WorkChoices Changes Maintain Flexibility and Choice

4 May 2007

The Business Council said changes to WorkChoices announced today by the federal government would not impact on the overall ability of the legislation to promote greater flexibility and choice needed in a modern workplace.

BCA President Mr Michael Chaney said the changes announced today maintained choice and flexibility for the vast majority of Australian workplaces, while providing a clearer mechanism to ensure employees who might have less bargaining power are
not disadvantaged.

“As such, they should help to inform community understanding that WorkChoices represented an evolutionary step in workplace reform and continued to provide greater opportunity, choice and flexibility for Australian workplaces,” Mr Chaney said.

“The core elements of WorkChoices are vital for our economic growth. The scale of changes that have been announced today are in stark contrast to the extensive changes being proposed under the ALP’s workplace relations policy.

“The BCA and business generally, large and small, will continue to strongly oppose any moves to radically recast workplace relations in a way that would destroy jobs and economic growth.

“The BCA believes WorkChoices remains the way forward. In contrast, the ALP’s policy would take Australia’s workplace relations and culture back to the 1980s and beyond,” he said.

For further information contact:
Scott Thompson, Manager, Media Relations, Business Council of Australia
Tel: (03) 8664 2664, mobile 0403 241 128