Improving the fairness of workplace conditions

By Lewis Hamilton

At a time when the Abbot-led Opposition has withdrawn from its election promise of WorkChoices as “dead, buried, cremated”, the issue of industrial relations in the new Gillard Government becomes all the more crucial to the future of a fair and prosperous workplace.

With Liberal backbenchers showing signs that they want the archaic legislation redebated in Parliament, the deep ideological divide between the ALP and the Liberal Party is florescent. The Labor Party respects that workers have a right to fair working conditions that aren’t stripped of the privilege to negotiate for wages and to be given due reason for dismissal. The Liberal Party, in contrast, has been keen to remove those privileges that have been so fundamental to the Australian workplace. It’s what they ran on in 2007, and apparently it’s what they want the new minority government to put on the agenda.

The difference between the two parties on industrial relations is markedly clear when Labor’s track-record is put to the test. It was a Labor government that pledged to return workplace conditions to decent standards in 2007.

In 2009, the final Fair Work Act reaffirmed the true Labor commitment to workplace fairness. By reintroducing unfair dismissal laws to businesses with fewer than 100 employees the legislation sought to establish a renewed sense of fairness in the workplace. It is one thing to seek efficiency, but this can be done without the removal of basic worker entitlements such as the right to have due reason for dismissal, and to be given the opportunity to respond to a dismissal; the WorkChoices legislation brought this disastrous policy into law, the Labor government under Rudd and now Gillard has taken it away.

Efficiency is more than just the ability for businesses to adjust to changing conditions, it’s also about workers feeling secure and comfortable in their employment and thereby being able to focus on the work they were assigned to do. Giving power to a central tribunal, Fair Work Australia, in the determination of unfair dismissal claims, was also a sure step in the direction of a fairer workplace. Motives affect the decisions of employers in their dismissal decisions other than simply the pursuit of efficiency in the workplace. A central, independent arbiter is necessary to find a balance between competing interests in the workplace, and competing claims.

In line with this Young Labor renews its commitment to the industrial relations debate and will consistently dedicate itself to the cause of a fairer and more just workplace. As the youth affiliate of the ALP we will not only hold our opponents to account, but hold our own Party to account. We encourage the Labor government to continue to support Fair Work Australia and recognise its importance in reconciling diverse interests in Australian industries. We recognise that there must be a balance in achieving both an efficient and flexible workforce with the commitment to the rights of employees throughout Australia.

Having a workforce free of exploitation is just as important as having one that is capable of moving to the skill areas where it is most needed. The intentions of Liberal backbenchers pose a real risk to the stability of worker rights and the industrial relations framework as a whole. With the uncertainty of a minority government, a commitment to the protection of these entitlements remains pivotal to preventing a return to the past.