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IR laws an attack on women workers
by Joseph Toscano
Thursday June 15, 2006 at 01:58 AM
Repost from Anarchist Age 695
The Howard government's Workplace Relations laws will have a profound effect on female employees, because it is specifically directed at casual, part-time, non unionised workers. It is no accident that Spotlight has been able to offer its new staff 2cents an hour to 'compensate' them for the loss of overtime and leave loading payments. The meat workers at Cowra were able to fight off the company's attempts to do the same to them because they were able to mobilise public opinion through their unions.
Women provide the bulk of part-time, casual, non unionised staff. The new legislation will force them back into the home because increasing childcare costs will make it uneconomical to continue working. Those that continue to work, will have to rely on babysitting facilities provided by mothers, aunts and friends. This new legislation will force more and more retired women to abandon a quiet retirement and become free babysitters for their families. Already retired couples, mainly women, are finding the burden of babysitting is falling on their shoulders because their children cannot afford to work and pay the necessary childcare fees.
The Workplace legislation will have a devastating effect on women and retirees. It will turn casual, part-time workers into virtual slaves who will be forced to work increasingly long hours to make ends meet. It will force more and more retirees to give up any plans of retirement. It will also have a devastating effect on family life, especially the lives led by children because they will be see less and less of their parents. Single parents will be hard hit by this new legislation. Forced to look for work once their children reach school age, they will find that unless they have solid family backing that their health and the health of their children will suffer under this draconian piece of legislation.
The Howard government's pro family rhetoric is just that, rhetoric. Family First's pro family rhetoric is also just rhetoric. This new legislation will have a profound effect on the most vulnerable members of our community. It needs to be actively resisted by all sections of society. Women, single parents, their children and grandparents will have the most to lose from this legislation. That is why it is imperative that the struggle to overturn the Workplace Relations laws is taken up by all sections of society, not just the trade unions.
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Join the General Strike Block
by davey
Friday June 16, 2006 at 12:37 AM
It will indeed take the whole community to come together to take on these IR laws. We are going to have to do more than the ACTU leadership's plans of ad campaigns and hoping for a Beazley victory.
So take a leaf out the French communities position and join calls for a General Strike by joing the General Strike Block on the June 28th IR Rally in the Bourke St Mall at 9.30 PM. Bring banners, placards, music and noise makers and lets inject some spirit and a real strategy of Direct Action to defeat these unjust laws.
Mr
by Joshua
Saturday June 17, 2006 at 12:39 PM
>The Howard government's pro family rhetoric is just >that, rhetoric. Family First's pro family rhetoric is also >just rhetoric.
I don't understand this comment - it was precisely because Family First felt the legislation to be anti-family friendly that it voted against the IR changes. It seems to me that actually voting against the changes was more than just rhetoric.
Women and IR
by Anon.
Friday July 28, 2006 at 03:20 PM
while i strongly disagree with the Howard Government's new IR laws I do not believe that it is fair to say that they will force women back into the home
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