time will tell whether this trend will continue.

 

[Rafy]

High Court to rule on IR challenge

THE High Court will hand down its decision on the states' challenge to federal industrial relations changes next week.

The judgment will be released in Canberra on Tuesday morning.

Several state governments and unions have challenged the Federal Government's right to use the Constitution's corporations power to abolish state IR systems and create a unified national regime.

Opposition industrial relations spokesman Stephen Smith said parties in the case were advised today that the judgment would be delivered at 10.15am on Tuesday.

"So early next week we'll get a very clear understanding from the High Court about the full extent of the Commonwealth's power," Mr Smith has said on Sky News.

"But irrespective of what the High Court decides, we won't have a so-called single uniform system.

"There'll still be some people who will fall within state jurisdictions because the Commonwealth will have power to some extent over corporations, but you'll still have Australians who are employed by state governments or by unincorporated associations or partnerships or trusts.

"So we are still going to end up with a John Howard jurisdictional dog's breakfast."

Last month, ACTU secretary Greg Combet said that if the High Court challenge failed, unions would exploit the same powers to enact change.

The NSW, Western Australian, South Australian, Queensland and Victorian governments, as well as Unions NSW and the Australian Workers Union challenged the Work Choices laws in the High Court in a hearing last May.

The Tasmanian, ACT and Northern Territory governments made contributions to the case.

The Work Choices laws passed Parliament last December and came into effect in March this year.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20734789-1702,00.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National...own-IR-decision/2006/11/10/1162661885172.html

 

[Rafy]

Workers to cash in unused sick leave

WORKERS will be able to cash out unused sick leave under the second round of changes designed to soften the effect of John Howard's workplace laws before next year's election.
The Government will today announce a package of amendments - most of them to satisfy concerns raised by business - on the eve of a crucial High Court ruling tomorrow that will decide the legality of its industrial relations changes.

Under today's announced amendments, employees will gain the right to cash out sick leave or carers' leave - providing it leaves full-time employees at least 15 days still available.

Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews said the changes would give workers the right to cash out entitlements and address the potential for business to incur increased costs.

Employers will benefit from new provisions allowing them to stand down workers without pay who are left idle due to industrial action or natural disaster.

Record-keeping rules for business will also be relaxed so that employers will not have to record all hours worked by employees. Changes will be made to rules on the accrual of annual leave and sick leave under new minimum standards so that paid leave does not accrue for time worked in addition to a 38-hour week.

Redundancy entitlements will also be clarified. They will be protected for 12 months when a workplace agreement is terminated - unless a new one is signed in its place.

[...]

 

[frog12986]

High Court rejects union and Labor case..

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20754901-2,00.html

 

[_dhj_]

Hopefully this is a catalyst for Australians to wake up and oust Howard.

 

[Generator]

Work Choices Decision (.pdf)

Rejected outright. Even the Government was expecting the odd provision to be challenged successfully, I believe.

 

[_dhj_]

New South Wales v Commonwealth of Australia; Western Australia v Commonwealth of Australia [2006] HCA 52

 

[Raginsheep]

The more interesting thing behind all of this would be the apparent death of federalisation due to this ruling according to some.

 

[walrusbear]

why does howard have more cred when he openly lies?

 

[frog12986]

why does howard have more cred when he openly lies?

And name a politician who doesn't... spin is the name of the game, and the most successful politicians master that trait..

 

[Captain Gh3y]

why does howard have more cred when he openly lies?

He's never lied, he has clearly just made non-core promises. And I believe him.

 

[leetom]

He's never lied, he has clearly just made non-core promises. And I believe him.

What an affront to our pride as electors and a people the 'non-core' promise is. A brilliant politician he may be, but Howard mocks us as an electorate with his non-core promises and mid-term surprise major legislative reforms, and any person who can tolerate such outrages is a submissive and un-democratic person.

 

[leetom]

Howard v Beastly,

Howard wins easy. Beazley has NO cred whatsoever. Rudd or Gillard maybe, but I cant see Australia entrusting the running of the country to a man who has been outsted from the ALP leadership a number (2?) of times.

Thats my view at least.

Your view counts for nothing.

Beazley has never been ousted from the leadership. He has stepped down after two closely contested election defeats, and lost a leadership ballot once, but was never forcibly ousted from the leadership.

In what way is Beazley not credible? What difference would Rudd or Gillard make? Beazley is a senior politician and would make a fine Prime Minister. People like you just find it trendy to bag him because he's an easy target.