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By kiley gaffney,

The new anti-union Liberal ad labelling Labor powerbrokers as ANTI-BUSINESS had my sides splitting tonight.

Dressed up as a poor (or decidedly rich) man's Barbara Kruger, the bold graphics lend an air of visual melancholia to the campaign that reflects the fifties themed stylings of Liberal (and increasingly Labor) policies. The America's Most Wanted vibe of the ad takes me back to a childhood marked by claims of 'reds under beds' by hyper-Catholic fearmongerer Bob Santamaria on his weekly broadcast.

My despair at how quickly this country has spiralled into new economy rhetoric dressed up as old country values is palpable. The speed with which Labor is trying to distance itself from organizations that have had at the heart of them concern for the rights of workers is probably the hardest part to swallow. I have previously lamented the death of the union as social equalizer in the national imaginary but to have the Liberal party rearticulate business as the underdog really turns my gut.

I found myself asking, "Am I supposed to be horrified that there are unions out there interested in the welfare of workers and not the welfare of buisness?" Are 'Australian values', the lynchpin of hegemonic rhetoric these days, so embedded in advanced liberal governance that 'we' can no longer distinguish our needs as individual and communal citizens from industrial imperatives? Should we be horrified that an elected representative might be more sympathetic to historically socio-politicised welfare agents than industrial ones? We have to decide whether we are more comfortable being targeted as consumers or as citizens in the most basic political sense.

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scare campaign won't gel

By: Deb A (Registered ) on 18-10-2007 02:51

It is interesting that there is a fear campaign surrounding union membership. The students that I know with part time jobs that allow them to join a union are in a much better position than those not in unions. Those in unions are paid penalty rates while those not in unions can work on a Sunday night until 10pm and get the same low rate of pay that they get on an ordinary weekday. The union member also gets consideration for study hours and in one case got a $150.00 dollar scholarship to support their education. The students in unions have better conditions and are treated with greater respect than those without. For those people who have experience with students in both groups, this union scare campaign simply won't gel.

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We need democratic unions

By: willy*bach (Registered ) on 18-10-2007 04:14

Thanks to Kiley Gaffney for a well reasoned article and Deb A's comments.

The Howard government is pretty desperate and doesn't have many more tricks. Unfortunately all they have is tricks - and bribery. They have no vision for a more equitable society – only an ideology of harsher, more punitive controls on your rights at work.

Joe Hockey has slipped up today and told the ABC he sees “essentially no roll for unions”. So, a newly elected Howard government would be eager to find new ways to discourage union membership, to choke unions and to limit their ability to operate. Peter Costello has already told us he expects to see (eventually) that 100% of workers will be denied unfair dismissal provisions. Are you scared yet? You should be!

It gets worse! A Rudd Labor government intends to keep most of the worst parts of Worst Choices. This includes the requirement that employers are told which of their staff had the temerity to make an appointment to see a union official at the workplace. Whilst I would not support bullying by union bosses, I suspect that there are a few employers who have been doing their share of bullying. The union leaders who have joined Mr Rudd's front bench will be as outspoken about travesties like this as Peter Garrett is on the environment.

Now we are justifiably scared of losing all of our rights at work we can laugh at John Howard's 1950's style scare campaign and start asking the Labor Party why their IR policy is nowhere near as fair as the Greens policy.

http://qld.greens.org.au/ election2007/policy-documents/ Greens%20PolicySnapshot.pdf/ view - see page 5 for fair workplaces.

Willy Bach
Greens candidate for Griffith

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Working conditions in rural Qld

By: anne_elk (Registered ) on 18-10-2007 04:25

When I was 21 I worked as a waitress for (off memory) $20 per hour on Saturdays - time and a half.

On Sundays and public holidays it was tripple time.
(pre-children) I didn't mind working Christmas Day, and us "good reliable workers" always had a nice little (extra cash) bonus to take home.

I am now 47 year old. I have had a bit of experience in many fields.

I now get $15 per hour no matter what the day.
I work a damn sight harder than i did when i was 21 (and very healthy). In three out of my last 4 casual positions, if I had mentioned joining a union, i would have been fired immediately (for some other reason).

Union membership is not encouraged by anyone out here.

Bring back the good ole days... :-(

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Fear

By: Doug (Registered ) on 20-10-2007 23:39

The coalition has run a fear campaign at every election this is just the same. It has been refugees terrorists interest rates and everything else under the sun. This is just another pure fear campaign. I thought AUstralians were supposed to be the brave sons and daughters of ANZACs not craven cowards hiding under beds.

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