Confessions of a Misguided Trio

Time flies...

Late Monday afternoon the Australian Federal government took the action of guillotining debate within the Senate to force a vote on the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005.

Late Tuesday afternoon the Australian Federal Government took the action of guillotining debate within the Senate to force a vote on the Workchoices Bill 2005 and the Welfare to Work and Other Measures Bill 2005.

The Howard Regime intends to pass another 14 pieces of legislation this week, a number of which are considered controversial. So it looks like the elected ones have a few long nights ahead of them, it also highlights the advantage in having a two house majority.

In the first post authored by the trio we vowed to confront, amongst other things, human rights, so it is only fair that I touch on the Workchoices Bill, a Bill that I believe constitutes a violation of Articles 23 and 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Article 23

1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family and existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protections of his interests.

So what makes me think that the Howard Regime is violating the rights of Australians?

The reforms, according to the Government, remove the unions' stranglehold on conditions and pay rates in favour of making the worker negotiate their conditions.

The outcome of such action can perhaps be best illustrated by Channel 9's Sunday Program which told us the tale of sewage treatment worker Steve Archer. (For the full transcript go here.)

Steve Archer: Well, we're on about $16.50 an hour on this job. There's no conditions. We work for a private contractor and he virtually dictates to us, whatever, you know.

Reporter (Sarah Ferguson): 'Whatever' means no overtime, no annual leave loading, no paid lunch break, and none of the other benefits, like the daily hygiene allowance, that the unionised workers get.

Archers wages and conditions were set not by the union but by a private contractor supplying workers to Sydney Water, those on the union award get better conditions and better pay.

Steve Archer: I've spoken with Sydney Water people that do this job and there's something in the order of around about $170 a week difference, for the same job.

So we have a violation of Section 2 Article 24 for of the Declaration... Equal Pay for equal work...

Article 24

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation
of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

The legislation that has been passed by the Senate protects an employee's unwillingness to work on Christmas day. As for reasonable limitations of working hours and periodic holidays with pay, well that is completely reliant upon the employees negotiating abilities.

Other countries that have enacted similar laws include New Zealand and Britain, you only need to speak to a Kiwi or a Brit at your local pub to find out how well they worked out for them...

posted by Mark @ 4:05 PM