Labor will 'rip up' IR reforms if elected says Beazley – news commentary by Andy McCourt

Despite the Bill being debated as from today, it seems almost certain the Bill will receive assent and become Law by Christmas and even the opposition leader Kim Beazley has acknowledged this inevitability.

A spokeswoman for Mr Beazley said; “(The Leader of the Opposition), says that these extreme laws are very wrong and that the Howard government, in putting forward these extreme industrial relations changes, does not understand the Australian community's mood on this matter.” She went on to confirm that a Labor Government elected at the next election due in 2007 would be committed to 'ripping up' these laws.
Opposition workplace relations spokesman Stephen Smith noted: “This tears at the fabric of the values and virtues that Australians hold dear. As a consequence Labor will fight these proposals day in day out, in the Parliament until the Parliament gets up for the end of the year and then day in, day out until the 2007 election.”

Mr Howard believes the reforms are an essential part of Australia's future economic well being; “…the IR bill is key to jobs growth, and is a debate which must be won; IR is a key part of the economic future of our country."

Workplace Relations minister Kevin Andrews, said yesterday in Parliament; “Australia's economic strength and the living standards of our people depend, ultimately, on the productivity of our workplaces. When productivity is higher the whole economic pie is bigger." He added that the central aim of the WorkChoices Bill was to encourage the spread of Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs), or individual contracts, which would be negotiated between workers and their bosses.

The Printing Industries Association of Australia has voiced its support for the reforms. However, The Workplace Reform Amendments could render the new Graphic Arts (General) Award Classification Structure announced last Friday, as irrelevant despite 16 years of debate between the AMWU (which absorbed the former PKIU), and industry employer groups.

The new eight-level, points-based, classification and wage structure replaces the former trades based five-level structure and employers have until April 2006 to assign all of their employees into the system. What will happen when the workplace reforms become Law is unknown at this time.

For the debate over workplace reforms from both the Union and employer sides, look out for your copy of Print21 Magazine in the next few days.

My Call:
Australia will never be the same. Such legislation, for it seems certain it will become so, changes societies forever. Whether they change for the better or worse is debatable - there can be no doubt that exceptionally highly-skilled achievers can already negotiate themselves better pay or a better job elsewhere - but stripping away minimum pay and conditions awards appears set to create a sector of the workforce ripe for exploitation. Trade Unions were originally conceived to protect workers from such exploitation, for they were indeed subject to it. Though many employers may be loathe to admit it, Unions have been as much party to Australia's economic growth as they have, by uniting employees to a common cause, believing wealth-creation should be accessible to all and that basic conditions of employment health and security improve society in general. Australia achieved its most significant growth in modern times under a former ACTU leader-turned-PM; Robert J Hawke.

Many Printing industry employers already have staff on AWAs - and independent contractors - on their books. Usually they will find an independent contractor costs more than an employee, but with the advantage that the labor can be 'turned on and off' as demand dictates. This flexibility does seem attractive to both sides but can have downsides in that the skills shortage is exacerbated in times of high demand, and families suffer in times of slack demand. The 'shareholders' in a one-man Pty Ltd contractor are: wife (or husband), kids, dog, mortgage. A no-dividend quarter could mean no food on the table.

But the unanswered question is: whether we will see an influx of cheap skilled labor from low-cost markets?

It's a complex, social-engineering issue and I for one believe it needs more debate than one month in Canberra. It's not as if the Australian economy will collapse if it's not Law by Christmas is it? We're doing pretty well as things are. The $40-odd million spent on selling the reforms with obscure advertising that, like soap powder commercials, does not explain what 'ingredient 'X' really is, would have been better spent on setting up debates in all states and engaging employers, trainers, the electorate and social groups.

As for Mr Beazley ripping up the legislation should Labor gain Government, well, Kim, you said that about the GST didn't you?