WorkChoices
The Howard Government amended the Workplace Relations Act 1996 with the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005, which came into effect in March 2006.
Changes resulting from the WorkChoices Act included:
- the introduction of a national industrial relations system to replace separate state and federal systems;
- the establishment of the Australian Fair Pay Commission to replace the Australian Industrial Relations Commission for the determination of minimum wages;
- the exemption of companies with fewer than 101 employees from unfair dismissal laws;
- and increased restrictions on industrial action.
WorkChoices was supported by some employers but attracted significant opposition from unions. In response, the ACTU launched the ‘Your Rights at Work’ campaign.
The ‘Your Rights at Work’ campaign included a High Court challenge to the Government’s advertising campaign, national days of protest, online petitions and email campaigns, and advertising media.
Bob Hawke also participated in the ACTU’s ‘Your Rights at Work’ campaign.
Watch Bob Hawke discuss WorkChoices and the ‘Your Rights at Work’ campaign.
The campaign also involved support for Kevin Rudd, who opposed WorkChoices and promised to abolish it once elected during the 2007 Federal election campaign.
Explore more
- Govt, employers slam IR protests - ABC (2005, June 30)
- Resisting Howard's industrial relations 'reforms': an assessment of ACTU strategy - University of Sydney (2005)
- The 'Your rights at work' campaign: 2005-2007 - University of Technology Sydney Library (2009)
- Vow to scrap workplace agreements delights unions - The Sydney Morning Herald (2006, June 12)
Sources
- A Group of One Hundred and Fifty One Australian Industrial Relations, Labour Market, and Legal Academics. (2005). Research Evidence About the Effects of the ‘Work Choices’ Bill. http://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/wopapub/senate/committee/eet_ctte/completed_inquiries/2004_07/
wr_workchoices05/submissions/sub175_pdf.ashx - Australian Government. (2007). Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005. Federal Register of Legislation. https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2007C00183
- WorkChoices. (2021, May 7). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorkChoices
- yrawma. (2009, July 14). Bob Hawke discusses WorkChoices, Your Rights at Work campaign, and social goals [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTcT0ytFiVw
➥ For information on the library's collection, visit the Bob Hawke Guide or explore the Bob Hawke Collection.