Thursday, December 04, 2014

ACTU: Abbott's failure to pass anti-worker agenda in 2014

From Ged Kearney

As I write this the politicians are starting to head to Canberra airport and back to their electorates. Parliament is finishing up for the year.

Thanks to your efforts Tony Abbott is leaving Canberra without having passed one piece of his anti-worker agenda.

So let me say, Congratulations!

Together we have pushed hard against changes to the Fair Work Act that attack penalty rates and make it easier for bosses to cut pay and conditions. In the last few months more than 20,000 emails were sent to cross-bench Senators and more than 1,000 phone calls were made asking them to vote no. 

If Tony Abbott and Eric Abetz thought that they could get these changes through this year they would have taken the opportunity. Your hard work stopped them.

We have also seen a full-frontal assault on the institutions that maintain Australia’s high living standards like Medicare and affordable tertiary education. Together we fought back and made a difference. It hasn’t been easy but we have made an impact. 

Liberal MPs will be licking their wounds over the Christmas break. Tony Abbott is deeply unpopular. Their unfair budget agenda is in tatters. Their anti-worker laws are stuck in the Senate. The momentum against their cuts to universities and Medicare is growing.

This is all because of you and the work that you've done.

Parliament will return next year and the Liberals brainstrust--Abbott, Hockey, Pyne and Abetz--will try again to cut our pay, conditions and the crucial services that make up our social wage. We will be ready to fight back stronger, louder and in greater numbers.

I look forward to standing with you to continue the fight in 2015. 

In union --

Ged Kearney

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