Our rights at work
At our Newcastle Greens Local Group meeting on Saturday 18 November, 2006 it was resolved that:
This meeting:
1. supports the rebuilding of a fair and just system of industrial relations in Australia. The key ingredients of equitable industrial relations include:
o the replacement of a regime of conflict and intimidation with one of respect and cooperation;2. supports the repeal of Australian Workplace Agreements and the Howard government’s industrial relations legislation.
o a guarantee of the rights of workers and their unions including the right to bargain collectively, be represented by a union, to strike, to secure employment, to free expression without fear of reprisal and to a safe workplace with decent pay and conditions; and
o the restoration of a strong system of industry-wide comprehensive awards.
3. commits to developing a broad-based community campaign to work for an equitable industrial relations system.
4. resolves to actively support community events, protests and strike action, including solidarity on picket lines where workers are under attack, and to build broad-based opposition to the Federal Government’s industrial relations regime.
5. acknowledges the steps taken by the Iemma government to protect certain workers in NSW from some aspects of the Howard industrial relations regime and calls on NSW Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca to extend this protection by introducing legislation that will:
o restore the right of unions to enter workplaces,6. supports the formation of workplace committees across unions to strengthen opposition to WorkChoices.
o strengthen occupational health and safety laws, and
o protect apprentices and trainees.
7. calls on all progressive political parties and organisations to work together to defeat the Howard government and to create a new industrial relations system.
