ACTU: Unions will fight big business attack on Australian workers

29 July, 2014 | Media Release

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has launched an ideological attack on the very heart of Australia’s industrial relations system designed to benefit big business at the expense of hardworking Australians.

“The BCA’s Building Australia’s Comparative Advantage report is yet another wish list from big business wanting to pay and treat Australian workers however they want, without facing any consequences,” said ACTU President Ged Kearney.

“This is big business dictating the Abbott Government’s IR agenda – no rights, no penalty rates, no collective agreements, no independent umpire and no protection for workers.

“It’s an attempt by business to weaken the safety net, lessen protections and remove entitlements for workers,” said Ms Kearney.

Wages growth is moderate and lagging behind inflation, while labour productivity growth is the highest in a decade.

“Put simply, Australian workers are producing more for less,” said Ms Kearney.

OECD figures show Australian workers are among the most productive in the world. On average, Australian workers produce goods and services worth US$55.50 per hour. That is more than the Euro-area average (US$54.60 per hour), Canada (US$49.20), the UK (US$46.60), New Zealand (US$38.50) or the OECD average (US$47.70).

“The BCA itself acknowledges that labour productivity is high. This paper is not about boosting productivity – it is about putting the interests of big business ahead of Australian workers,” said Ms Kearney.

“This paper shows big business is trying bring back elements of Work Choices, despite the fact that Australia recorded its worst period of labour productivity growth when Work Choices legislation was in place in the mid-2000s.”

The BCA’s long term agenda appears to be to diminish the independent umpire, leaving workers unable to address safety risks at work or tackle discrimination and harassment, said Ms Kearney.

“Unions will fight any move by business groups or the Government to attack penalty rates or the rights of Australian workers.”