Work Choices isn’t working!

The Oracle

Damon Thomas and his TCCI Howard apologists have no idea what they are talking about when they claim the Work Choices system is working. If it was there would be no need for cash strapped workers to fork out $20,000 to get their grievances heard or for unions to spend members’ dues on a system that was once free to everyone. How Damon Thomas can speak with any authority on IR matters is beyond me bearing in mind his career prior to being employed with the TCCI.

It seems a bit transparent that only months out from a Federal Election there are a flurry of prosecutions of employers who have been forcing workers onto AWAs.

Pardon my cynicism but has anyone considered the horrendous cost to the worker of pursuing these greedy employers? The recent Mornington Inn case cost at least $20,000 to mount in the Federal Court. No doubt a similar cost will accrue for the Granada case.

Prior to the Howard/Costello hatchet job on Australia’s very fair and equitable IR system we had an Industrial Relations Commission made up of Commissioners from all walks of life. It gave its decisions without fear or favour and was essentially cost free to all parties. If an employee had a grievance they could take it up with the IRC (with or without union support/involvement) and be assured of a cost free hearing.

Now, unless you are a union member or a millionaire there’s no way you can afford to fight unfair dismissal, loss of hours, duress or any of other the crap workers have to wear under the new Howard/Costello IR regime.

Damon Thomas and his TCCI Howard apologists have no idea what they are talking about when they claim the Work Choices system is working. If it was there would be no need for cash strapped workers to fork out $20,000 to get their grievances heard or for unions to spend members’ dues on a system that was once free to everyone. How Damon Thomas can speak with any authority on IR matters is beyond me bearing in mind his career prior to being employed with the TCCI.

For every employer caught and prosecuted there would be 10 more getting away with subjecting workers to AWAs under duress. In many cases then not even registering them so they don’t get proper scrutiny.

It’s no good claiming that young workers can get parents to check them out – how many parents do they think understand the system well enough to know whether their kids are getting screwed out of legitimate entitlements.

Yes, the Government may prosecute a few here and there (notably in seats they are desperate to win at the next election) – but why target pubs which employ casuals and part-timers? maybe because they are big pokie venues and won’t get much sympathy from the punting public!

How about targeting some employers who employ full-time workers who need 2 jobs because their take home pay under the AWAs imposed on them are so low they need government wage supplements.

The Oracle