Whether or not the radically altered IR situation will be of benefit to all parties remains to be seen, but the Government has certainly made a dog's breakfast of its implimenatation, striking real fear into the hearts of workers.

From personal experience, I know how hard it has been for an employer to sack bad workers, even those who steal from them. But this latest attempt at 'efficiency' has certainly turned the table on workers. While no decent employer would be insane enough to sack a good worker, there are enough rotten employers out there, both small and large, who will not stop at the chance of ruining the lives of workers and their families on the slightest pretext.

Given this Government's apparent lack of concern for Australian workers, and its sneaky introduction of foreign workers - Howard doesn't believe in 'guest workers' so he brings people in to stay and permanently lower pay and conditions - I am extremely glad that I am retired. But, I do sympathise with the workers of Australia

I think that the author is essentially right. There has been a lack of leadership in selling the reforms. They were never going to be very popular, however there could have been a greater attempt to dispell unnecessary fear.

In other words the government policy is right, but the spin is lacking. I know spin has become a dirty word but it happens to be the one thing that the government should have done more of. The union movement has been out their spinning like mad to maximise the fearful state of mind amoungst workers.

Honest spin would have explained that there will be winners and losers. However the losers would be little losers not massive losers and many of the winners would be those on the margin (the unemployed). The spin we are getting from the union movement is that the only winners will be fat cats.

Unfortunately rather than address these fears head on with honesty this government is likely to try and substitute it with bigger alternate fears about such things as interest rates and terrorists.

Mark Christian’s article is the biggest load of rubbish I have ever read in this forum.

He talks of freedom, “complete freedom” create by Howard’s so called “reforms”, yet the so called reforms are implemented by an Act that is hundreds of pages long, and Regulations of near equal length.

Howard’s brave new world has many restrictions on what workers can and cannot bargain with their employers, and heavy penalties for worker who asks for what he or she may want.

If Howard really believed in creating fairer IR by creating “freedom” he would have just repealed the IR laws instead of replacing them with more complex laws.

Both Mark’s article and Howard’s actions for the last ten years have shown that George Orwell was out by 22 years. His book “1984” should have been titled “2006”.

Mark, you and your fellow travelers should learn how to look at situations honesty, then maybe workers may start to trust bosses. However, I will not hold my breath waiting.

the posting 'Less is more' fails to acknowledge that this is a furphy - the level of bureaucracy being imposed on employers and AWA's they might establish with their employers is ludicrious. A case in point - the requirement that ALL employees from the CEO down accurately record all hours of work, with huge penalties to worker and company for not complying. Where is the trust in this? Where also is the choice in Workchoices where the government holds institutions to ransom for not doing it 'their' way - ie leaving the unions out of negotiations or have your funding cut (just ask the universities and other businesses who have been quite happy to develop mature partnering relationships with unions and workers for the benefit of all). Howard, Costello and their ilk with their extreme ideology are creating a different kind of bureaucracy - one more akin to Italy in the 1930's and something will have to give in order to balance the whole mess out again. Where there was room for a mature and considered approach to developing workplace relationships the government has handed power to those who can only see themselves as contributing to the coffers rather than acknowledging the role the creative work, trust and loyalty of workers also play in developing a company, an institution and a nation. Many steps backward it seems to me

I'm not sure that we can characterise peoples actions and thoughts about something as personal as the conditions of their employment in terms of trust. I thought the whole point of the reforms were to remove third party subjectivity from the employment equation and replace it with "worker choice" and "objective law". What has trust got to do with those things? Mind you given the unbelievable complexity of the legislation to deliver such simple objectives workers could be forgiven for being distrustful. The Government marketing campaign redolent of all that has been bad in Australian Industrial relations would also have certainly caused people to be unnecessarily mistrustful. But ultimately in spite of these things, because workers now effectively have choice in how their renumeration package is delivered to them, and once made can't be altered without their express consent, trust won't be an issue for them. What they agree to they will get. What ever they think of John Howard or their employer is simply not an issue.Their evidence is of their own experience. The problem really is only with the people who haven't got workplace agreement. Until confronted with the simple reality, they can be lead to believe anything i suppose.

Graeme Haycroft

Oh no not another article by the Neo-Feudilists, trying to convince us that the abolishment of basic rights is some how good for us.

The IR laws undermine basic rights of workers and families.

Why is it somehow right for people to be sacked and then offered their job back on less pay and without conditions?

The right to withhold one's labour is being denied. People are no longer allowed to discuss their pay etc without fear of huge fines and penalties.

Put simply, the IR laws are bad for workers and for most businesses. As the workers have less money in their pockets, there will have to be a corresponding recession/depression.

In regards to the imported laborers, little Johnny stated quite clearly that his govt would decide who came here and under what conditions.

The article calls for trust - WHO could ever trust John Howard after so many lies and deception.