HSU committed to long term campaign over work laws

The HSU has vowed to protect members from the effects of new work laws which cut job security and make it more difficult to maintain conditions at work.

HSU will be at the frontline of the campaign to overturn new work laws

The HSU will be at the frontline of the campaign to overturn new work laws

The Howard Government has used its majority in the Senate to ram through the new work laws, despite overwhelming opposition among unions, community groups, churches, Labor, the Greens, Democrats and the Family First party.

HSU national secretary Craig Thomson said the best protection against the impact of the new laws was to be a member of a union.

"These laws will make it easier for employers to sack people, to reduce their wages and conditions and move them on to individual contracts," he explained.

"Members of strong unions stand the best chance of being protected from attempts by employers to cut their conditions.

"It is vital that people are part of the union and are prepared to work together to make sure conditions at work are not cut back.

"Now more than ever people are at risk of exploitation in the workplace.

The new laws mean:

• Any worker at any time can be put onto an AWA individual contract that cuts take home pay and removes conditions like overtime, penalty rates, meal breaks, public holiday penalties, weekend rates and redundancy pay;

• Award conditions will not be protected. AWAs that reduce existing entitlements can be offered to any current employees at any time;

• All workers in businesses with less than 100 staff will lose their protection from unfair dismissal. 'Unlawful' termination laws will provide no protection for workers from the most common forms of unfair sacking;

• The current yearly review of minimum wages by the Industrial Relations Commission will be scrapped and the Prime Minister has refused to guarantee that award wages will keep pace with inflation.

• The access of union representatives to workplaces will be severely restricted and in some cases banned;

• No Australian worker will have any legally enforceable right to bargain collectively with an employer:

• The powers of the independent umpire, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, to set wages and conditions and resolve major disputes will be severely curtailed.

Mr Thomson said the HSU would be an active participant in the union campaign to overturn the work laws.

"It is our responsibility to future generations of Australians to do everything we can to get back the protections that have existed for 100 years," he said.

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© 2003 Health Services Union (HSU)
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