StandUp! is an unemployed organisation but we realise that an injury to one is an injury to all. We are seriously concerned about attacks on the rights of workers to organise. But as well an attack on the rights of employed workers, the Workchoices reforms are a direct attack on those on Newstart, who are forced to look for work. We are work tested and are forced to accept any reasonable job or be breached. We have no power to challenge a boss who demands we accept a job with no holiday pay or penalty rates. To accept the job we must accept his conditions otherwise we are rejecting the offered job and face being breached. This means eight weeks without any money! The government is using us to undermine working conditions and rights achieved by the hard struggle of generations of unionists.
WorkChoices also means that it is much more difficult for unionists to come to our defence when victimised (for example by the work test) or alternatively to fight for the right to work. We have stood up against WorkChoices. We have also urged unionists to stand up against Work for the Dole and mutual obligation which are not only attacks on us but part of the government's agenda to undermine the rights of organised labour.