Senator Eric Abetz

As Labor’s “Un-Fair Work Week” draws to a close, it has become clear that no amount of propaganda and spin by Ms Gillard can hide the fact that Labor’s revised workplace laws failing, according to Shadow Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Senator Eric Abetz.

“This was the week where the “rubber hits the road” for the revised system and Ms Gillard has been running around the country with her travelling sideshow like one of the ‘7 dwarfs’ desperately trying to convince everyone who would listen that Labor’s new plan is the best thing since sliced bread”.

“However, all across the country, businesses small and large have discovered that the start of the New Year brings with it a workplace relations hangover of mass confusion, increased cost and higher prices to consumers and Ms Gillard is the ‘Evil Queen’ forcing Australian business with Labor’s ‘poisoned apple’ in the guise of her so called ‘Modern’ award scheme”.

Let’s have a look at the “highlights” of Labor’s Un-Fair Work week.

Labor Claim:     A new report shows Fair Work laws will cause savings to Australian economy of $4.8 billion over a decade.

Actual Reality:         The claim was based on a Gillard hand-picked sample of only 30 workplaces. The analysis did not take into account the actual cost now being foisted upon business with some small business facing a wages explosion which will more than offset the alleged savings.

Labor Claim:    Fair Work agencies are helping educate Australian workplaces about the new laws and modern awards.

Actual Reality:         Employers making enquiries to Fair Work Australia were told “we are unable to give advice about the interpretation of modern awards.”

Labor Claim:    Modern awards will not increase costs to business.

Actual Reality:         Across the country, small businesses with only 4 staff will be forced to find, on average, an extra $22,000.00 per year just to keep existing staff – an average increase of 14%.

Labor Claim:    Modern awards will not disadvantage employees.

Actual Reality:         Workers are going backwards. For example, some Teachers in New South Wales are reporting that their personal leave days have been stripped away from 25 days to 10 days per year. How does this help the work/family balance? People working weekends will lose shifts as business cannot afford to pay higher wages arising from the new system.

Labor Claim:    Fair Work laws will create 5000 jobs.

Actual Reality:         Jobs will be lost. The Retail sector alone estimates over 3000 workers will lose their jobs due to modern awards, with many other sectors highlighting similar estimates.

Labor Claim:    Fair Work laws will increase productivity and promote flexibility.

Actual Reality:         Fair Work has re-imposed rigid and out-dated rules and laws that were abandoned in the 1970’s. For example the new ‘Modern’ award applying to the Horticulture sector assumes that the standard working week for horticultural industry employees will now be Monday to Friday, 6am to 6pm.

“Ms Gillard apparently believes that fruit doesn’t ripen on weekends” said Senator Abetz.

Labor Claim:    We have educated business about the new laws.

Actual Reality:         Despite Ms Gillard’s promise of enlightenment Australian Business remains in the dark. The Retailers Association describes her as ‘aloof’ and ‘dismissive’ and warns her new Industrial relations laws will result in mass confusion and a huge blow out in wages and costs for business. One business even states “I have to pay people tomorrow and I have no idea what they should get – no-one can help!”

Labor Claim:    The laws not increase costs.

Actual Reality:         Consumers will pay as business increases prices to cover costs. For example in Queensland, the price of a cup of coffee is predicted to increase from $3.50 to $5.88 solely due to Labor’s modern awards.

Labor Claim:    We will take an educative approach to enforcing the revised laws.

Actual Reality:         Julia Gillard has rejected Coalition calls for a six-month moratorium on penalties for business operators who have unintentionally breached the new laws, even though the laws have not even been finalised.

“The list goes on and my office has been inundated with complaints from workers and business alike about the problems with these laws”.

“The changes make it harder for business to create jobs, harder for workers to get on with their job, and push up prices to the public”, says Senator Abetz.

“Now that we have seen the system in action, Labor’s rhetoric and platitudes have been exposed as false propaganda”.