Collective bargaining lifts pay and community standards say unions in new TV ads

Unions will ramp up the campaign to scrap Work Choices and bring in new laws that protect workers’ rights with the release of two new union TV advertisements that highlight the value of collective bargaining for Australian workers.

From the new trade union TV ad

The new ads, along with the current 'It's time to deliver' union TV advertisement, will be broadcast nationally for the remainder of June.

The advertisements feature real workers highlighting the value of collective bargaining in delivering better pay and conditions as well as improved standards that can benefit the whole community.

Through collective bargaining workers in dangerous industries such as construction have achieved better safety standards, teachers have won lower class sizes for their students, nurses have lifted the standard of patient care through nurse-patient ratios and many women workers have achieved paid maternity leave.

"This week we have seen the release of new National Employment Standards by the Rudd Government that will help protect the basic rights of workers," ACTU Secretary, Jeff Lawrence, said as he launched new ads today.

"In particular, it is essential that the Rudd Government's new IR laws which are due later this year deliver on their commitment to give workers the right to bargain collectively with employers who must act in good faith.

"Despite the election last November which overwhelmingly rejected Work Choices, employers are still able to refuse to bargain collectively even if a majority of their workers want to.

"In addition, it is very important that the Rudd Government sticks to the policy it announced before the election of ensuring workers and employers can negotiate freely 'on whatever matters suit them'.

"Under Work Choices many issues were regarded as 'prohibited matters' and workers could be fined $6,000 and their union fined $33,000 simply for making a claim for things such as: unfair dismissal protection; trade union involvement in health and safety training; and equal pay requirements for contractors or labour hire staff.

"It is worrying to see that big business is trying to delay Labor's promise to restore collective bargaining rights by two more years. It is also ironic that employer lobby groups and the Liberals are now pressuring the Government to renege on commitments and want to keep unnecessary limitations and red tape on bargaining arrangements.

"With these advertisements unions are keeping faith with workers who voted out John Howard's WorkChoices IR laws and who are now waiting for our politicians to deliver a new, fairer IR system," said Mr Lawrence.