Meanwhile, a new policy debate on employment rights is being promoted by the Australian Institute of Employment Rights (AIER). http://www.aierights.com.au/ The AIER brings together a range of people from academia, unions, employers and employers, looking to develop good public policy on matters of employment. The AIER has just released a draft Charter of Employment Rights which can be accessed through the AIER website. These employment rights are based on: 

• Rights enshrined in international treaties which have been signed by Australia and to which Australia is bound under international law
• Values which have developed in Australia and which are embedded in our industrial history – the important qualities of ‘industrial fairness and reasonableness’ – what has been called the ‘fair go all round test’
• Rights appropriate to the employment relationship and which are recognised by the common law.

In summary the Charter of Employment Rights includes  

1 Right to Good Faith Performance the right to have agreed terms of employment adhered to and for a ‘fair go all round’ between employer and employees.

2 Right to Work with Dignity recognising that labour is not a mere commodity and that workers should be treated with respect and valued for their work, and provided with opportunities for skill enhancement and career progression.

3 Right to Freedom from Discrimination

4 Right to a Safe and Healthy Workplace

5 Right to Workplace Democracy While employers have the right to responsibly manage their businesses, workers have the right to express their views and to participate in decisions which have significant implications for themselves or the workplace.

6 Union Membership and Representation Workers have the right to form & join unions for the protection of their occupational, social and economic interests and to be represented by their union in the workplace.

7 Protection from Unfair Dismissal Workers have the right to security in employment & protection from unfair, capricious or arbitrary dismissal without valid reason.

8 Fair minimum standards of wages and conditions.

9 Fairness and Balance in Industrial Bargaining Workers have the right to collectively bargain through their chosen representative(s). Workers have the right to take industrial action and employers to respond. The parties should have access to conciliation, as well as to arbitration where there is no reasonable prospect of an agreement being reached.

10 Effective Dispute Resolution Workers and employers have the right and obligation to participate in dispute resolution in good faith, and to have access to a tribunal to resolve a grievance or enforce a remedy. 

It is not hard to see that WorstChoices breaches employment rights in a number of significant ways, and that ALP policy will restore rights.