Howard's Anti-Union Bill: war on workers

"PM smashes union power"

This headline on the cover of Murdoch's Australian today describes the exagerated faith the Howard government has in it's new legislation.

The gutting of the 100 year old arbitration system and negotiated awards is to be accompanied by the Orwellian sounding "WorkChoices" and "Fair Pay Commission". The Fair Pay Commission is the result government's rage over the Australian Industrial Relations Court's balanced approach to minimum wage decisions.

They would like to abolish the AIRC but can't as it is part of the Australian Constitution, so they intend to gut it instead.

For the first time, outside times of war, the government has given itself "essential services" power, enabling it to declare strikes illegal it considers to be a threat to public welfare or to the economy. War on the workers is what this mob are about.

The great hypocrisy is of course that those politicians who ram these new laws through will not be subject to it themselves! Their wages and conditions remain safe!

Basic rights and conditions of 10 million Australian workers will be trashed to bring us into line with with inferior US standards and no doubt comply with the "Free Trade" agreement and bind the Howard government even closer to the super power source of all its ideas and dreams.

And taxpayers will have to fund an up to $100 million campaign of government spin and lies to sell this package! The most expensive government campaign in history and a bonaza to media owners around Australia.

No wonder US citizen Murdoch is crowing.
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