Over the last two weeks we have provided summaries of the IR policies of the ALP and the Greens. This week we give you a comparison of these policies. 

On the basis of this comparison we conclude that if elected to Government, the ALP will remove some of the worst excesses of Workchoices but it will not throw these laws out completely. Major restrictions on the right to take industrial action and collectively organise will remain in breach of ILO standards. The Commission will not have its power to compulsorily arbitrate restored. The Greens policies would throw Workchoices out it its entirety, and restore the role of the independent umpire. These policies would truly restore fairness and equity to the workplace in Australia.

How To Get Two Votes For The Price Of One and Put an End to Workchoices

The critical importance of this issue has led the Committee of Management of the Union to recommending that members vote Greens 1 and Labor 2 in the House of Representatives. This is the first time that this Union has ever made a recommendation on how to vote in a federal election, and is an indication of how high the stakes are in this election.

You can have two votes against Workchoices in the House of Representatives by voting Green first, and giving your second preference to Labor. If the Green’s candidate does not get more votes than the Labor candidate then the Green candidate’s votes will be applied to the Labor candidate, as per the voter’s preference on the ballot paper. Your vote will then count as a Labor vote if you voted for the Green candidate first.

(If the Green candidate gets more votes than the Labor candidate he or she may well be elected on Labor preferences.)

Remember, for your vote to be valid you must number all boxes on the House of Representatives ballot paper.

Your vote in the Senate is critical as the Coalition could lose the election but maintain control of the Senate. If this occurred, it is almost certain that it would block any attempt to repeal Workchoices.

The ALP can not win control of the Senate in this election. Therefore, regardless of your vote in the lower house, it is critical to vote Green in the Senate to put an end to Workchoices. To vote Green in the Senate you can simply vote ‘1’ above the line for the Greens and do not have to number every box. Remember you do have to number every box on the House of Representatives ballot paper.

 

Comparison of the IR Policies of the Greens and ALP

 

	GREENS	ALP
AWAs	Immediate abolition of AWAs	To be phased out between 2007 and 2010.
COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS	Will facilitate industry-wide collective agreements that are union negotiated and which must exceed award standards. Parties will have access to the Commission if they are deadlocked. Employers will be required to enter collective agreements.	No prohibited content. Good faith bargaining to be restored. Commission can arbitrate in limited circumstances. Prohibition on pattern bargaining to continue.
UNIONS RIGHTS	Full right of entry to workplaces to be restored. Unions and their members to be protected against common law actions.	Workchoices to remain, meaning very limited right of entry.
PROTECTION FROM UNFAIR DISMISSAL	To be restored for all employees including casual, fixed term and probationary employees.	To be restored for employees with 6 months or more service in workplaces of 15 or more people; or for employees with 12 months or more service in workplaces of less than 15 people. Casual, fixed term and probationary employees to be excluded.
INDUSTRIAL ACTION	Right to strike in line with ILO conventions to be safeguarded by legislation. Requirement for secret ballots to be repealed. Anti-union provisions in the Trades Practices Act which prohibit secondary boycotts to be repealed.	Workchoices to be retained. Prohibited during life of enterprise agreements. Permitted during negotiations for EAs on restricted basis and subject to ballots to be conducted by Fair Work Australia.
INDUSTRIAL UMPIRE	Restoration of powers of Commission to make awards and settle disputes over enterprise agreements by  conciliation and arbitration	AIRC to be replaced with “Fair Work Australia” with powers to resolve grievances and unfair dismissal claims; to review and approve collective agreements and enforce workplace laws, awards and agreements. No power to compulsorily arbitrate awards and agreements.
AWARDS	Comprehensive, industry-wide awards determined through conciliation and arbitration by an independent Commission.	Limited to 10 minimum standards. Commission will have no power to arbitrate.
LEGISLATED EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS	Minimum standard for pay, annual leave (5 weeks for all employees) and hours of work.	Hours of work (38) Parental leave Flexible work for parents Annual leave (4 weeks, 5 weeks for shift workers) Personal, Carers and Compassionate leave Community Service Leave Public holidays Termination of Employment & Redundancy LSL
PARENTAL LEAVE	Introduction of a national scheme	No policy
PAY EQUITY	Establishment of a National Pay Equity Standard with industrial tribunals to be given full powers to issue orders to give effect to the standard.	No policy

 

We are running a survey of members’ voting intentions on the website. The survey is completely confidential – and in any case the Polls software cannot identify the sender. Let us know which party you intend to vote in the House of Representatives and in the Senate by going to the Polls section on our website (bottom of the right hand sidebar on the home page) and complete the poll. After you vote the aggregated responses to date will be displayed.

Our repeated requests for a meeting with the Govt. and VHIA to progress our EB claims have been ignored. The VHIA is apparently “too busy” to return our calls. The last meeting of the parties was 1 October 2007. Because the Govt. has refused to agree to an operative date of 1 October 2007 for commencement of the next Agreement, every day of delay potentially transfers money from your pocket to theirs.

We have written to the VHIA, calling for a meeting to be held next week. Should the stalling continue, the Act allows us to apply to the Commission for a secret ballot to allow members to decide whether to commence a campaign of industrial action.

Members meetings are currently being held in a number of major work sites to report on the negotiations. The meeting schedule is as follows:

St. Vincent’s Health Care	13/11/07; 12.30pm
The Alfred	21/11/07; 12.30pm
RMH	21/11/07; 1.00pm
Southern Health	23/11/07; 12.30pm
Austin Health	26/11/07; 1.00pm & 1.45pm
ARCBS	27/11/07; 12.30pm
Bendigo Health Care	30/11/07; 12.30pm