UNIONS AIM TO BROADEN IR CAMPAIGN WITH LAUNCH OF NEW ONE-STOP JOINING SERVICE

The ACTU aims to broaden public involvement in its campaign against the Howard Government's industrial relations laws with the launch today of a new one-stop service that will make it easier and quicker for people to join unions.

From today, people can join a union with a single phone call to the ACTU's call centre on 1300 486 466 (or 1300 4 UNION).

another new initiative is a 'Supporters' category for retired people and those ineligible to join a union who wish to donate to the ACTU's campaign against the new IR laws.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow will launch the new 'Unions Australia' membership service today - on the eve of the ACTU Congress, the union movement's premier policy-making event held triennially, which is being held Tuesday October 24 to Wednesday October 25 in Melbourne.

Ms Burrow said today:

"This new service will help increase union membership and widen public opposition to the new IR laws. Working Australians are joining unions because we stand by our members and help deliver better wages and improved employment conditions.

"ABS statistics show that union members earn on average $118 a week more than non-union employees and recent data showed an increase in union membership of 4% with 70,000 new members bringing total union membership up to nearly 2 million working Australians.

"The second main reason that people are supporting unions is because they believe in a fair go for working people and they disagree with the Howard Government's IR laws.

A recent national survey revealed that of those people not currently union members, almost half (46%) said they were more likely to join a union because of the Federal Government's IR laws," said Ms Burrow.

Many people are already calling the ACTU to join a union as a direct response to the new IR laws.

"Union membership can give you better wages, better conditions and protection against unfair treatment at work. It also gives greater awareness of health and safety issues and a range of membership benefits - from cheap home loans to discount consumer goods. But just as importantly, by joining a union you can help get better workplace laws.

These are the key benefits of union membership that we will be promoting through the Unions Australia one-stop union joining service," said Ms Burrow.

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