Arnold E; a rather simplistic, myopic reply The party responsible for introduction of individual awards now introduces legislation returning industrial relations to yesteryear equivalents with the unions wanting to go even further.
Not only does Martin Ferguson, MP, ex ACTU head honcho, condemn the union push but is accompanied in his remarks by Ms Gillard and now Federal Cabinet Minister and former ACTU president Simon Crean has accused unions of pursuing a narrow agenda, bluntly rejecting their push to wind back the powers of the building industry watchdog.
Mr Crean joined Julia Gillard and Martin Ferguson in rejecting the union movement's bid for a second wave of workplace laws.
It appears some in the Labor party do recognise having a job and therefore, an income, is highly preferable to unemployment as former Prime Minister John Howard stated.
Do I presume AE, you disagree with this statement?
It would appear some in the current Labor government recognise some realities rejecting the ACTU's current `Alice in Wonderland' wish list and push for greater union presence throughout the workplace.
Afterall, it was a Labor government which introduced individual contracts resulting in pilots, today, paying for their own manuals, uniforms, employment interviews, aircraft ratings, etc. Some sleeping in their cars or residing in the local caravan park whilst training for a rating in the `hope' of getting a job which will pay a subsistence pittance called a salary.
The current new industrial relation laws are not necessarily going to improve this and certainly not in the short term regardless of the ACTU pie in the sky wish list.
DK
ps>> as a current card carrying union member with a fair bit of experience in more than a few union positions including successful negotiations at the highest level, rule one was never to kill the Golden Goose; couple this with a little common sense, proportion, worldly realities with sound membership support then much can be achieved.