SHOCKFACTS: Undermining unions

August 10, 2005
Issue 
638

On average, union members earn $125 more per week than workers who are not in unions, and have better working conditions and job security. The federal Coalition government wants to undermine the ability of unions to fight for workers' rights by:

  • Making unions provide written notice of intended workplace visits and allowing managers to restrict where union representatives meet workers.

  • Encouraging employers to monitor discussions between workers and their union, and to monitor who is or isn't a union member.

  • Preventing union officials from visiting a workplace more than once every six months (if they talk about recruiting while they are there).

  • Making it harder for workers to legally take industrial action, such as strikes, while in negotiation with their employer.

  • Increasing penalties for unions and workers who breach IR laws.

[Source: <http://www.actu.asn.au/work_rights>.]

From Green Left Weekly, August 17, 2005.
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