LITHOW WORKING FAMILIES RIGHT TO BE OUTRAGED
July 25, 2007

Working families in Lithgow are right to be outraged about revelations that Prime Minister John Howard knew his radical industrial laws would hurt employees.

Bob Debus, the Labor candidate for Macquarie, said Lithgow people who had lost pay or conditions as a result of the WorkChoices laws had been deliberately hurt by the Howard Government.

Excerpts from a biography of John Howard revealed that Mr Howard pushed through the final draft of WorkChoices despite some Cabinet members saying they were concerned about the impact of the new laws.

Last week, a visiting Industrial Relations Taskforce heard stories from Lithgow people about workplace exploitation.

“The Taskforce heard stories of young people being forced to sign away their penalties, shift allowances, overtime and meal breaks under threat of losing their work,” said Mr Debus.

“I was deeply concerned to hear of families in Lithgow who now fear for their futures as a result of WorkChoices.

“And now we find out that Mr Howard and his Cabinet knew in advance that working families would be hurt by these laws.

“This revelation from two credible academic biographers cuts to the heart of the Howard Government’s motivations – that WorkChoices was always about cutting conditions and take-home pay.”

Mr Debus said employees were being squeezed by the new laws and a high Lithgow unemployment rate of 7.5 per cent.

“Mr Howard and his Ministers have abused the trust of working people by passing laws that threaten job security,” Mr Debus said.

Mr Debus said a Rudd Labor Government would replace WorkChoices with an IR system based on balance, flexibility and fairness.