QUEENSLAND’S religious institutes have launched a campaign to highlight the inadequacies of the Federal Government’s proposed sweeping changes to the nation’s industrial relations system and to protect the rights of Australia’s most vulnerable workers.
The Social Action Office (SAO), the social justice arm of the Congregational Leaders of the Religious Institutes of Queensland, is to wage the education and lobbying campaign to show its concern about the Government’s WorkChoices proposal.
SAO director, Josephite Sister Annette Arnold, said the office was concerned the proposed changes would heavily impact on the rights of the most vulnerable workers and their families, especially those on low incomes and those who work part-time and casual hours.
SAO’s campaign briefing paper says the changes undermine opportunities for workers co-operating and associating together to collectively bargain for fair outcomes, and as such are contrary to Catholic social.
The campaign, titled “Changes to Industrial Relations Regime – Money over Humanity”, was launched last week and asked people to discuss the changes and engage in public debate around the issues.
SAO’s Web site at www.sao.clriq.org.au/ir_campaign/ir_actions.html suggests several lobbying strategies.
