Spad
28th Oct 2005, 07:15
(Dear Woomeri. this has EVERYTHING to do with Australian Aviation and its current sorry state.
Here’s a headline that should get the 89ers slavering at the mouth. Ex Prime Minister Bob Hawke lambasts the current government over their ‘immoral’ labour market reforms that encourage (gasp!) individual contracts.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1491550.htm
Hawke slams 'immoral' IR changes
Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke has delivered a stinging rebuke of the Federal Government's industrial relations changes.
In the annual Lionel Murphy lecture in Sydney, Mr Hawke described the changes as an attempt to destroy the trade union movement and the arbitration system.
He says the claim by the Prime Minister John Howard that real wages have risen more under his government than under the previous Labor governments, is one of the most cynical and dishonest pieces of politicking in Australian history.
"We did the hard policy work, unionists made the sacrifice, which have created a strong economy which can now afford these real wage increases," he said.
"Instead of being grateful, John Howard now launches the most vicious attack upon them."
Mr Hawke says the workplace changes were an attempt to destroy the arbitration system and the trade union movement.
"It is wrong. It is unfair. It is un-Australian. It is immoral," he said.
He says the laws will allow employers to use individual workplace agreements to cut workers' pay and conditions, such as public holidays, penalties and meal breaks.
And he took issue with the proposed Fair Pay Commission.
"This is simply a monstrous trick on the least privileged workers in our society," he said.
He says the laws are an assault on the core Australian notions of a fair go, and the belief that governments should protect the most vulnerable.
But federal Treasurer Peter Costello is confident the public will see the wisdom of the Government's IR reforms once they have been implemented.
Labor says it will campaign against the measures right up until the next election, but Mr Costello believes by then all the fuss will have blown over.
"My view is that when the legislation takes effect and when people see it won't diminish wages and conditions and when they see that in fact more job opportunities will be offered then they'll say well what was that all about," he said.It would seem that even Rhodes Scholars have (conveniently selective) memory lapses in their dotage.
Here’s a headline that should get the 89ers slavering at the mouth. Ex Prime Minister Bob Hawke lambasts the current government over their ‘immoral’ labour market reforms that encourage (gasp!) individual contracts.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1491550.htm
Hawke slams 'immoral' IR changes
Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke has delivered a stinging rebuke of the Federal Government's industrial relations changes.
In the annual Lionel Murphy lecture in Sydney, Mr Hawke described the changes as an attempt to destroy the trade union movement and the arbitration system.
He says the claim by the Prime Minister John Howard that real wages have risen more under his government than under the previous Labor governments, is one of the most cynical and dishonest pieces of politicking in Australian history.
"We did the hard policy work, unionists made the sacrifice, which have created a strong economy which can now afford these real wage increases," he said.
"Instead of being grateful, John Howard now launches the most vicious attack upon them."
Mr Hawke says the workplace changes were an attempt to destroy the arbitration system and the trade union movement.
"It is wrong. It is unfair. It is un-Australian. It is immoral," he said.
He says the laws will allow employers to use individual workplace agreements to cut workers' pay and conditions, such as public holidays, penalties and meal breaks.
And he took issue with the proposed Fair Pay Commission.
"This is simply a monstrous trick on the least privileged workers in our society," he said.
He says the laws are an assault on the core Australian notions of a fair go, and the belief that governments should protect the most vulnerable.
But federal Treasurer Peter Costello is confident the public will see the wisdom of the Government's IR reforms once they have been implemented.
Labor says it will campaign against the measures right up until the next election, but Mr Costello believes by then all the fuss will have blown over.
"My view is that when the legislation takes effect and when people see it won't diminish wages and conditions and when they see that in fact more job opportunities will be offered then they'll say well what was that all about," he said.It would seem that even Rhodes Scholars have (conveniently selective) memory lapses in their dotage.