Wildcat
The Australian Industry Group, an employer representative organization, has issued a broadcast warning to all employees of member companies that they may face penalties for attending tomorrow’s anti-IR rallies around the country. The AIG is recommending to its membership that they take action against any employee who goes to a rally. I expect some employers to so act, but if the proposed changes were actually fair, none of this would be necessary. Since they’re patently unfair, I’d prefer to see employers actually work with their employees to allow attendance, and, in fact, many employers are doing just that. The debate in the Senate begins today and will last only 5 days. State IR Ministers get 7 minutes apiece to address their concerns, but even if all 5,000 submissions on the matter were to be addressed, hope resides only in the actions of the Coalition itself, that some backbenchers might stand up and do the right thing. Little chance of that, when even the “WorkChoices” call center staff are under threat already. (Thanks to Larvatus Prodeo on that last bit. Meanwhile, check in with the ACTU on tomorrow’s rallies.)

In other labor-related news, the PM won’t step in to help resolve a strike between Boeing and 25 engineers, for which the strikers have expressed their disappointment. Given the last time Howard meddled in a labor dispute, maybe they should be grateful instead.