Well, we all know whats about to hit the working public in the next few weeks. What I write below is a guideline what you should do.<br /> Now, I know this will upset a few, but these guidelines are only for an unscrupulous company that screws its employees. I will say it again, only for companies that are doing the wrong thing by their employees as I know there are a lot of small businesses out there that respect their employees. <br />I will add to this as I have time but this will be very important in the near future as since moving to Brisbane from Sydney I have noticed the changes in work practices, OH & S and anything to do with safety.<br />1. If you think you are being hard done by by your boss and you have been forced to sign a workplace agreement and you decide to, keep all evidence of anything that the company is doing that is illegal in anyway as this will come in handy after he sacks you. In my experience the dodgy companies that will take advantage of John Dictator Howard's new laws, possibly are dirty. Yes, they have something to hide, so in other words, if the company wants to sack you for whatever reason and when you go to bed at night and in your own mind you have done everything to please the boss, but he just wants an unsavoury way of getting rid of you, if you are a man or in another case, a woman and you have a bit of pride, you must legally retaliate. I cannot believe people I have met who have been sacked, stooged, used or whatever, just shrug their shoulders and they say forget about it. Not me and not others by the sound of it.<br />2. The first days of your employment whilst doing your work 100% keep your eyes and ears open, don't trust anyone as most of these dodgy companies today always have spies or ass lickers to dob you in in case you are saying anything against the company. <br />3. Look for anything that you can legally use in case if you are unfairly dismissed.<br />Sniff around and find out if other employees have been sacked for whatever reason mainly if they have been sacked just before the probation period finishes as this is a case of an employer using a worker and sacking them so the company doesn't have to pay entitlements, and all they do is get another sucker from Centrelink and they use him or her and they do the same. Again keep your eyes and ears open, collect the evidence any way you legally can just in case you need to use it at a later date<br /><br />Things You Need To Know<br /><br />From July 1 2005 the Federal Government will take control of the Senate giving it a majority in both houses of federal parliament. For the first time since he became Prime Minister, John Howard’s Government will be able to pass whatever laws it likes without them being blocked or changed by the Senate. The Government has announced it will use these new powers to rewrite Australia’s workplace laws and take away most of your basic rights at work.<br /><br />So what changes is the Howard Government planning for Australia’s workplaces?<br /><br />1. Abolish protection from unfair dismissal for 4 million workers employed in companies with less than 100 staff<br /><br />2. Allow employers to put workers onto individual contracts that cut take-home pay and reduce employment conditions to only 5 minimum standards – workers who refuse to sign may fear being sacked<br /><br />3. Change the way minimum wages are set to make them lower<br /><br />4. Effectively abolish the award safety net and replace it with just 5 conditions:<br /><br /> * a minimum hourly rate of pay (currently $12.75)<br /> * 8 days sick leave<br /> * 4 weeks annual leave<br /> * unpaid parental leave<br /> * weekly working hours<br /><br />Many workers will lose conditions like weekend, shift and public holiday rates; overtime; redundancy pay; allowances; and casual loadings.<br /><br />5. Keep unions out of workplaces and reduce the capacity for workers to bargain collectively with their employer<br /><br />6. Take away the powers of the independent Industrial Relations Commission<br /><br />What do these changes mean for you?<br /><br />The Government’s plans will mean lower living standards for working people<br /><br />Unions believe that the changes proposed by the Howard Government threaten the basic rights, pay and entitlements of Australian workers.<br /><br />These changes will benefit business at the expense of Australian working families.<br /><br />The Government’s plans would make it harder for working Australians to get ahead and take them backwards at a time when many are just keeping their heads above water.<br /><br />Unions will fight to protect your basic rights at work<br /><br />Unions have always stood for decent rights and fairness in the workplace.<br /><br />The changes the Government is proposing will hurt working families.<br /><br />Unions will oppose the Howard Government’s changes and campaign for:<br /><br /> * A strong safety net of award minimum wages and conditions<br /><br /> * Proper rights for Australian workers to reject individual contracts and bargain for decent pay and conditions in collective agreements<br /><br /> * The right to join a union and to be represented by a union<br /><br /> * A strong, independent Industrial Relations Commission to settle disputes and ensure fair minimum wages and conditions<br /><br />These things are vital to protect Australian living standards, families and the Australian way of life.<br />Phil