Democracy and the union movement
At a time when wage theft is making headlines, wages growth is at record lows and work is becoming increasingly insecure, the advocacy work that trade unions do on behalf of workers has never been more important. Trade unions play an integral role in a healthy democracy and serve as an important mechanism to help workers exercise their right to safe and fair work conditions.
The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2019 (Cth) (the proposed law) proposes amendments to the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (Cth). While it is framed by the Federal Government as reform aimed at addressing serious crime and misconduct in the trade union movement, the proposed law will weaken and undermine the democratic operation of the trade union movement internally and drastically limits its ability to perform its function in a democratic society.