• Want to help us with this year's BoS Trials?
    Let us know before 30 June. See this thread for details
  • Looking for HSC notes and resources?
    Check out our Notes & Resources page

The official IR reform thread! (1 Viewer)

MoonlightSonata

Retired
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
3,645
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
Following on from the last article ^
Release Treasury advice on IR: ALP

November 5, 2005 - 5:54AM
(Full Article: SMH)


Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has called on the government to release Treasury advice it has received on the economic benefit of workplace reform.

[...] Mr Beazley said the federal government argument that the changes would be good for the economy was incorrect. He said the Treasury advice proved this and the government must release it. [...]

"We found out yesterday that Peter Costello is concealing from the Australian people the Treasury advice that he's got," Mr Beazley told reporters in Sydney.

"Costello should release the Treasury advice immediately because that will show what all economists are saying, that nothing in these laws is going to benefit the Australian economy. If this was a great, glowing report on what the effect of all this would be, it would be straight out there."
I am inclined to agree with that last statement
 

Generator

Active Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
5,244
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Building union throws down the gauntlet

---

Workers need court on consent

Workers need court on consent
Brad Norington
November 07, 2005



BUSINESSES will be able to impose workplace agreements on staff without seeking their approval -- or even consulting them - under John Howard's new industrial changes.

The Prime Minister's historic reforms, WorkChoices, will put the onus on employees to go to court if they want to challenge that consent was given and have an agreement ruled invalid.

[continued - see link]
 

transcendent

Active Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
2,954
Location
Beyond.
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
i've stayed out of this thread as IR doesn't yet affect me and all this economic talk just goes way over my head. can someone summarise this in laymen terms?
 

Liberal Scum

Banned
Joined
Oct 30, 2005
Messages
173
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
transcendent said:
i've stayed out of this thread as IR doesn't yet affect me and all this economic talk just goes way over my head. can someone summarise this in laymen terms?
The reforms allow workers to have more flexibility in their contracts, by negotiating things such as:
- annual leave
- public holidays
- overtime loading
to trade for various other things that they may want/need to suit their situation.
 

Generator

Active Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
5,244
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Liberal Scum said:
The reforms allow workers to have more flexibility in their contracts, by negotiating things such as:
- annual leave
- public holidays
- overtime loading
to trade for various other things that they may want/need to suit their situation.
'Negotiate', not negotiate :).

Read through the most recent posts, lengy, because I'm sure that I recently posted the link for at least one "IR reforms for beginners" article.

Edit: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17113066%5E2702,00.html (not the most detailed article, but it seems to be a brief yet reasonable account of the reforms).
 
Last edited:

Sarah

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2002
Messages
421
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
Liberal Scum said:
The reforms allow workers to have more flexibility in their contracts, by negotiating things such as:
- annual leave
- public holidays
- overtime loading
to trade for various other things that they may want/need to suit their situation.
Just to add to that brief, reforms are aimed at giving flexibility to employers as well.
 

transcendent

Active Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
2,954
Location
Beyond.
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
why does this sound like it's a major change? i especially don't like the reference to being 'competitive' with India and China. what does Howard hope to achieve with the introduction of IR reforms? i personally think we are given too much responsibility. too much to worry about.
 

transcendent

Active Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
2,954
Location
Beyond.
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
i can be bothered going to that site and reading up about workchoices but not study for my biology exam... today. thanks for the link.
 

Generator

Active Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
5,244
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Labor House ejections 'deliberate'

LABOR MPs were getting themselves kicked out of parliament over the Federal Government's industrial relations changes to consolidate their power base, Treasurer Peter Costello said today.

He said the rash of ejections last week – in which 18 Labor MPs were thrown out – was just a tactic of beleaguered ALP members.

"This desire of Labor Party MPs to get ejected from parliament is not adding one bit to the policy discussion," he told reporters.

"I think the reason why they're doing it is that they know they're preselections are coming up, that the unions control a lot of these preselections and they want to go into the preselection with a badge of honour.

"If you're not in the parliament, you're unlikely to be able to expose the weaknesses in the legislation.

"In the case of some Labor members it's quite possible they're more productive outside of the parliament than in."
---

Question time is on for those with an hour to waste. The Senate is being broadcast on 2, so head here for the House of Representatives feed. Alternatively, listen to NewsRadio (630) for a live broadcast of the proceedings within the lower house.
 

leetom

there's too many of them!
Joined
Jul 2, 2004
Messages
846
Location
Picton
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
Last edited:

Generator

Active Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
5,244
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Insight, SBS, right now (I'll post the transcript or a link to the transcript later).

Hawke is on fire, and maybe I'm slightly biased, but those speaking against the reforms as they currently stand appear to be carrying the stronger argument.
 

frog12986

The Commonwealth
Joined
May 16, 2004
Messages
641
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
This entire IR debate has become a farce..So over it..

An example of an existent 'workchoices' in my workplace. Firstly, the current award stipulates that I must receive $1.75 for every 6 hours I work as a so-called 'Laundry Allowance'. My employer has individually spoken to each employee to determine whether they would prefer to receive that or free meals whilst working and half-price meals every other time. Obviously I chose the latter. Furthermore, for public holidays our employer has also negotiated with each employee to earn 1.5 time as oppose to double time, with a cash-in-hand agreement. this not only reduces the burden placed upon the finances of the business, but concurrently benefits each employee. Now whilst not 'workchoices' as such, it is an example of the benefits of workplace flexibilty..

He is adamant that the vast majority of employers, particularly in small business such as himself, are not going to sacrifice the quality of their employees, products or productivity for the alternative option. Moreover, we are in a current situation where there is almost a shortage of workers, which most people are aware, and sacrificing one's best employees in many industries simply isn't an option.

It is merely an ideological battle between the spent force often referred to as the unions, and the political right. All I can say is that nothing will be worse than the conditions, both economically and socially, that existed under the accord of the 1980's. As Alexander Downer rightly stated, the 'nanny state' is a spent force and any aligned notion is completely redundant.

The truth will not be known by the rhetoric of :
- John Howard/The Government
- The ALP
- Business Movements
- The Unions or
- University Academia...
As with the GST, the only true indicator of its effects will be the period 3-5 years after it's implementation...this speculation by all parties I'm sure is driving everyone insane..
 
Last edited:

Generator

Active Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2002
Messages
5,244
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
What is so wrong with the idea of a nanny state of some sort existing to protect those who cannot protect themselves for whatever reason?
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top