Members to Benefit from New Industrial Relations Policy

Increased family-friendly workplaces and greater job security for workers are two of the key benefits of the industrial relations policy announced by Labor today.

The party has promised that if it wins the federal election it will make changes in industrial relations to protect workers and their families.

The four main pillars of the policy are:

• Improving job security by protecting employee entitlements and preventing the misuse of casual employment and other forms of insecure employment to erode pay and conditions.People who work as a long-term casual will have the right to ask to be made permanent;

• Encourage family-friendly workplaces that allow working Australians to balance work and family life. Parents will be able to ask to return to work part-time after the birth of a child;

• Restoring the right of working Australians to bargain collectively;

• Assisting parties to avoid and resolve disputes.

HSU national secretary Craig Thomson said the party had delivered a policy which protected and enhanced the rights of Australian workers.

"This is not about taking sides like the Howard government has done with employers," he said.

"This is about making sure the rights of people as union members are protected, that families can better balance their work and homelife.

"When serious disputes come up there is also an increased role for an independent umpire, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to intervene and sought things out."

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Last Modified: Wednesday, 16-Nov-2005 17:18:59 EST