WORKPLACE AGREEMENT CHANGES WON’T END WITH CRISIS

Workplace agreement changes that are rammed through without proper scrutiny under new Morrison Government rules will remain in place after the coronavirus crisis.

While the Government insists its new regulation will expire after six months – the changes made to EBAs under that regulation during that time will not.

The new regulation slashes the consultation period for EBA changes from one week to one day. That means employers will be able to tell their workers about proposed changes to pay and conditions one day, and then force them to vote on those changes the very next day.

That means workers will be required to vote on often complex changes without time to properly consider what effect they might have – or time to consult with their colleagues or their union.

Some employers will no doubt insist those changes – which will include cuts to pay and conditions – are necessary to keep people employed during the coronavirus crisis.

But once the business emerges from the crisis any changes made will persist until there’s another vote.

Just last month Christian Porter insisted he would not allow employer bodies or unions to use this crisis to push their agendas for permanent changes to our industrial relations system.

But by caving to this business body demand he has given employers the power to embed permanent changes that will leave workers worse off.

There has been tremendous goodwill between unions and employer bodies during this crisis. Why is the Government trying to undermine that goodwill with this terrible decision?

Just a few weeks ago the Government was insisting there were no unions and employers anymore – that we were all on Team Australia. Decisions like this suggest that was just empty rhetoric.

FRIDAY, 17 APRIL 2020