ACTU Congress to voice concerns of 1.9 million Australian – will the Howard Government listen? Craig Emerson - Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations

Media Statement - 17 August 2003

This week's ACTU Congress will consider policies to restore the hope of a brighter future to working Australians.

In light of the Howard Government's sustained attacks on Australian families, the ACTU has a vital role in promoting the interests of both its members and the wider workforce.

The ACTU and its affiliates represent 1.9 million working Australians – the largest single voice in Australia today. They also promote fair pay and working conditions for all Australian workplaces.

In a week when the ACTU Congress will consider critical issues such as casualisation and balancing work and family life, Tony Abbott will continue his relentless attack on the unions that represent these 1.9 million workers.

The Workplace Relations Amendment (Compliance with Court and Tribunal Orders) Bill places severe new penalties on union members and officials, without even pretending that such penalties would apply to individual employers. It would do nothing to prevent employers from locking out workers for weeks or even months at a time, as has happened around Australia recently. Labor will oppose this punitive, one-sided Bill when it is considered by the Senate this week.

I call on the Howard Government to stop these attacks on working Australians and the unions that represent them.