Fight against IR law goes up a notch

Date: 14 November 2006

Today's High Court decision in favour of John Howard's industrial relations power-grab will only strengthen the resolve of the labour movement to fight against the unfair laws, AWU National Secretary Bill Shorten said.

The AWU had joined Unions NSW and State Labor Governments in mounting the challenge.

"This decision says John Howard can make these laws, not that these laws are fair to working families," Mr Shorten said

"It's a hollow victory for John Howard - all it does is give him the power to continue to cut the wages of ordinary working Australians at the same time as his economic mismanagement puts up interest rates and makes it hard for people to make ends meet."

Mr Shorten said the decision made the election of a Kim Beazley Labor Government and the re-election of State Governments in Victoria and NSW even more important, if Australians were to have any chance of a decent and fair future.

"The authors of our Constitution did not foresee this particular grab for power - they would not have approved of it but their wording has let it through," Mr Shorten said.

"We will continue to stand for working families against these unfair IR laws because that's what 80% of Australians want us to do," he said.

"The campaign has left the court room and moved to the ballot-box.

"This decision confirms that the place to change these laws is the Parliament, not the courts."

For further information

Union:	The Australian Workers' Union
Phone:	03 8327 0888
Email:	members@awu.net.au
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au

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