Media Release
03 November 2005
CTU slams Oz law changes as mad ideology
“The Howard industrial law changes are a clear case of mad ideology over rational policy,” CTU president Ross Wilson
said today.
Radical industrial relations law changes were introduced in a 687 page Bill into the Australian Federal Parliament
yesterday.
“This unprecedented attack on the workers’ rights will be bad for the Australian economy and bad for Australian
workers,” Ross Wilson said.
“It makes the same fundamental mistake that the Employment Contracts Act did in New Zealand in the 1990s,” he said. “It
also highlights what we could expect from a Brash Government in New Zealand.”
“The proposed law will encourage employers to focus on cutting wages and conditions of employment instead of improving
skills, innovation and productivity.”
“The Australian CTU Secretary has already committed the union movement to overturn these laws however long it may take
and New Zealand unions will be supporting them all the way.”
“Yesterday Maori workers living in Australia performed a haka outside Parliament in Canberra to voice their opposition
to the changes. In New Zealand we are already organising protest activity on the 15th November in support of Australian
workers.”
ENDS