Labor changes IR laws.. unions have a cow

Oh no, what would the ALP be without its union support. The unions are currently dishing out $100mil in advertising to help frighten the population over Howard's rather tame and minor changes to the IR laws, as the federal election draws ever closer.

But Kevin Rudd has shifted the ALPs platform towards deregulation. Unions hate freedom and enterprise, and are not impressed. I think Rudd knows he can do this without losing their votes, who else would they vote for anyway ?

Labor will back secret ballots on industrial action and will also radically alter its unfair dismissal platform.

Under the new plan, small-business owners with fewer than 15 staff will be able to sack workers who have been employed for less than a year.

For businesses employing more than 15 people, the exempt period will be six months.

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Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union secretary Doug Cameron said he was concerned about the new policies, particularly in the areas of strike rights and unfair dismissal.

"We don't like to see lower capacity for workers to take industrial action," Mr Cameron said.

"There's some disappointment that unfair dismissal rights are not available for everyone (under the policy)," Mr Cameron said.

Looks like Rudd is going to annoy a lot of the socialist State Premiers, who each were calling for state based IR laws in response to the new federal laws:

• Mr Rudd said secret ballots before strikes would be mandatory under a Labor government - the first time the ALP has demanded such a requirement.
• Mr Rudd vowed not to reintroduce the state-based industrial relations regime, insisting he would create a uniform, national system
• Labor also would ban strike pay, and would restore only limited unfair dismissal protection.