ACTU – Working people need access to justice

24 January 2018

The Australian Council of Trade Unions has today called for the return of a strong and independent umpire with the power to resolve disputes, and provide working people with access to justice.

Quotes attributable to Sally McManus, ACTU Secretary:

• “The Liberal Party cut the powers of the Fair Work Commission to give big business more power, taking away basic rights of working people. “It should be quick and easy for working people to access justice.
• “But under the current system, working people are forced to go through expensive and timely procedures in the Federal Court.
• “Currently, workers can have their wages stolen, and there’s very little the Fair Work Commission can do about it.
• “Without a strong and independent umpire, mining giant Glencore has been able to look out its workers for over six months.
• “A strong and an independent umpire is necessary to balance the power of employers.
• “We had a unique system of an independent umpire that worked well for decades.
• “It stopped working well when the Liberals took away the power of the umpire to resolve issues, and began to stack the Commission with appointees from big business.
• “We need to restore both its independence and its power to ensure working people get a fair go again”.