Greens support union calls for immediate changes to Work Choices

"The poll results released today by the ACTU come as no surprise to the Australian Greens," said Senator Rachel Siewert.

"Australians voted to get rid of Work Choices at the last election but  instead we still have AWAs, millions of workers not protected from unfair dismissal and award conditions being stripped away."

"In fact what we are getting from this ALP Government is Work Choices  Lite" senator Siewert said.

"The ALP wants us all to compare its industrial relations changes to  Work Choices, but a more apt comparison is the situation before the  aberration of Work Choices. On this test the ALP is failing to provide fair workplace laws for Australian workers."

The polling showed 77 per cent support for an independent umpire to settle disputes over agreements. Only the Australian Greens have an  industrial relations policy that supports this position.

"The Australian Greens are the only party in the current parliament to  have consistently called for the immediate re-introduction of unfair dismissal protection and introduced amendments to that effect in  March," said Senator Siewert. "Our amendments were defeated by the ALP and Opposition voting together."

  "We will continue to fight for the rights of workers to fair industrial relations laws and it is obvious this fight needs to
continue with the current Government as it did with the previous one,"  concluded Senator Siewert.

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