Workers' Protests Across Australia Send Message to Howard Govt on IR Laws

Widespread community concern over cuts to take-home pay and the loss of basic employment conditions has underpinned strong turnouts at protests across Australia on Wednesday 28 June says the ACTU.

ASU Members Join the Protest Outside Trish Draper's Office in the MArginal Electorate of Makin

Widespread community concern over cuts to take-home pay and the loss of basic employment conditions has underpinned strong turnouts at protests across Australia today says the ACTU.

Around 300,000 people have attended rallies and other events across Australia today, sending a strong message to the Howard Government that the Australian public opposes the new IR laws.

Commenting on the rallies today, ACTU President Sharan Burrow said:

"The Government's own Office of the Employment Advocate has admitted that every new AWA individual contract it has registered since the Government's new IR laws came into affect have removed at least one award condition and that 64% of AWAs have removed workers' right to leave loading; 63% cut penalty rates and overtime; 52% cut shift loadings; 40% stripped away public holidays; and 16% removed ALL protected award conditions.

Widespread concern about cuts to workers' take-home pay and the loss of entitlements such as penalty rates, overtime payments and other basic entitlements has underpinned the large turnouts at the rallies today.

The rallies show a groundswell of opposition to the new IR laws and are a clear signal to the Howard Government that it faces a tough fight at the next election over its IR laws," said Ms Burrow.

UNION ESTIMATES OF RALLY NUMBERS

Unions estimate a further fifty to sixty thousand people also attended rallies in regional centres across Australia today: