The Wire

With the Abbott government’s review into workplace relations looming, the Australian Council of Trade Unions is fighting business’s push to abolish penalty rates and are pushing for the rights of casual and women workers in particular. They also want to introduce compulsory arbitration into the Fair Work legislation to prevent bargaining deadlocks. Amidst widespread fears about what the abolition or reduction of penalty rates would mean for insecure work in particular, workers and the union movement are gearing up for a fight.