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Big buisiness will also be able to sack staff unfairly under new IR laws

Australia's largest companies, as well as businesses with less than 100 staff, will be free to unfairly dismiss any worker under the Howard Government's new industrial relations laws according to a leading law firm.

As reported in today's press, a leading Sydney law firm has confirmed that no Australian worker will be safe from unfair sacking under the Government's new industrial relations laws. The new laws, which take effect from Monday, will remove all protection from unfair dismissal for workers in businesses with less than 100 staff, but larger business are also being advised that they can now also sack staff unfairly as long as they claim the sacking is for 'operational reasons.'

ACTU Secretary Greg Combet said today:

"This confirms that Australia's largest companies will also be able to use the Government's IR laws to unfairly sack workers.

"This is just another free kick for big business and a kick in the guts for Australian working families. The Government's new industrial relations laws are all about increasing the power of business and undermining the job security of Australian workers.

"These laws will give big business enormous new powers to fire workers at will. What this means is that no worker is safe from the impact of the Government's new unfair dismissal laws. It doesn't matter if you work in a small business, a medium sized business or a billion dollar company with tens of thousands of staff - under the Government's new laws you will be able to be unfairly sacked and your job security is going to be eroded.

"After $50 million spent on advertising and a year of spin it seems that the Federal Government is no longer able to hold back the truth about its new laws.

"Unions have been arguing for months now that by exempting sackings for 'operational reasons' from unfair dismissal claims the Federal Government would allow any big business that wanted to avoid unfair dismissal laws.

"Well it's pretty clear now that the big business community and their legal advisors know that this is the case - the only people still trying to deny it is the Howard Government. They should stop the charade and just come clean that what they really want to do is get rid of unfair dismissal laws altogether," Mr. Combet said.

At a conference yesterday attended by some of Australia's largest employers Sydney firm Fisher Cartwright Berriman are reported to have advised large companies that under the Government's new industrial relations laws they will be able to completely avoid any unfair dismissal claims from their workers.

Representatives of the firm are reported to have told the conference that: "If an employee is dismissed for reasons that include operational reasons there is no claim available (for unfair dismissal)." They went on to advise Australia's largest companies that as a result of this 'Who in their right mind would dismiss somebody for other than operational reasons?'