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Issue No. 293 | 20 December 2005 |
Waves of Destruction
Interview: Back to the Future Unions: A Real Page Turner Industrial: The Pin-Striped Union International: Around The World In 365 Days Legends: Terrific, Tommy Your Rights At Work: Worth Fighting For Politics: The Year That Was Economics: Master and Servant Revisited Culture: 2005: The Year of Living Repetitively Bad Boss: The Bottom Ten Religion: Hymns from a Different Song Sheet
Harper's Bizarre Excuse for Failure Workers Walk As Warnings Wiped Professionals Fear for Their Kids
Predictions The Soapbox Parliament The Locker Room Postcard
Free to Rat Tax Cuts and Cockroaches Proportion, Not Distortion Corp That!
Labor Council of NSW |
News Professionals Fear for Their Kids
Following the release of a poll by Auspoll, which found that around 75 per cent of APESMA members surveyed were concerned or very concerned about major parts of the Government's new IR laws, APESMA head John Vines says that despite the respondents' high incomes, they were worried about how the changes will affect their kids once they entered the workforce. "People believe the new system is inherently unfair," says Vines, adding the belief that young people will be worse off, despite whatever tertiary qualifications they may have, is widespread. Besides the view that individual contracts and the demolition of awards will mean worse working conditions for low skilled jobs many students hold while completing their studies, Vines says his members fear such problems will also apply to when their children begin their careers. "Things might be OK for those working in large firms where there are appropriate HR practices, but young graduates in small to medium enterprises are much more likely to be subject to the law of the jungle," says Vines, adding that small and medium firms make up the lion's share of employment for APESMA members. The poll, which was commissioned by APESMA, found the overwhelming majority of those surveyed were deeply disturbed by the reduction of influence of awards and enterprise agreements, the reduction of the powers of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and the removal of the no-disadvantage test for Australian Workplace Agreements as compared to awards or enterprise agreements under the new laws. Just under 30 percent said they were likely or very likely to change their vote at the next federal election based on the IR issue. This was despite the fact that over 35 per cent of those surveyed voted Liberal at the last election, that over half of them earn between $60,000 and $100,000 a year and 26 per cent earn over $100,000 a year. APESMA has around 42,000 members, including architects, IT, pharmacists and veterinarians.
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