The Rudd government did not know about or develop this proposed labour law, the Fair Work Bill (FWB) as a response to this most severe global capitalist financialcrisis since the great depression.
In my Senate submission I first point out that the changed circumstances of the global capitalist financial crisis means the Fair Work Bill (FWB) requires substantial amendments by the Parliament to better defend the economic, social and occupational interests of workers during a recession.
The FWB shortfalls for the protection and advancement of workers’ rights are significant. I have given some of these devils in the details in this blog.
While welcoming the genuine reforms, the ‘Fair Work bill’ is new ‘1984 doublespeak spin’ that ‘WorkChoices is dead’ and the FWB establishes ‘fair rights for workers’ and a ‘fair balance for all’.
As argued in this blog, one key issue is that a fair collective bargaining system has not been achieved as the FWB deliberately retains Howard’s repressive regime against industrial action.
The Deputy Prime Minister DPM’s ‘clear rules for the right to strike’ are but a cut and paste from WorkChoices. They bring shame on an ALP government. The failure to provide for the right to strike to enable workers to respond to the environmental crisis is but one example (see this blog).
Is this fairness we can believe in?
This Parliament can respond to the twin challenges of the GFC and the environmental crisis by recognising the legitimacy of the unions’ Your Rights at Work’ voice in the democratic elections by not selling out the justifiable political demands for workers’rights.
My lengthy Senate submission is no 122 on the Senate committee web.
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/fair_work/submissions.htm
Fair Work Bill
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