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TOUGHER RULES FOR WORK THE Federal Government's new laws rewriting the ground rules for Australian workplaces will take effect early this year after the Senate passed the most far-reaching changes in a century the Work Choices legislation.The Prime Minister believes the changes - vast in their scope - are needed to complete the modernisation of the economy, putting Australia on a more competitive footing internationally. The Prime Minister, John Howard said it would be good for jobs and higher wages. "It's not extreme, it's not radical. It's not revolutionary. It's measured. Further change that will strengthen the Australian economy," he said. Mr Howard's stated goal is to boost labour flexibility and productivity with workplace agreements tailored to individual enterprises that have minimal interference from unions or other "third parties". For the first time, Australia will have a national industrial relations system as the commonwealth takes control of state regimes in Labor states. Minimum working conditions for the majority of workers on employment agreements will be reduced to five - a minimum wage starting at $12.75 an hour, four weeks' annual leave, 10 days' sick leave and a 38-hour week. Workers will have the right to refuse to work on public holidays, but they will be negotiable. The only workers guaranteed little change to minimum conditions will be those on state and federal awards, reduced to 16 conditions. Mr Howard hopes small to medium firms will have a new incentive to hire labour after removing the right of employees to claim unfair dismissal in businesses with fewer than 100 employees. |
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