Your Rights at Work: Take a Stand Barnaby!

To get his radical industrial relations legislation through the Senate, John Howard needs the vote of one critical Senator: Barnaby Joyce.

Senator Joyce has expressed grave concerns about WorkChoices, and declared last month: “I am always prepared to cross the floor, otherwise you aren’t doing your job.”

With the Senate sitting again from November 28, we now have less than a week to let Senator Joyce know that the concerns he holds about WorkChoices are valid. If Senator Joyce votes No, the Government’s legislation will be torn up.

Take a Stand, Barnaby!

Dear Senator Joyce,

Over the past months you have raised many valid concerns about the WorkChoices legislation before the Senate.

The Government’s 'economic argument' for WorkChoices is a furphy: "I don’t know whether there is a strong economic argument for it." (The Age, November 16)

WorkChoices is a recipe for exploitation: "I don't think it's fair enough to say just because it's your first job you should be able to be completely exploited." (The Age, October 31) "You have to be mindful of people with no bargaining power." (The Australian, November 1)

WorkChoices places meal breaks and paid public holidays in jeopardy: "You'd have no chance of pushing that donkey around the yard." (The Age, July 28)

WorkChoices enshrines inherently inequitable unfair dismissal laws: "They get to 100 and surprise, surprise, everyone from that point on gets employed by a services trust so they never technically went over the limit." (Daily Telegraph, November 10)

These points cannot be dismissed as mere technicalities, and can't be fixed with hasty amendments. They are examples of the unfairness inherent in the WorkChoices Bill. We, the undersigned, ask you to use your pivotal role in the Senate to vote against the Bill. On November 1, you said, "I am always prepared to cross the floor, otherwise you aren't doing your job." (The Australian). The decision you make is not only critical for Queensland, but to the future of all Australians and their families.

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85,189 AUSTRALIANS URGE "TAKE A STAND BARNABY!"

Wed Nov 23, 2005

An astronomical 85,189 people signed the petition to Senator Joyce. On Monday Nov 28, ACTU President Sharan Burrow presented the 6000 page petition to Senator Joyce at Parliament House.

We started this campaign on Monday afternoon with a target of 10,000 signatures - we achieved this target within 24 hours. On Tuesday morning we upped the 20,000, and surpassed it within three hours. Next we extended the target to 50,000, almost inconceivable for a petition that had a 5 day deadline. At Thursday 2pm, the target was extended to 80,000. An astronomical 85,189 people signed the petition to Senator Joyce. On Monday, ACTU President Sharan Burrow presented the petition to Senator Joyce at Parliament House. Thousands of you helped spread the word about the petition, helping us to garner over 17,000 signatures per day! This isn't just a sign of how many people want Senator Joyce to take a stand. This is a message to the Howard Government: we don't want this legislation. We will fight it. And together we will protect our rights at work.