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The Forum > Article Comments > IR reform - spin can't hide attack on families > Comments

IR reform - spin can't hide attack on families : Comments

By Bill Shorten, published 14/10/2005

Bill Shorten argues the new IR reforms are unfair and designed to cut wages in favour of profits.

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C'mon Billy your touted as the shining light of the union movement. Whats the plan? How do the workers protect thier rights at work? WorkChoices appears to have shut off every tactic traditionally used by the Unions to secure enforcable rights for workers. The cynic might argue that Johnnie floated his radical plans, sat back and watched the response, then set about shutting all the gates.Chin up Bill you have work to do.
Posted by hedgehog, Friday, 14 October 2005 10:29:16 AM
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I think it is rather simplistic to dismiss individual workplace agreements, as those workers who have scarce skills will always benefit from being able to sell their skills to competing employers.

Similarly, those who can by the withdrawal of their labour bring an employer's financial world crashing down will also have nothing to fear from individual workplace agreements.

However, it is those who have little to offer than being there to push a broom, pour a cup of coffee, or any of the many part-time and casual hospitality industry type jobs have everything to fear. There are plenty of other unskilled workers waiting to take their jobs, so those who hold down these low-paid, low-skilled jobs will suffer a race-to-the-bottom competition for lower and lower wages and conditions in any workplace "agreement". Do the words "take-it or leave-it" come to mind?

The trouble is, despite the figures touted of low unemployment, there are many who are uncounted who have withdrawn from even being seekers of work in the current labour market. They live at home and make their contributions in ways which are just as vital for our community but which do not make economic statistics. They provide child care for friends and relations, they cook meals, do shopping and gardening, but they do not appear as real people to the bean-counters and economists.

I know, because I am one of "them". I was forced to take a medical retirement, so I no longer "count" to the economy.

Bill Shorten is right; the ideology of the Howard government is more about destroying the union movement; the proposed changes will not contribute one iota to improved productivity (productivity = doing more with less staff in less time). It will push more marginalised people out of the employment statistics and into non-person status.

By the way, the only reason I was able to win the few extra benefits of being medically retired rather than just redundant was through the support of my union. Giving up on unions is a very bad idea.
Posted by jimoctec, Friday, 14 October 2005 10:55:03 AM
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Bill, and Jimotec, if mr Howards aim is to destroy the union movement, lets look at a couple of reasons he may wish to do so.

1/ My son works at (thankfully) $20/hour in factory process work at a car parts maker. I consider this a great opportunity for him, and the pay is great.
2/ Ion Engineering in Woodonga, a car parts maker of gearboxes for Ford, is shedding heaps of workers. The contracts are now being sourced 'overseas'

Can anyone see a connection ? How long can it last, that a vehicle manufacturer will continue to buy parts based on AUD$20/hour, when the competition is outsourcing to China or wherever.

How many of us remember the number of Vehicle parts makers who have closed down, or become 'importers' over the past 6 months alone ?

The high pay my son is currently experiencing, is probably due to the 'fine work of the Union movement' to improve pay and conditions as they say. But is it sustainable ?.....what next ? What about more jobs, which an industry CAN sustain, to keep more people employed ?

Who is to blame, for the 'pay and conditions' which are in fact decimating job opportunities in Australia ?

I struggle to accept that Bills eloquent woffle about the 'threat to the world' as we know it, is not in fact just a last ditch attempt at 'relevance'. I mean, Bill has a vested interest in being seen to be 'doing' something ..right ?

All I can say, is that we should be moving much more to a non 'them/us' mentality, and look for creative ways of enhancing our life styles and quality of life, which does not cause manufacturers to simply 'outsource'overseas.

I am an employer, and I simply cannot afford to pay $12.00 for a circuit board, and stay competitive with those who are paying $5.00
I've been lucky to export (on quality,performance and customer service) to the USA, but they constantly remind me of how much CHEAPER my competition is
Posted by BOAZ_David, Friday, 14 October 2005 9:02:03 PM
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Existing entitlements are not "up for grabs" as Bill Shorten implies. Rather they will now be "open to negotiation".

The presumption that workers are individually weak and meek is a convenient worldview to promote when you make your living from being a union rep. Unions could choose to empower their constituents with knowledge and negotiating skills but that might not work in the unions interests. It is easier to scare the crap out of people and then sell yourself as their only hope for salvation.

One person commented here suggesting that the new IR system will involve a race to the bottom. Well that will not be true when unemployment hits 0% and when that happens we will be at the point where a minimum wage is reasonable. In practice the IR reforms still include retension of the current minimum wage which is probably the biggest failing of these reforms. The current minimum is too high so long as unemployment stands as it does.

Calling these reforms radical is laughable. They are so mild it is embarassing. Its not like people have never worked on a Sunday before.

I prefer Bill Shorten when he talks tax policy. Removing the tariff on inter-household trade is a much better way to boost wages than price regulation.
Posted by Terje, Friday, 14 October 2005 10:21:39 PM
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Bill's argument is the one we've heard time and time again.

The idea that the Howard government is going to ruin everyone's lives with the WorkChoices reforms is a scare campaign that could really cause problems to Unions when the reforms are passed and the sky doesn't fall - hint who is the Chicken Little - perhaps the Unions.

It is also a joke that the Unions tried to shut down the Government's advertising campaign. I'm no fan of government propoganda nor the associated cost - however the Howard government is not alone in ad campaigns - indeed Keating started the trend, but the unions and ALPs move to challenge the ads in the Courts really STANK (like rotting fish) of trying to shut down democracy and instead propogate one side of the debate. What unions and the ALP have forgotten (and still seem in the clouds about) is the fact that the Howard governments were elected (96,98,01,04) by a majority of Australians and thus this Government has the mandate to put forward policy and legislate for Australia as it was elected to do so.

Quite frankly, I think the campaign on the pro-WorkChoices side of the campaign should have been better organised and the actual legislation released much earlier so that ALP and union scare campaigns would have had no chance to propogate mistruths and literally frighten Australian workers. But in any case, I think these lies will soon be shown to be just that - and unions (Chicken Littles) will wake up and realise the sky really is not falling.
Posted by Dinhaan, Friday, 14 October 2005 10:48:13 PM
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C'mon folks, let's try to take a bit of personal responsibility. The advent of these IR reforms will probably lower the price employers are willing to pay for unskilled labour - but who is responsible for these labourers being unskilled?

How many of these unskilled workers decided that they were not going to improve their skills some time in the past?

How many left school at 15 years of age thinking they did not have to learn anything else - they knew everything necessesary to support themselves.

There are always self improvement courses available somewhere. We don't need to wait for the government to erect buildings, hire instructors, and invite us to participate. Local communities have computer literacy programs, public speaking courses, and any number of other self improvement courses that can improve the workers value to his employer.

Unskilled workers need to pay attention to what is going on around them. It is in their own personel best interests to make themselves into higher skilled workers. It is not really the governments problem if low skilled workers are unwilling to improve their lot.
Posted by Bruce, Saturday, 15 October 2005 12:28:19 PM
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