The sudden reversal of Peter Dutton’s long-held opposition to workplace rights cannot be believed.
The Opposition Leader is now desperately attempting to reverse years of opposition to laws protecting labour hire workers from pay cuts, saying that he won’t repeal the Albanese Government’s Same Job Same Pay Laws if the Coalition is elected.
Under pressure from travelling media in Perth, Peter Dutton first avoided questions on the Same Job Same Pay law, but in a second media outing, appeared to state that a Liberal-led Coalition Government would not repeal this law.
The Coalition is still yet to release an IR policy but is on the record stating they will repeal big ticket items like the right to disconnect, rights for casuals, multi-employer bargaining and remains silent about the bulk of job security and bargaining law improvements made by the Albanese Government.
Australian Unions do not believe that Peter Dutton’s comment provides any real guarantee that labour hire workers’ wage increases are safe, given his strong track record. Peter Dutton has advised the Australian public to “look at what politicians do, as much, or probably more, than what they say”.
The Coalition’s Finance spokesperson, Senator Jane Hume has said she would review the laws if the Coalition came to office.
Peter Dutton also argued against the laws and voted against them in Parliament.
His Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Michaelia Cash, moved amendments to remove the Same Job Same Pay protections from the law.
The laws are now delivering millions of dollars in wage rises for labour hire workers.
Only this week, the Opposition Leader refused to back the Albanese Government’s submission to secure real wage rises for 2.6 million workers in the upcoming Annual Wage Review.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus:
“Peter Dutton says he wants the public to look at what politicians do, more than what they say.
“Taking his own advice, no-one should trust Dutton not to support big business wage cutting schemes You can bet your bottom dollar that big business will always be looking for wage cutting loopholes and the Coalition will always let them get away with it.
“Peter Dutton is on the record committing to reverse a host of workers’ rights from working at home, to rights to for casuals and the right to disconnect. He is also ominously silent on penalty rates and a host of other vital improvements to workers’ job security and pay bargaining rights.
“The Coalition never supported wage increases for the 3 million lowest paid workers and again he has refused to argue for these increases in the 2025 annual wage review which will occur after the election.
“He’s also under pressure from big business and employer groups that want these laws gone and their wage-cutting schemes back.
“Gina Rinehart wants the laws scrapped and is highly influential within the Liberal Party and is a vocal opponent of Labor’s workplace reforms.
“It’s only because we are in an election contest that Peter Dutton wants this issue to go away. But workers remember that wages flatlined under the near decade of the Coalition in power.
“Let’s be honest, if he gets a chance to take away workers’ rights, there is no way he would not take it.”
