Friday, July 27, 2012

ACTU: $2 Levy for fighting fund

The president of the ACTU has attacked the lack of industrial relations policies outlined by Tony Abbott, and foreshadowed the likelihood of a Coalition victory at the next federal election.

In a speech to the Melbourne Press Club yesterday, Ged Kearney said the probable future Coalition government ''had not been honest about its plans''.

Ms Kearney said ''exposing Abbott's real agenda on industrial relations will be an important role for unions between now and the next election''.

The ACTU this week approved a $2 annual levy on Australia's 1.8 million union members, which will run from late this year to at least July 2015.

Ms Kearney said WorkChoices, which unions spent tens of millions of dollars campaigning against in the lead-up to the 2007 federal election, had ''made people realise just what a big difference workplace laws can make to their wages and conditions and, ultimately, to their lives''.

The ACTU's fighting fund will also be used to campaign on the ''insecure work'' report, completed for the ACTU by former deputy prime minister Brian Howe this year.

It found about 40 per cent of Australian workers were in some form of insecure work, such as casual or labour hire, without paid leave entitlements or guaranteed hours.


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