The worst fears of West Australian workers have been realised with Colin Barnett set to introduce WorkChoices for more than 300,000 WA workers.
The radical changes were outlined yesterday in the long overdue Amendola review of WA’s industrial relations system. Changes recommended in the report include weakening the Award safety net, gutting the independent umpire, weakening unfair dismissal laws and changes which would force workers to sign individual contracts in WA workplaces. The report’s recommendations include the worst features of Workchoices.
Mr Barnett’s Christmas gift to more than 300,000 West Australians workers is a plan to force workers to sign individual contracts and strip the award system by abolishing many existing conditions provided in awards. He plans to effectively abolish unfair dismissal protection for West Australians working in small businesses and on top of this to make changes which will intimidate workers into not raising issues including those relating to workplace safety with their union.
This report is a sneaky attempt to get WorkChoices-style legislation in through the back door while people are distracted in the lead-up to Christmas. Join the No WorkChoices in WA campaign and let Mr Barnett know that WA workers won’t fall for this!
