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Autumn 2005

Federal Government weighs up anti-union strategies

Federal parliament is awash with rumours about the various options being contemplated by the Howard Government when it brings in its new workplace laws in July after it gains control of both houses of parliament.

Opinion is divided as to whether there will be "a big bang", or a series of measures brought in over time.

Options being contemplated include;

• abolition of unfair dismissal laws for small to medium sized businesses, with an employer able to sack an employee at any time without redress (this law will almost certainly be brought in immediately);

• effectively abolishing State industrial commissions, and pulling all employees under a national system;

• taking away the power of the Industrial Relations Commission to decide national minimum wage cases;

• further reducing the power of the Industrial Relations Commission;

• restricting union officials' access to workplaces;

• further restricting the circumstances in which workers can take industrial action;

• increasing the regulation (red tape) required before industrial action can be taken;

• changing safety laws to make it harder to take industrial action over safety matters.

The abolition of the unfair dismissal laws for small and medium businesses will without doubt have an impact in Tasmania.

There are some constitutional issues involved with the creation of a single national IR system, and this is sure to be challenged by unions. However, it is likely that the Corporations power of the Constitution will allow the Federal Government to proceed with creating a single national system for all private sector employees, an action that may leave many state industrial commissions unviable.

HACSU State Secretary, Chris Brown, said that it was hard to predict exactly what would be implemented and in what fashion at this stage.

"There's not a lot of point in speculating right now. In July they will have the power to do whatever they want. They will do what they will do."

"The important thing is for members to just make sure workplaces are well organised and unionised."

"We obviously have some bridges to cross when the new laws are released, but the union movement throughout its history has had a great record in changing and adapting to different circumstances."

"Unions in Australia created the "fair go" concept and that spirit. It's ingrained in people."

"Tasmania has the proud tradition of being Australia's most unionised State. There's a knowledge amongst Tasmanians in a smaller, island State, that it is in our interests to pull together. That spirit and wisdom will not disappear overnight," Chris Brown said.

In May, HACSU will be convening member forums to discuss the Howard Government's anti-worker legislation.