NSW: Workplace laws Breach international standards

Tue May 26 2009 05:56 a.m. Source: ABC News

A union report has found the Labor Government's new workplace laws contain serious breaches of International Labour Organisation standards.

The Fair Work Bill was passed by Federal Parliament in March.

The secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, Brian Boyd, says he pushed for the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) to investigate the laws.

He says the Government's changes won the unions' support because they were an improvement on WorkChoices, but there have always been concerns.

"What we really want to do now is ask the Rudd-Gillard Government in its second term of office to consider seriously a new package of IR reforms to make sure we get rid of WorkChoices completely, because the new act doesn't do that," he said.

"I don't think it will look bad if we go to the ACTU congress and demand more changes from the future ALP government. That's what we intend to do, off the back of this report that was commissioned back in March."

ACTU president Sharon Burrow says the areas of concern include the need for strong occupational health and safety law and equal rights for building workers.

But she has also defended the unions' support of the Fair Work Bill.

"Getting rid of the elements of WorkChoices that prevented people from bargaining collectively, that allowed the employer to have all of the power, that ripped out the power of the independent umpire that took away people's rights to act against unfair dismissal - those things are gone," she said.