Argy's article is lucid and logical and I enjoyed reading it. I would like to see two further issues thrown into the debate, however.

One is that there is evidence of a growing practice of employers moving away from both awards and AWAs and requiring employees and prospective employees to establish themselves as independent contractors - with their own ABN registration, insurance etc and with no leave or superannuation entitlements.

The second issue is the closer analysis of winners and losers in the new regime. I am suspicious of rhetoric about 'the economy' as if it stands like some giant machine independent of the people who contribute to it or are beneficiaries or victims of movements in it. The economy is not some reified object. People make it grow or slow it down; and if there are winners there are always losers.

Frank,
Yes mate, this is the thin edge of the wedge widening, as we knew it would, if Howard gets back expect miners to be down holes with budgies on their shoulders. He has taken us back to his time 1950's we need a change badly.

Mr. Fred Argy, you write like an academic devoid of working life experience and sensitivity towards these issues, but mostly, miss the mark by a country mile. For instance, you do not approach the problem from discussing Howard and Rudd's vitriolic hatred of workers nor their groveling servitude for the ruling elite. We are told nothing about the unabashed, shameful history of the Labor Party and Liberal party. After all, the Labor Party has a full century of devious, two faced treachery and lies whilst the Liberal Party three quarters of a century. That history is not inconsequential and has hinged on the foul role of the media in deluding people.

Now there is a qualitative difference in these attacks, they are much sharper and more acute than anything previously tendered. But this also helps rip off the cover that shields their content making them more transparent.
Howard’s workplace and welfare reforms are precisely and clearly directed towards driving up the lengthening of the working day and eliminating any hindrance in extracting the maximum rate of exploitation! Howard wants to turn the blowtorch up on workers faster, faster, faster and cheaper, cheaper, cheaper. Howard is putting the boot into the disabled to drive them into the workforce as a source of very cheap casual labor with minimum rights. We are dealing with very shifty treachery and these attacks have to be dressed up and sold to workers.

The Howard government is putting the boot into the disabled through its Welfare to Work measures, designed to drive 200,000 benefit claimants into casual, cheap, sub-standard work. Employment minister Andrews talks about the process as a target of 14,000 a month and the disabled should be “breached.” That is, to cut off benefits with the flimsiest, deceitful excuse. What should be considered is not just one policy but the whole picture. All of the devastating social policies being implemented; including driving wide layers of the population into impoverishment and precarious existence with no finish line in sight! The government also announced it would give Centrelink powers to raid the homes and seize the property of single parents and aged pensioners suspected of living in unreported marriage-like relationships.
The governments have a long treacherous record of creating the victims then penalizing them whilst its ‘modus operandi’ diverts attention away through scape-goating an oppressed layer in society.
When these demagogues and scoundrels start talking about ‘Australian values’ its purpose is to whip up divisions in society; to divide workers up. Moreover, new recruits are required for the war agenda Bush’s “one war following another” and Howards ‘indefinite war in the pacific.’ This requires a nationalist ideology; hence the preparation and the groundwork in schools of ‘Australian values’ for new recruits, a layer of youth to kill other youth for the oil cartels, war industry and big business.

thank you Fred,
as a low paid worker becoming increasingly nervous about what is happening around me it was refreshing to have it explained to me in this way. As to comments by Johncee and shonga i agree with and understand their passion about the matter. I am quite seriously frightened about what is happening and have visions of myself and others in Australia like me working in conditions such as were only to be expected in lesser developed countries. I am not an academic but will be watching this space for future developments and further comment.
thanks gyz

"One is that there is evidence of a growing practice of employers moving away from both awards and AWAs and requiring employees and prospective employees to establish themselves as independent contractors - with their own ABN registration, insurance etc and with no leave or superannuation entitlements." quote from Frankgol

(I should have added this to my last post), thanks to you too Frankgol, i come under this category, and the challenge for me at the moment is how to get this situation to work for me.( difference between the personal and the political...i need to EAT!