The Industrial Relations Thread

[Titans#1]

WORKERS could lose their right to be paid on a weekly or fortnightly basis under the Federal Government's Work Choices Bill, the ACTU says.

ACTU secretary Greg Combet said today the bill, now being debated in the Senate, included new rules that removed the right of workers under industrial awards to be paid weekly, fortnightly or even monthly.
This emerges from the exclusion of provisions in awards on how and when employees are required to be paid, as a so-called allowable matter.

Mr Combet said this exclusion would relate to current award matters requiring employees to be paid on a weekly or fortnightly basis, or in some cases, monthly.

It would also relate to provisions that, if employees were paid by cheque, that facilities were available in working hours for employees to cash or bank that cheque.

And it further related to provisions that on termination of employment, wages had to be paid within a reasonable time.

"These new IR laws will abolish the right under industrial awards of Australian workers to be paid on a weekly or fortnightly basis," Mr Combet said.
"The guarantee for every employee under the award safety net to be paid regularly and on time is to be taken away."

He said this entitled employers to unilaterally determine when and how regularly their employees are to be paid and workers will have no come-back - apart from going to court - if their employer fails to pay them on time.

"The only way to ensure you will be paid regularly and on time is to have an agreement with your employer," Mr Combet said.

"But what happens if you have no bargaining power or if you are given a take-it-or-leave-it individual contract?

"This is just another example of how these IR laws will strip away even the most basic workplace rights of Australian employees."

[Dakink]

This is the same ACTU that came out and said they want all Australians to boycott Singaporian goods & services because they were going to execute a CONVICTED drug smuggler.

[DIEHARD]

BYE BYE WORKERS RIGHTS!

Barnaby backs IR changes

The Federal Government is set to carry out its major workplace changes after winning the critical backing of Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce.

Senator Joyce said Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews had agreed to amend the Work Choices legislation to meet his concerns about public holidays, unfair dismissal laws and regular pay periods for workers.

The Government also has agreed to make seven changes to the legislation as suggested by the Senate committee which held an inquiry earlier this month into its workplace laws.

Asked if he would now back the legislation in the Senate, Senator Joyce said he would as long as the final document properly reflected what he negotiated with Mr Andrews.

"I haven't seen the amendments tabled yet," he said. "But if we get everything we asked for, of course we will support it.

"But if people change the form or context, you are back to the issue."

Senator Joyce's main concerns with the legislation included fears that employees could be forced to work on what he calls iconic public holidays such as Christmas Day and Anzac Day.

He also wanted the Government to close a loophole in the new laws which could have allowed large companies to restructure in order to avoid new rules on unfair dismissals.

Today, Senator Joyce also promised to investigate fresh claims raised by the ACTU, which said the new laws could result in workers on industrial awards losing their right to be paid weekly, fortnightly or even monthly.

Senator Joyce said that after his talks with Mr Andrews, he had been assured the workplace legislation would be amended to reflect his concerns on all three issues.

"We are going to secure iconic public holidays," Senator Joyce said.

"They will be secured in such a fashion so that you can't sack people or change their conditions if they don't work on public holidays.

"Workers will also have to be paid every two weeks."

Senator Joyce said Mr Andrews also had agreed to carry out seven changes to the legislation recommended by a senate committee. The committee in its report handed down last week recommended the Senate pass the Work Choices Bill.

However, it suggested changes including better protection for clothing industry outworkers, a guarantee of four weeks' annual leave for full-time employees and assurances that full-time employees would always be paid for a 38-hour week.

"The seven amendments by the committee, they are all part of the deal," Senator Joyce said.

"Labor would want me to throw the whole thing out, that's not going to happen."

A special meeting of coalition backbenchers will be held later this week to thrash out amendments to the workplace legislation.

Prime Minister John Howard told a meeting of coalition MPs and senators today that he wanted all issues resolved before Parliament rises for the year on Friday week.

"He (Mr Howard) flagged there would be some government amendments to the IR (Industrial Relations) Bill but no fundamental changes, and the process of facilitating that would be a party room meeting later in the week," a party room spokesman said.

But the ACTU and Labor remain deeply concerned about the impact the changes will have on families.

The peak union body released its own family impact statement (FIS) on the Work Choices legislation today.

The FIS says the removal of unfair dismissal protection would affect women, especially young women.

It also said the six-month qualifying period for new workers removed a support for women who protested about sexual harassment.

ACTU president Sharan Burrow said this should ring alarm bells for female parliamentarians.

"This tells the story to Liberal women who won't stand up for their peers, who won't stand up in the face of the prime minister and say 'we want a better deal for families, we want a better deal for women'," she said.

"The icing on the cake for women is, if you make a sexual harassment claim in small to medium enterprises, internally, you can be sacked with no redress to unlawful termination."

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said he believed the planned laws would lead to family breakdowns.

"I'm not saying that in an alarmist way, and I'm not saying these things will occur wholesale immediately," he said.

"But in the same way this undermines people's conditions, and it will slowly do so as a sort of termite infestation, it will have the same impact on families."

Mr Andrews rejected Mr Beazley's claims.

"We will continue to prosecute the case for AWAs (Australian workplace agreements) and family friendly provisions that work for real people," he told Parliament.

Source: http://www.news.com.au

[Titans#1]

I got one word for all this: FUBAR.

[DIEHARD]

I got one word for all this: FUBAR.

Yea I would go with that as well.

[DIEHARD]

On a less serious note check this out.

It seems to be a short film made for Tropfest next year.

It's a good laugh.

Watch the LHMU's hilarious award-winning short film, 36 Ways to Get Fired thanks to John Howard. You'll be unpleasantly surprised!

http://www.lhmu.org.au/upload/multim..._broadband.wmv

Remember it's just a comedy short film, don't take it too seriously. It's pretty funny.

We got some good acting, bad acting and over acting on our hands here.

[JDwCOKEnoICE]

These IR reforms are going to be GREAT!

Freedom for the employer finally! Less hassle and more productivity from employees because they will be **** scared of losing their jobs.
I personally can't wait for it all to be implemented.

[Queenslander]

JOHN Howard has cleared the way to have his far-reaching workplace legislation passed by both houses of Parliament and declared law after settling on minor amendments with his Coalition back bench last night.

A special Coalition partyroom meeting agreed to amendments to stop employers abusing the 38-hour week and giving employees the right to refuse to work on public holidays.

The legislation, which will overhaul Australia's century-old industrial relations system, is expected to be introduced into the Senate in amended form today. The Prime Minister is hopeful the legislation can be passed by tomorrow, clearing the agenda for a raft of Bills, including the crucial anti-terror and welfare-to-work legislation, to be passed before Parliament rises for Christmas next Friday.

Mr Howard last night described the changes to the Work Choices laws as "sensible amendments that don't in any way violate the principles of the bill".

Last-minute tinkering with the legislation addressed technical issues and concerns raised by Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce.

Following protests from Senator Joyce that public holidays were not protected in the original legislation, workers will be entitled to refuse to work on public holidays, providing they have reasonable grounds.

The Queensland senator dropped his earlier call for compulsory penalty rates on these days. Following complaints from Senator Joyce and unions, workers are to be guaranteed pay on a fortnightly basis unless another period is agreed.

To stop workers being forced to do excessive hours, a proposal to "average" a 38-hour week over 12 months will be deleted from new minimum working conditions. Hours worked over this limit will be treated as "additional hours" unless an averaging agreement is specifically negotiated.

Outworkers in the garment industry will be protected with provisions ensuring that current minimum conditions cannot be bargained away. Agreements at new worksites will run to a maximum five years and only new employees can be required to sign an individual employment contract, or Australian Workplace Agreement.

Apprenticeship pay rates will be protected by federal laws overriding state laws.

Mr Howard regards his 687-page legislation, which will begin operating early next year, as the supreme achievement of his 9 1/2 years in office, surpassing even the introduction of the GST, the sale of Telstra and tougher gun laws.

The historic changes include weakening the power of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and the setting of a minimum five working conditions for people on employment agreements.

The Coalition partyroom met last night after a backbench committee formally approved a batch of amendments accepted by Mr Howard since his return from overseas on Monday.

With Senator Joyce backing away from his request for mandatory penalty rates to protect public holidays, Mr Howard accepted a lesser change making it unlawful to sack people who do not want to work on those days.

The change means people who believe they are sacked unlawfully for refusing to work on Christmas Day or Good Friday would have to hire a lawyer and prove their case in court, where strict rules of evidence will apply.

Family First senator Stephen Fielding, whose vote is no longer needed by the Government, confirmed he would vote with Labor against the Bill.

Senator Fielding told parliament that families would suffer from the new laws and no one should have to work "24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year without penalty rates".

The Government also came under attack from Liberal backbencher Judi Moylan over its welfare-to-work legislation. She said the changes, which are meant to push single parents and disabled into work, could serve as a disincentive.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17421572-2,00.html

[Dakink]

I got one word for all this: FUBAR.

I got one word - actually a few - Bring it on!!

LOL

If it works he will be returned to Govt. If it doesnt he wont.

[DIEHARD]

I got one word - actually a few - Bring it on!!

LOL

If it works he will be returned to Govt. If it doesnt he wont.

That is a pretty simplistic way of looking at it and in the mean time, Australia suffers.

[Dragons]

That is a pretty simplistic way of looking at it and in the mean time, Australia suffers.

Liberal party will win again. the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. :')

[In-Cyde #1]

Here's one to fire people up.

" John Howard will go down in the history books as the greatest Prime Minister ever ". (Quote: In-Cyde Dec05).

[Queenslander]

Here's one to fire people up.

" John Howard will go down in the history books as the greatest Prime Minister ever ". (Quote: In-Cyde Dec05).

If the labour reforms work then yes he will, but if they dont then he will be given the shaft. Time will tell.

[Dragons]

I got one word for all this: FUBAR.

don't understand all the letters, new to this :whatd:

[DIEHARD]

Will they work?

You have got to be kidding, they aren't going to work for the people that actually do the work.

If people measure the greatest of a Prime Minister on his ability to deceive, manipulate and lie, then he will be our greatest Prime Minister.

I have massive issues with new legislation that was hidden from the voters, which after being elected he tries to rail road. I have massive problems with the abuse of his control of the upper and lower house. It is unneccessary reform that isn't balanced and leaves one part of the working relationship disadvantaged.

It opens new mechanisms for companies to screw down workers to further maximise profits, something they can and will do.

The new IR laws do nothing but make workers worse off.

FFS we are supposed to be a democracy, we are supposed to be the nation of the fair go.