NFF ads on IR
Posted by Dave Bath on 2007-10-21
The National Farmers Federation advertisements pushing for further industrial relations changes (in line with the Howard agenda, even if denied) are interesting for two reasons:
- If there is no chance that Howard/Costello would continue their assault on workplace rights, then it is a waste of money taken from hard-pressed farmers.
- The major problems facing small farmers, who are committed to their land, rather than corporates who can readily move their capital elsewhere, relate to climate change, in which case the Howard government deserves criticism and not support.
If I was a farmer on family land, I’d be asking questions about these ads and the responsibility of NFF leaders. As I’m not a farmer, the ad raises questions about the true intent of the coalition for industrial relations.
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Ann El Khoury said
Hear, hear. How refreshing it is to read the phrase “industrial relations changes“, not the misnomer-to-mask-true-likely-effects: “reforms”
Dave Bath said
Glad you picked that up. I almost used the Coalition-speak term myself when writing this.
The worst example of the sort of Orwellian word-game you are talking about is Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) (Promoting Safer Workplaces) Amendment Bill of 2005 – it ‘promotes’ safer workplaces by protecting the Commonwealth, as employer, from ACT criminal manslaughter laws.
William Wallace said
Under John Howard Australia has been included on the International Labour Organisation’s list of 25 countries with the worst labour regimes.
His nasty Workchoices regime reminds me of the philosophy of the old Soviet labour code – no real unions, no real choices and no real pay for your labours.
If Howard thinks that the people of Australia are not intersted the onslaught of Workchoices on our pay and conditions he is quit wrong, most of us whilst now not in Unions and many in higher paid work than our parents generation no longer have any protection against unscrupulous employers.
I like many people in Australia have to work very long hours. It is not uncommon for my employer to expect me to work 50-55 hour weeks and I get no overtime pay.
Its time we got rid of politicians like John Howard and his 1950ies class warfare mindsets and got a PM with the ability to serve an Australia living in the fastest changing region in the world East Asia and bring in 21st century cooperative solutions into our workplaces not recyle the policies of a discredited dictatorship.