New industrial relations laws, which begin today, represent an historic step forward for the rights of working Australians and their families.
The new laws mark a turning point and will provide workers with a raft of stronger rights and protections in the current economic downturn, and in better times ahead, says the ACTU.
Women, young people and low-paid workers are among those who will benefit the most from the new laws, said ACTU President Sharan Burrow.
"From today, all Australian workers have a greater sense of security and more respect for their rights at work because of these landmark changes to industrial relations laws," Ms Burrow said.
"These laws are the result of an unprecedented campaign by Australian workers based firmly on the Australian belief of a fair go, who demanded the return of their rights at work after those rights were stripped away by the Howard Government's 'WorkChoices' laws.
"Under WorkChoices, there were countless cases of workers losing pay and conditions, being sacked unfairly and having their basic rights denied.
"At the last federal election, the Australian community said enough was enough.
"These new laws are the culmination of that campaign.
"They will deliver better protection and rights for workers and the ball is now in employers' court to treat their workers with respect and operate within the spirit of the new laws."
The new laws will deliver:
- Genuine rights for workers to collectively bargain and be represented by their union.
- Unfair dismissal for all workers, including about 4 million workers who had no protection under WorkChoices.
- A robust new safety net of awards and national standards, along with a fair and transparent process for setting minimum wages.
- An industrial umpire with teeth to safeguard workers' rights.
see also Sharan Burrow's article in Sydney Morning Herald
Employees enter a new era of rights
"... The courts will be given a new role in overseeing the application of awards and the National Employment Standards, providing a strong deterrent against the infringement of workers' rights and entitlements.
Minimum wage workers can look forward to a much fairer system of setting their pay under the new laws.
Australian Workplace Agreements, used to break down collective strength in the workplace and to drive down wages and conditions, are now outlawed.
On average, workers employed on AWAs and other individual contracts earn almost 6 per cent less than those under union-negotiated agreements. In future, common law contracts will have to be above the industry award.
Finally, no longer will the basic right to belong to a union be eroded by threats of dismissal, pressure, discrimination or victimisation.
Union delegates will be protected during bargaining and it will be unlawful to take action or discriminate against someone simply because they are a union member. There will be a guaranteed right to union representation when it is needed to settle a dispute or negotiate on a worker's behalf.
The new fairer workplace laws are a great step forward but the task of strengthening the lives of working Australians is an ongoing process. We have more work to do to ensure that the laws covering construction workers are recognised as unfair and have no place in Australia's industrial relations system and that we have the strongest possible occupational health and safety laws to guarantee safety at work.
But this week, we celebrate the fact that with the Fair Work Act, Australians again have proper rights at work. "
"... The courts will be given a new role in overseeing the application of awards and the National Employment Standards, providing a strong deterrent against the infringement of workers' rights and entitlements.
Minimum wage workers can look forward to a much fairer system of setting their pay under the new laws.
Australian Workplace Agreements, used to break down collective strength in the workplace and to drive down wages and conditions, are now outlawed.
On average, workers employed on AWAs and other individual contracts earn almost 6 per cent less than those under union-negotiated agreements. In future, common law contracts will have to be above the industry award.
Finally, no longer will the basic right to belong to a union be eroded by threats of dismissal, pressure, discrimination or victimisation.
Union delegates will be protected during bargaining and it will be unlawful to take action or discriminate against someone simply because they are a union member. There will be a guaranteed right to union representation when it is needed to settle a dispute or negotiate on a worker's behalf.
The new fairer workplace laws are a great step forward but the task of strengthening the lives of working Australians is an ongoing process. We have more work to do to ensure that the laws covering construction workers are recognised as unfair and have no place in Australia's industrial relations system and that we have the strongest possible occupational health and safety laws to guarantee safety at work.
But this week, we celebrate the fact that with the Fair Work Act, Australians again have proper rights at work. "
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