John Howard - Work Choices, March 2006

John Howard's Government has not only shown it's arrogance with media manipulation (read Margo's NOT HAPPY, JOHN!), the Australian forces but also with the commencement of Work Choices which came into effect in March of 2006.

Work Choices would have to be the key which unlocked the door of abuse by employers onto their employees.

Work Choices will be what John Howard will be remembered for but perhaps not in the positive way Johnny would like but quite the opposite!

Work Choices is the beginning of an end to what many before us stood up and fought for.

Did you know under the new Work Choices (Industrial Laws):

• Employees that work in places with less than 100 employees can be sacked without a reason
• Those work places which do employ more than 100 people can be sacked too, for 'operational reasons' without any recourse. Let us look at the Andrew Cruickshank case:

Andrew Cruickshank, 42, was made redundant by the Priceline retail chain in November along with 31 other employees. He was employed as one of the company’s four “space planners”, determining where products were placed in the chain’s outlets.

His salary package totalled $101,000, made up of $75,000 salary, superannuation payments and a car. The job was subsequently readvertised, offering a salary package of up to $75,000.

Two space planners, including Mr Cruickshank, earned considerably more than the other two planners, and the company decided significant cost savings were possible by making the two higher-paid positions redundant.

• If you start a new job or get a promotion, you could be forced to sign an individual contract or AWA as a condition of employment - if you don't sign you don't get the job
• AWA's only need to include 5 conditions. This means your employer can remove PENALTY RATES FOR SHIFT WORK, PUBLIC HOLIDAY PAY, OVERTIME PAY, TEA BREAKS, ROSTERED DAYS OFF (RDO's), REDUNDANCY PAY, 5 DAY WORKING WEEK, 17½% LEAVE LOADING and more
• 100 years protection of the award salary net has been effectively abolished

Hard working Australians, think about this.

Think about how these John Howard's Work Choices effect you.

Think about how John Howard's Work Choices will effect you children and grand children and their children.

Think about John Howard's Work Choices when you case you vote at the 2007 Federal Election.