Sneekypete, Pru might in your eyes be "a handsome woman" beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The article still beats about the bush and plays at the edges. The laws are just plain bad and one sided. Stop this crap about some workers having new oppurtunities. The old laws never stopped employers giving pay rises, these laws are there to reduce wages and conditions,plain and simple.

AARON <<This being the case, how exactly may an employee seek to impugn an AWA on the basis that it undercuts the statutory minima?>>

If possible, could you tie this down to chapter and verse in the legislation ? As far as I can see, it is still being debated and is in a state of flux.

I responded to your blog, I guess u have seen it now.

Rather than defend or oppose the policies of the current government, which by the way is not my 'preferred' model by any means, I would like to point out a few things which I think would be worth persuing simply as issues of justice, rather than any 'workers' this or that.

1/ A PEOPLES BANK (like the Bank Bumiputera in Malaysia) which does not spend its days thieving from a captive and defenceless customer base and adding fees and charges as they feel.

2/ O'SEAS EXPORTING OF JOBS
Restrictions on the number and nature of overseas outsourced jobs.
If clerical/back office and IT as well as manufacturing (and its associated feeders of engineering and components etc) are going, what is left ?

3/ SELECTIVE PROTECTION of manufacturing on the basis of 'just wage parity' from China especially. There is absolutely no merit in the argument that 'inefficient australian businesses cannot expect protection' because even the EFFICIENT and highly automated ones are threatened. They have to pay the capital expense of machinery, but the Chinese just add a hundred low paid slaves to perform the same thing but with less consistency and poorer quality.

I applaud your 'family friendly' initiative and think you might find significant support from Steve Fielding, but only if it is genuinely 'family' based and not 'union' based.

A PROPHETIC WORD FROM THE BIBLE.
Isaiah the prophet, rebuked King Hezekiah who foolishly showed the Babylonians the treasures of Israel, Isaiah told him they will come and take the lot, but not in his lifetime. He felt pretty 'ok' with that. I think we have many politicians (left and right) who think like Hezekiah .... about our economic future.

Pru, personally I would like to hear more about the "winners" under the new ir laws, I can find plenty of losers. As David Boaz points out the export of jobs is a loss for Australia, coupled with the expected lowering of Australian workers income. I enjoy my family time, we have a small close knit family, I expect a lot of Christians are dreading the day they are asked to work on Sunday for 12 hour shifts, and many other workers with special interests and/or a passion for family time will similarly be affected. As sex driscrimination commissioner, it worries me that women will be more affected than men, as men have a continuity of work, can also specialise in the trades without having time off to have babies. I really do despair for low paid unskilled workers, especially those in rural and regional areas, where perhaps only 1 or 2 major employers exist e.g. the recent closure of rural call centres by Telstra, where will these people find alternative employment, and at what rate of pay, and with what conditions? I have a passion for the welfare of my fellow Australians, whether they are able to work or not. A great many of whom are unable to negotiate a contract with an employer on their own, and with the virtual outlawing of the workers associations, the unions, all does not look rosy. Before I am howled down, may I say that Unions are like police, one or two reckless individuals create a lot of suspicion for the whole organisation, to demonstrate this, could someone advise me when the ASU {MY FORMER UNION} last called a wildcat strike, as I cannot remember one. They are merely organisations, much like THE BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, WHO SEEK TO REPRESENT THEIR MEMBERS BEST INTERESTS.I had a lot of support from my union when times were difficult for me, they had my best interests at heart, and I will always appreciate their kindness.

When real wages drop the economy will be in a freefall. It is simple maths, as there is less money in the system and less time to spend the economy must slow.
Another thought for those in the big end of town is with the IR changed to the federal power base, what will happen if a strong left govt gains power

Aka,

Are you anticipating a contraction of M0. Otherwise what do you mean by less money in the system. And what does that have to do with anything anyhow.

I suspect that you are making up your economics as you go along.

Regards,
Terje.

I am not sure why paid maternity leave is regarded by some as some type of sacred human right. If you can't afford to have kids then don't. If you are well paid then save for that year off. Actually save for a few years off because raising kids is time consuming and demanding