The Community & Public Sector Union (SPSF) recently prepared a comprehensive submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Workplace Relations Amendment (Workchoices) Bill 2005.

A number of PSA members are covered by specific State Public Sector awards and agreements, however many are employed in Constitutional Corporations.

The Submission clearly highlights a number of reasons why public sector workers forced into the Federal system will be worse off.

These include:

• They will lose negotiated terms and conditions that are now deemed prohibited in awards and agreements.

• They will lose access to a fair system of unfair dismissal procedures.

• Their union will be impeded in access to their members because of obstructionist right of entry rules.

• Workers may be forced to accept Australian Workplace Agreements.

• Workers will be denied access to trade union training leave.

• Worker's rights to take legitimate industrial action is severely curtailed.

• Workers will be subjected to heavier fines and are at greater risk of common law procedures for taking industrial action.

• They will lose access to more effective equal pay principles. Most States provide more effective legal mechanisms to achieve Equal Remuneration. The Federal provisions of the Act have failed to redress the problem of equal pay.

• If agreements come to an end and a new agreement is not reached within 3 months workers conditions and entitlements could be reduced to the five basic minimum entitlements.

• Negotiated conditions such as paid maternity leave, superior carer's leave and family leave could be reduced to bare minimum standards.

• Classification and wage structure may be compressed in the Award rationalisation process. This will remove career paths for many workers.

• Workers will be denied access to conciliation and arbitration unless both parties agree.
  

• The long established role of state unions in dispute settlement processes will be displaced.

• The abolition of the No Disadvantage Test will mean that agreements made can undercut collectively negotiated standards in awards and agreements.

The Submission, in its entirety, demonstrates the loss of the basic human right to share equally in the benefits of society and to have dignity at work.

In summary, the CPSU(SPSF Group) has asked the Senate to reject the Workchoices Bill.

Should you require further information on this matter, please contact your Industrial Officer or Simon Johnson on email: spj@cpsu.asn.au or phone 8205 3261.

YOUR RIGHTS AT WORK, WORTH FIGHTING FOR

29 November 2005