WA WORKER REVEALS WORK LAW REALTY

22 March 2007

Charlie Isaacs, one of the 107 sacked WA workers facing court action and a massive fine for protesting the unfair dismissal of a colleague, is taking the stark truth of his situation to Adelaide workers.

59 year old Mr Isaacs, who's of indigenous background, is on a waiting list for public housing trying to support a wife and son, and assist his single mother daughter, with battling health problems brought on by the stress of his situation.

"John Howard's work laws have destroyed my life", Mr Isaacs says.

Mr Isaacs is in Adelaide until Saturday visiting city construction sites and workplaces in the three key marginal federal seats to give workers a personal perspective of the ugly unfairness of the laws, which mark their first anniversary of Tuesday.

"My message is that this isn't confined to Western Australia. This can - and will - happen elsewhere, and Adelaide workers need to be prepared."

"When I was given the boot, there was nothing I could do. Under the new laws you can't appeal, you can't take them to court for unfair dismissal, you haven't got a leg to stand on. Then I received a letter informing me I was being fined $28,600 because I had taken part in a one day protest action."

"It's had a devastating impact. I survived the stresses of Vietnam, but I'm struggling with this. Because of what I've been through I've developed epilepsy and will be on medication for the rest of my life. My wife has developed tachycardia, also due to stress. And we are forced to live with the uncertainty of being bankrupted or even jailed simply for standing up for a point of principle."

"I urge South Australians, especially those in marginal seats who can make a real difference, to vote against those who back these laws at the next federal election", Mr Isaacs says.