Tougher safeguards and new industrial relations laws with a strong independent umpire are needed for workers exposed to the global financial crisis say unions.
A new report released today by the Workplace Research Centre shows millions of workers remain vulnerable to the former Liberal Government’s harsh WorkChoices IR laws and are working under ‘precarious’ conditions.
The report finds around one in three workers are without access to redundancy payments if they lost their job tomorrow.
It also finds there has been a rise in the number of working families who are struggling to pay their bills and are falling behind in mortgage and credit card debts.
The report finds nearly 900,000 workers are currently not a member of a union but want to join.
Meeting with workers and unions in Brisbane today, ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence said the new report underscores the urgent need for the Rudd Government to scrap the rest of the Coalition’s WorkChoices laws.
“This report shows working Australians and their families are feeling the pinch and need tougher safeguards to protect their jobs and incomes in the face of a possible downturn.
“It is vital that the Rudd Labor Government’s new IR laws — which are expected to be publicly released in the next few weeks — give workers strong collective bargaining rights and the protection of an independent umpire with the power to settle disputes.
“Getting rid of WorkChoices and restoring collective bargaining rights will protect incomes and jobs for working Australians.
“It will also help the economy by growing workforce skills, driving productivity and ensuring working Australians have stable and secure jobs in these uncertain times,” said Mr Lawrence.
WorkChoices took away workers’ right to redundancy pay and removed protection from unfair dismissal for more than three million employees in small and medium businesses.
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