Abbott confirms Australia will not return to Howard-era Work Choices system

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Opposition leader Tony Abbott has confirmed that the much anticipated workplace relations policy is fair to both businessmen and union workers. He assured that the policy does not require any additional modifications. If alterations are been proposed, the coalition government will critically scrutinize them before taking any decision.

Releasing the document on Thursday, Mr Abbott promised Australia that it will not return to the hated Howard-era Work Choices system. He also asked workers not to fear from the sensible fair-minded workplace proposals.

“I want to assure all the workers of Australia – unionized and non-unionized – that they can trust their future in our hands. We want to protect workers pay and conditions; we also want to maximize their opportunities to get good jobs. The only people with anything to worry about from this policy are dodgy union officials and their supporters,” he said.

Abbott insisted that the coalition government does not believe individual flexibility arrangements (IFAs) should be excluded by enterprise bargaining agreements. The statement alarmed the Labor federal government and unions that the coalition government might decide on the Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) of the Howard coalition government era.

“Tony Abbott’s extreme workplace relations policies should send a shiver up the spine of every Australian worker,” Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten told the media.

Acknowledging Mr Abbott’s efforts, ACTU President Ged Kearney said the coalition had put IFAs fairly and squarely at the centre of their industrial relations policies.

“We know when people were on AWAs they lost wages, they lost conditions, they lost any bargaining power and ultimately they lost respect at work,” she said.