WORKCHOICES INQUIRY CONCLUDES
LAWS SHOWN TO BE BAD; SA UNIONS SUGGEST SOLUTIONS

14 August 2007

Strengthening the state Industrial Relations commission and giving SafeWork SA more teeth to protect workers are amongst the proposals contained in SA Unions' final submission to the SAIRC's inquiry into the impact of the federal government's controversial WorkChoices laws.

SA Unions is also proposing that there be an inquiry into the gender-pay equity gap, and increased state government support for organisations offering assistance to workers, especially those most vulnerable to the federal laws, including young workers and women.

The pay-gender equity inquiry call follows a national report released yesterday titled "Women and WorkChoices".  It showed the federal laws are directly responsible for job insecurity which is undermining women's capacity to bargain for proper pay and conditions.

SA Unions Secretary, Janet Giles says:

"What has become increasingly apparent during the course of this inquiry is the real impact that the federal laws have had in undermining the hard won protections that workers have achieved over the past century or more."

"These laws have destroyed the foundation stones of our previously fair and balanced industrial system.  The notion of arbitration and collective bargaining to provide a level playing field for employers and employees has been obliterated."

"Workers have no protections, and no recourse or avenues of appeal.  They can be unfairly sacked, have their pay cut, their shifts manipulated, their leave reduced - and more - and there is nothing they can do about it."

"No amount of slick federal government advertising can hide the grim reality of the evidence presented to this inquiry.  These laws are hurting real people, yet the Howard government in its ivory tower in Canberra is deliberately ignoring their pain and continuing to direct money and power to employer unions."

"The workers - and voters - of Australia have been sold a pup.  These laws are ineffective, unfair and unAustralian.  Extensive evidence to this inquiry supports that view.  It is interesting to note that the only apparent supporters of the federal legislation, employer unions, were unable to provide any evidence of the so-called positive aspects of the legislation to this inquiry.  We can only surmise that's because there are no positives to present."