WorkChoices vs. WurkRites™

From today’s Age,
"Q. HOW can a worker have any bargaining power with their employer if the employer can sack them at will? It seems that if the employee doesn’t accept the terms, the employer can simply find someone who will. H…

If there is a worker in Australia who needs the protection of the law it is Billy. And it is this protection that, apparently, will be withdrawn by the legislation. (We cannot be sure of this ATM because, despite the fact that we have to suffer Liberal Party propaganda – paid for out of the public purse – we have not yet seen any bills.)

I cannot believe that the government included Billy in their spin. Its a dead give away. Is it possible that they’re on drugs?

I really really believe my Prime Minister when he says when the legislation goes through I’ll see that I’m better off. I think I’d be better off if they gave me some of the advertising money they’re throwing to the media bosses.

Peter, considering the Government just trashed 60,000 copies of their new workplace relations pamphlet because that edition made the claim that no one would lose any of their pay and conditions awards, it’s abundently clear where HoWARd is going. His IR changes are designed to make Australia into an ’employment at will’ environment, as in the USA.

‘Employment at will’ is the notion that an employee is free to work or quit at will and the employer, in some kind of inequitable exchange, is free to hire or fire, at will, with or without just cause. It’s the main tool for bullies in workplace harassment.

Australia has some good unfair dismissal laws and a structure to apply them. Employees must have the ability to contest unfair dismissal if we are ever to see any reduction in workplace harassment.

Indeed, if this government’s Orwellian language history has anything to do with claims of whose behaviour reflects that of someone on drugs, Billy will surely be blamed first. However, the hypocritical and predatory behaviour of the HoWARd government seems to be the real aberrancy.

As if Billy’s requirement for minimum pay and conditions is somehow inflexible. Demands to be treated like a human instead of a machine are inflexible? Sorry, but I don’t see human rights as a negotiable item in a purported 1st world democracy.

Lies. They’re the new truth. Be ready for lots of newspeak from Honest John.

JT, I’m kinda wondering how much childcare would have been bought for $20 mil. How far would $20m go in stopping petrol sniffing and establishing good healthcare in Aboriginal communities?

Despite the recent legal opinion on such, I still believe that the government should not be able to use public money to drive party political goals. It’s nothing but victors’ spoils in a slush fund for political convenience if there’s no ethical constraint on the party in power.

I came across a begging bowl in the Parliament House Shop in Canberra not long ago. Apparently this will be part of the new IR laws. Give me an email address and I’ll send a picture.