Greg Combet Kicks Off the 2006 Your Rights at Work Campaign

Please see Greg's email to you below. Greg is keen to hear from ASU members about the Your Rights at Work campaign, it is important that members like you provide your Union leaders with feedback and information so we can run the best campaigns with you. Greg can be emailed at gregcombet@rightsatwork.com.au.

Greg Combet and Andy Dennard

Your Union will be working with the ACTU on the Your Rights at Work campaign and most importantly, will be working with you on the organising steps you need to take to win the best pay and conditions in your workplaces and industries.

The Howard Government's new industrial relations legislation gives workers and their families nothing; it will not assist you to collectively resolve your issues - in fact the new laws deliver exactly the opposite - you will be on your own without a safety net. It is only by truly acting as a collective of Union members that we will win on the issues you care about.

Along with other Union leaders like Greg we are ready to stand beside you and do what it takes to ensure the values of fairness and equality are upheld and the rights at work of all Australians and future Australians are preserved. Please contact us anytime.
In solidarity
Andy Dennard, Branch Secretary
Katrine Hildyard, Branch Assistant Secretary

Greg's Letter

Dear supporter,

Last year you joined with thousands of Australians to try and stop the Coalition from ramming its radical industrial relations plan through Parliament.

Your hard work turned the tide of the nation's opinion. The November 15 rallies were an unprecedented show of community strength. But the Howard Government ignored the overwhelming public opposition to WorkChoices.

Our campaign does not end with the passage of these unfair laws.

We have major state and national events planned for 2006. Thanks to generous donations from workers, our advertising campaign will continue to reach out to the community. Local Rights at Work groups have been forming all over Australia. Some already have more than 300 volunteers. More than 100,000 people have joined the Rights at Work website.

As we approach the next federal election, we will take this fight to the very doorstep of the Liberal and National politicians who lumped us with these unfair laws. We will target them in their electorates. We will put their jobs at risk.

Together, we will create a vision for an alternative industrial Relations system. The Labor Party has promised to tear up these unfair laws. We must maintain our pressure on them to make sure they do so.

You can help by keeping your eyes peeled. People will be hurt by these laws. Look out for one another. If you're not yet in a Union, join - and ask your colleagues and family to join too. Over the coming years, the best protection will be achieved by standing shoulder to shoulder and staring the Howard Government down.

Your help and input are vital to the continued success of the campaign. Please consider adding your name and a comment to our ever-growing Rights at Work Pledge. The pledge can be found here: Rights at Work Pledge

I look forward to working with you in 2006 - it's going to be a big year.

Greg Combet, ACTU Secretary