The following is the example I referred to in my last post.

An organisation with about 150 employees, of which I am a director, had been through the enterprise bargaining process in early 2006 with Union involvement as had been the norm in the past.

Unlike previous EBA’s it was an unhappy time for all concerned with Union involvement more oriented to the politics of the process than the outcome for employees.

Eventually agreement was reached with the employees and the agreement was registered in the Federal system and employees got their promised pay increases under the agreement at an earlier date than what was appearing likely if the union had continued their stand.

Following the EBA process, and with the introduction of WorkChoices, the Board made the following decisions to apply from 1 June 2006:

1 All new employees to be employed on AWAs on the same remuneration as in the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement but with the ability to negotiate an outcome that suited both parties.

2 Existing staff may negotiate an AWA, on the same basis as new employees, but the initial approach has to be made by the employee. In other words there was to be no coercion.

As of today over one third of the employees are on AWA’s. 13% of employees are new employees. There has been no resistance by prospective employees to entering an AWA.

Existing staff who have elected to go onto an AWA have negotiated away some of the conditions of the EBA in return for conditions which they have decided better suits their lifestyle and personal and family requirements than the EBA conditions.

Negotiated outcomes have included:

Work less hours overall;
Working longer hours per day on fewer days per fortnight.
working on particular days or more correctly having particular days off work (for family purposes);
working more than 5 days straight in return for the equivalent time off but on bunched days (that is an Easter length break every fortnight)

This is a positive experience and an example of how WorkChoices can benefit both the enterprise and the employee.

wd, I outlined my experiences of AWAs on post http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=591#11268

On post http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5806#79394
I referred to articles in The Age about 3 teenage girls experience at Mrs FIelds cookies.

Spotlight, Darrell Lea, Coles, Woolworths, Cowra Abattoirs, Priceline have been named and shamed for taking advantage of the legislation to reduce the take home pay of employees. Epworth Hospital is one of the many private hospitals that rely extensively on contract staff, over 40% of people working in the Victorian Education Department are on contract and they are not paid in school holidays. On any given day 10% of the classroom teachers supervising your child are casual teachers hired 1 hour before class begins. You can bet your bottom dollar they are just child minding.

All the so-called contractors working for large organisations are considered employees according to the Tax Office definition of employer-employee relationship.

The reason we have "low unemployment" is because we have redefined "employed" to be "one hour of work paid or unpaid in the survey period" and because many of the jobs that have been created are part time jobs. For your information I am technically employed.

I honestly don't believe Howard's promise to make sure workers earning less than $75,000 are no worse off under AWAs than an award because in its first 12 months of operation a third of AWAs lodged are illegal and almost all break one of the 5 minimum conditions.

"you are so right, the only workers on very good pay belong to militant unions with strong bargaining power."

On that basis billie, the workers with the biggest thugs
representing them, get the most pay. Hardly a fair system
now, is it. At the end of the day, somebody has to pay
for that thuggishness, usually its the little people.

I just had a look in yesterday's West Australian. 60 pages
of employment offered, plus another 10 pages of professional
appointments. Plus exactly 6 ads of people offering to work.

Plenty of full time positions in there too, including for
nurses, for between 43-70k$. So there are clearly plenty
of options for people, if they don't like one employer, they
can go elsewhere.

Yes, contracting has become more common and for good reasons.
If companies can't dismiss useless people, or dismiss people
when there is no more work for them, they clearly can't go
on coughing up wages. Thats the reality. Many companies
don't have certainty when it comes to orders, so they can't
provide certainty when it comes to employment. Its unreasonable
of anyone to expect it from them.

Flexibility is part of today's economy, for most except a limited
part of the economy. Workers have to ajust as business has
had to adjust.

Based on billies argument, farmers need a Kevin Reynolds to
represent them and to deny food supply to cities, if they are
not paid say 10$ a lettuce. Sorry, I don't think thats fair either.

Yabby.

Well said re Billie

Reply from your earlier remarks
Methinks your forgetting I am ` 4thGeneration farmer and rather ashamed
To say `distantly related to Heffernan. The sheep farming live exporter Senator.

People sitting on Animal Welfare boards with conflicts of interest supporting Cruel Live Exports is a insult to all Australians..

Nothings got better Yabby – its worse!

By The Way We`re still` riding on the sheep’s back Yabby. Well some of us – ask Bill .

Why Not ask one of our largest Live Animal Exporters. - Elders!
Wow! 6 point ten% interest.
Who said Australia doesn’t still ride on the Sheep’s Back.

Farmers were betrayed by Nationals.

Nationals” relied” on the Farmers -`not asking the `pertinent questions` while they played with the trade deals.

Overseas take Animals Live to` Create Employment` and for `Value Adding` to improve THEIR ECONOMY.

4. You’re correct regarding Tariffs Yabby.
. It `must` be changed.
.
Why Don’t they change it?

Scared of loosing votes . that includes labour who mostly run the States. Donations and votes dictate to three political parties.

` Its termed -feeding the chooks. `

Julia hiding behind the Small Business Minister lady in WA to block building Abattoirs is a poor show.

Meat Works are the ONLY industry in Australia blocked from engaging skilled staff.

People could assume their `protecting the Cruel Live Export Trade. `

Yabby your spot on at `times` - sometimes naïve.
. You read propaganda put out by people with vetted interests.
Many farmers’ years ago had the wool pulled over their eyes including the priorities regarding APA, Farmers Federations.
Neither Bill D’Arcy nor staff replied to HKM request to pass onto farmers that Muslim buyers wanted to meet them direct.

Bill`D “did concede” they had received calls from Malaysians and others interested in abattoirs and “Chilled Meats.

Farmers Federation’s driven by the Nationals are Traitors to Farmers.


Farmer’s reps are `not interested `to help.

Australian Farmers need help.

We are offering just that..

Ask yourself why?

Strong Economy Should Not Be At The Cost Of Fairness Farmers Common decency or humanity.

Julia,
I just want to say that I love those pear ear rings ;-)

Let's all be grateful that Howard has never, and will never, engage in fear campaigns. Right!

As to being a 50's man, he will be a 70's person, can't call him a man, sorry, if you elect him again. He should be in an old folks home, not running a country. Even his hearing aid isn't working well these days, haven't you noticed. Imagine how often he turns it off. Perhaps every time the public screams at him or experts offer advice. What else would explain his ignoring the people and experts?

The recent backflip on No Work Choices was done for two reasons. The obvious (it wasn't fair which he has admitted with this backflip) and the chance to use our money to advertise. Blatant scare campaign coming right up. Oops, he doesn't use fear, I forgot.