Belly, what do you thing would have happened in France if legislation similar to WorkChoices was introduced? Viva la France. We dont need the Shortens of the world hosing down the aspirations of the workers.

We do not live in France your view implies French workers have more get up and go than Australians, and fails to understand the issue in France .
IR reform at the hands of the next ALP goverment must adress the concerns of all who work in Australia not just we minority unionists.
I will not denegrate other unions but suspect you fail to understand the real harm not dream time stuff exptremist have bought on us all.
IR reform in my view will not include roll back, it will be crafted by men of true merit like Steve Smith and Bill Shorten for real Australia , not the extreme left.
Note however centre unions are serveing centerist workers numbers speak for themselves radical actions harm workers familys.
Labor is bold enought to offer Australians a better way and the AWU follows it members not leads them.

Belly,
Now there you are correct and so is hedgehog, Aussie workers are apathetic, and subservient, unions have to take the lead and encourage workers to stand like they have in France. Don't hold your breath for wossy Bill Shorten {right wing} or his awu to be a leader in this though. Bill is toooo busy right now engineering his way into the federal parliament to be concerned about the plight of the ordinary working family. This is his latest excuse anyway, new week, new excuse, bloody typical.

Well Belly if it is true that the AWU follows its members, they should all start charging the Officials fees. Leaders are supposed to lead. Steve Smith probably cant spell Industrial Relations, so dont make me laugh.

hedgehog,
Steven Smith is a lawyer, as so many Labor MP's seem to be, I think he could spell Industrial Relations mate, but I seriously doubt whether or not he would have an understanding of what it means to us.

The whole trouble with the Labor Party is they have no representation from working people. They choose millionaires or lawyers as candidates, these people have no idea what the average working family go through every week. Until they endorse a few actual workers I will vote Green, C.E.C. or something other than Liberal/National, and make sure my preference to Labor is third or forth on my ballot.

Labor is indeed bold enought to offer Australia a better way.
Yesterday like any other work day I had my meals in lunch sheds on civil construction sites.
Its clear workers are unhappy but also clear only Labor can change anything.
The left radiacal left are Labors bigest threat, and like it or not non reprsenative of workers and unionists.
Labor must take on the very left in our party and remember policys that see more refuse to vote Labor than come back to us are votes for Howard, no one who votes for Howard has any right to be critical of Labor.
New Labor is the only way and a new leader a must unless we do lack the will to win.