Poll reveals IR main reason to vote Labor
Thursday July 12, 2007
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NUW National Secretary Charlie Donnelly
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New polling shows more than four out of ten voters thinking of switching to Labor at this year’s election name IR as their biggest concern.
The poll results, reported in the Sydney Morning Herald today (Thursday, July 12), were the result of independent research commissioned by the ACTU late last month.
The poll asked voters which of 11 topical issues mattered most to them.
Health care, the Howard Government’s IR laws, and education were the three issues of most concern to those polled.
IR was an important issue for 44 per cent of voters.
In a sign of the growing community opposition to the Federal Government’s IR laws, the last ACTU-commissioned poll in March saw 37 per cent of respondents cite IR as an important issue.
More worryingly for the Government, those who voted for the Coalition in 2004 but were now intending to vote Labor said the Government’s IR laws was the key vote changer.
43 per cent of those intending to switch their vote said the current IR laws were the single most important issue in their decision.
The poll also found overwhelming support for Labor’s proposed changes to the Government’s laws. Almost 90 per cent of people supported Labor’s plan to protect conditions like penalty rates, four weeks’ annual leave, public holiday pay and redundancy payments.
There was also very strong support – 85 per cent – for laws allowing workers to have a Collective Agreement at their workplace if that is what the majority of workers wanted.
The poll also showed Labor would have won an election held now. The findings gave Labor a two-party preferred vote of 57 per cent, compared to 43 per cent for the Coalition.
NUW National Secretary Charlie Donnelly said the results reflected the views of the community at large.
“Australian workers know that when the Howard Government gives employers the ability to rip away people’s employment conditions, there is nothing they can say or do to change the fact the current IR laws are bad news for workers and their families.
“Voters have a genuine right to be concerned about the removal of basic working entitlements like penalty rates and redundancy pay; particularly the impact this has on their children entering the job market for the first time, or when they themselves change jobs.”
Donnelly also said it was clear voters wanted a new IR system that respected workers’ right to collectively bargain.
“85 per cent of voters want laws that will protect the internationally-recognised human right of workers to collectively bargain.
“The only way this and other rights will be protected is for a new IR system to be put in place by a new Federal Labor Government.
“The Howard Government has no interest in the issues that matter to Australian families. This poll shows just how out of touch the Federal Government has become.”
Last modified 2007-07-13 10:50 AM
