Deakin University MMH349: Analyzing the 'Change the Rules' Campaign

This report provides an analysis of the 'Change the Rules' campaign in Australia, examining the arguments put forward by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) regarding the perceived failures of current workplace laws and their impact on Australian workers. It explores the ACTU's proposed changes to these rules, the business sector's response, and the federal government's stance on the issue. The report also evaluates the evidence presented by each of these key players to determine the validity of their claims regarding the need for change or the justification for maintaining the status quo. The analysis covers issues such as minimum wage levels, wage theft, job security, tax inequality, and the bargaining power of workers, providing a comprehensive overview of the complexities surrounding employment relations in Australia. This assignment solution is available on Desklib, a platform offering study tools for students, including access to past papers and solved assignments.

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Table of Contents
What reasons have been put forward by the ACTU to justify its belief that the current ‘rules’ are
failing Australian workers?....................................................................................................................1
In what ways does the ACTU believe the ‘rules’ should be changed?...................................................2
What has been the business response to the union campaign, and what reasons has it relied upon to
justify this response?.............................................................................................................................4
What has been the Federal Government’s response to the union campaign, and what reasons has it
relied upon to justify this response?.......................................................................................................5
Which of these players provides the most compelling evidence to support their reasoning that the rules
need changing or otherwise?.................................................................................................................6
References.............................................................................................................................................8

What reasons have been put forward by the ACTU to justify its belief
that the current ‘rules’ are failing Australian workers?
Sally McManus is the secretary of Australian Council of Trade Unions. This council is the
main organisation that represents all the workers of Australia. This council is also a member
of International Trade Union Confederation. Sally McManus gave a speech at National Press
Club in the end of March 2018 (Bainbridge, 2018). The speech specifically highlighted
certain issues related to the conditions of employment in Australia. The various reasons that
have been put forward by the secretary of Australian Council of Trade Unions have been
mentioned herein. There are several reasons which have been put forward by the ACTU to
justify the current of the Australian Workers. It is further analyzed that Strong political,
industrial and community campaigns need to be raised to write up a whole set of new rules
that can end the exploitation of working class.
This speech had been specifically presented by him for all the members of the union. The
main reason that has been put forward by him behind every other cause is the breakdown of
the Australian workplace laws and the fair system that was followed earlier (Boyd, 2018).
The minimum wage criteria that is inevitable for any organisation’s satisfied workforce has
fallen down to the lowest and worst possible. The employees who are not even satisfied with
the minimum wage levels have started to adopt the practices of wage theft which involves
denial by the employers to pay the employees their share of wages or other employee benefits
(including pay overtime, illegal deductions in pay, etc.) (Gao, 2018). Even in the education
sector, the teachers face serious issues. The share of temporary workforce is highest in
Australia because of the number of teachers on temporary contracts (Ryan, et al. 2013). Fifty
percentages of people do not have a full-time permanent job. This present example has shown
that company needs to mitigate these employee related issues to strengthen the applicable
rules and increasing the overall outcomes in effective manner.
There has been inequality when it comes to payment of tax and that have been prevailing for
about 70 years. The biggest corporate houses of the country do not pay taxes of even one
percentage. The strike laws maintained in the country are not in line with the norms followed
worldwide (Blair, 2018). The whole bargaining power lies in the hands of the business houses
and employers. They are highly inadequate and difficult to deal at the end of the employees.

Even the laws lack behind the need of new and changing times. The amount of wages that the
workers are getting in the current scenario cannot cope up with the raising prices and the
basic living standard is nowhere to be maintained. The inequality is so high that all the power
and autonomy lies in the hands of the people who are rich and wealthy. The people of
working class do not have enough power to take a stand for themselves even (Boyd, 2018).
The rate of unemployment is pretty high in the country with nearly 745,000 people having no
jobs. Even the people who are working are doing it overtime and around 40% of the working
class have no access to such thing like paid leave. There is a record of lowest wage growth on
which even Reserve Bank is continued to express is concerns. In fact there is no safety
offered to the employees at the workplaces being the industries like mining, construction,
truck driving, etc. These are some of the absolute reasons that prove that the current laws are
already unjust and failing the Australian workers to a great extent. The reason is simple that
these laws are degrading the employees’ personality and anything that does the same is unjust
and unacceptable. It has shown that these issues have proved to be the biggest reason of the
dissatisfaction among employees which may negatively impact their working and efficiency
of the business. However, every organization must comply with the all the employee
regulatory requirement which needs to be complied. Employers are required to pay at least
minimum wages to its employees and below that level the wages will not be accepted
(Lemaire, 2018).
In what ways does the ACTU believe the ‘rules’ should be changed?
Rules are made with a view to strengthen the applicable work program and implement the
effective work approach in organization. It is observed that proper growth of the organisation
is totally dependent upon the set policies, rules and standards complied in the organization.
As per the views of Australian Council of Trade Unions, the current rules are failing the
Australian workers and that is stagnant for their growth. The secretary of the Union states not
to accept the current rules and wants to bring a change (Freeze, 2018). As earlier discussed,
the whole power in Australia lies in the hands of rich and this system is a result of complete
imbalance of power. First of all this imbalance needs to be balanced out by shifting a part of
it to the working class. The problem that has created the most of working poor in Australia is
the shrinking rate of minimum wages. The employers are trying to harness the employees
fully even with the lowest wages (Bainbridge, 2018). The main objective of the organization
is to implement the effective strategic program which could increase the overall outcomes

and efficiency of the business at large. The first step is to submit a claim for uplifting the
minimum wage for the workers by $45 a week which shall bring the minimum wage to
$37,420 a year (McManus, 2017). The main motive behind the whole program is to bring
back fairness in the country. Job security is another main aim to be achieved. These rules
should be designed with a view to increase the overall outcomes and efficiency of the
business. Nonetheless, the employee related work program is designed to create effective
outcomes and push employee to deliver more than what is expected from them. These rules
should be changed as per the increased complexity and employee related issues. The system
process and requirement of minimum wages will be accepted as per the job security program.
It is observed that company needs to analysis all the applicable rules and regulation of the
Australia employee laws and their security program to comply with the applicable rules and
regulations (McManus, 2017). In addition to this, company needs to comply with these rules
with a view to strengthen the employee relation program and develop effective employee
related program. Now, it could be inferred that these rules should be changed to the extent
which could strengthen the employee work program and keep them motivated for the
effective work approach (Blair, 2018).
The first and foremost demand of the “change the rules” campaign is the formation of a
labour government. The rules that have fallen down in Australia needs to be rebuilt by the
union (Lemaire, 2018). A movement needs to be run by the Australian Unions for the same.
The only approach to end the whole scenario of low wages, underpayments, and insecure jobs
is by coming up together in form of unions and fight for the rights. To end the whole
exploitation thing the real victimised workers need to come together and stand for their own.
The best way to achieve it all is to come together by joining a union and lead the movement
for self. The labour government and consistent changes in the economic have shown the
foremost requirement of changes. Employee related programs and laws are totally based on
the strategic approach and implemented strategic approach which could motivate employee to
give their best efforts in the betterment of the organization (McIlroy, 2018).
Strong political, industrial and community campaigns need to be raised to write up a whole
set of new rules that can end the exploitation of working class. It shall require a lot of
struggle and would even lead the people leading the campaigns face harsh treatments. The
bargaining power needs to be shifted a bit towards the side of the working poor, so that they

can ask for fair rights, proper and safe working conditions, fair price for their work,
remuneration for overtime, etc (Hinman, 2018).
The tax laws needs to be made more stringent so that the tax evasion done by the corporate
houses on the cost of other communities and classes can be brought to a zero. The real
earners are caught to pay taxes and their activities can be brought under light and under little
control (FREEZE, 2018).A serious support from the federation is required in two ways.
Firstly, in order to ensure social equality, the government should make the big profit making
business houses pay their share of taxes as they are not doing so. As a result, the deprived
people who are not even earning much and are paying tax bear the share of contribution of
development of schools, roads, hospitals and other public amenities. Secondly, it is the role of
government to ensure that working people have job security and fair rights at work to ensure
rise in pay scale (Fang, Ye, and Law, 2016).
What has been the business response to the union campaign, and what reasons has it
relied upon to justify this response?
The business in the case of union was being represented by the Australian Industry Group,
popularly known as Ai Group. This group is formed by the members who are employers and
are employing about over 750,000 employees throughout Australia. This group has
completely denied accepting the problem of insecure work that is prevailing in Australia. The
same is done by the group because of its superior and powerful position (Posavac, 2015).
Further, a successful advertisement giant, APN Outdoor has refused to grant access to the
union in its advertisement space on buses. The reason that APN Outdoor put forward was
that, the content was too negative for same. The ads that were previously approved got
cancelled at the last moment and the most possible reason believed for the same was the
rejection when the ads were shown to the senior management. The content had been against
the powerful and dominant Chief Executive Officers and the billboard company certainly had
them, for which it might get called off.
The reason of being too negative was offered at first phase. Further it was said that as the
content carried a political communication, the same cannot be displayed on government sites.
The buses are all operated and owned by state government and putting ads on them is same
like advertising on government sites. The ultimate intention was not to lose big profits

because of the investors and shareholders being dissatisfied and annoyed by the content of the
campaign ads (Gao, 2018).
In a nutshell, the pretty reason relied upon come up to be the content being negative for the
viewers to watch. Similarly, the Ai group too denied acknowledging the fact of insecure work
using its powerful position (Shamir, 2017).
What has been the Federal Government’s response to the union campaign, and what
reasons has it relied upon to justify this response?
At the onset of “Changing the Rules” campaign led by the labour unions, several oppositions
were proposed by the working class and ever the former employees and their families too
joined them. The main topics included tax evasions, advancing social inequalities, corporate
exploitation of workers, low minimum wages and employees work program. these issues
should be considered before implementing the applicable changing rules (Kerwin, and
Furlong, 2018).
The government of country consisted an important minister Lisa Chesters who is the Labour
minister. She got a warm welcome by the labour union as they expected her to defend them.
The earlier legislation of Fair Work have somehow become short of action to help the
workers fight for their rights. Lisa Chesters portraying as the defender of workers’ rights at
the campaign rally declared that to end the corporate gaming of Fair Works Act, a shorten
labour government is needed to change the laws. Her declaration actually meant that the
labour force shall retain their position and even get a power at the bargaining table even when
the harsh and severe provisions of the Fair Work acts are being used against the workers. It is
analyzed that solution of all other problems that the workforce is currently facing in Australia
is the major outcomes which will come out of this practice (Ryan, Burgess, Connell, and
Groen, 2013). As a result, it will have least impact related to whether the rules are ultimately
changed or not, because eventually the results are obtained even when the current rules shall
prevail in the changed employee related policies (Fernandez, Resh, Moldogaziev, and
Oberfield, 2015).
Although the whole promise thing seems to be a bird out of sight. This seems all bogus and
the workforce should reject it. The real step to end the whole exploitation needs to be an end
to the corporatized unions and the labour party. Independent rank-and-file committees need
to be formed and a social perspective which aims at establishing a workers’ government is

needed. The federal government response changed with the changes in economic condition
and employee motivation program and accepted laws and regulation. It is further observed
that government needs to identify the possible factors which might impact the employee
relation program and possible impact on the people if the policies changes (Ahl, and Nelson,
2015).
Australian Prime Minister Turnbull suggested cutting the corporate tax rates (Hinman, 2018).
His response was based on the idea that the lower tax rates shall reduce tax evasion and shall
promote increased employment opportunities and rise in wages (Mcllroy, 2018). Another
reasoning prompted was the cut down of tax rates shall certainly increase the return on
investment. Due to increased return on investment, more jobs will be created with a better
pay because the productivity will be higher. The whole idea of increased productivity shall
certainly reduce the costs to the company and market price for the consumers. As the prices
shall come down, the demand shall certainly rise bringing the need of production to be even
higher. When the production shall need to be high, eventually the production houses shall feel
the need for a big workforce as well as the need to retain them. This whole scenario shall
create new jobs, retain the ones that already exist i.e. job security, provide the workforce with
bargaining rights and solve every other scenario issue connected with the whole issue.
Turnbull government acknowledged the fact of modest average real wage growth even in the
scenario of improving economic conditions. New labour policies are sought to be formulated
and submissions to the fair work commission for a hike in minimum wages are sought to be
filed (Birkland, 2015).
Which of these players provides the most compelling evidence to support their
reasoning that the rules need changing or otherwise?
The two major players that have been discussed above are the business houses and the federal
system. The business houses were represented by the famous billboard company APN
Outdoor and the Australian Industrial group, whereas the federal system is being represented
by the labour minister, Lisa Chesters and the Prime Minister, Turnbull. The analysis of the
responses put forward by both the groups certainly suggests that the responses put forward by
them are completely striking. Where the business houses are denying acknowledging the
problems that the workforce is facing completely and alleging their concerns and issues to be
too negative for the public to be seen, the federal system is taking the side of the labour force
in order to overcome the problems that are paving the way for the campaign.

The most compelling side seems to be that of the federal system. In the federal system, the
propositions put forward by the Prime Minister seem logical and also have economic
backing. His whole idea is based on the laws of demand and supply. The idea of tax cutting
for the corporate houses seems reasonable and a sensible solution step towards the whole
problem. Their tax rate cutting idea is a smart step. It is highly supporting the context of the
need of changing rules (Geddie, 2015). This is so because one of the big obstacles was that
the business houses were not paying even one percentage of taxes the taxes that they are
bound to pay. So, when the tax rates shall be reduced ultimately the business and corporates
shall stop evading tax amounts and readily pay the same. This will eventually lead to solution
of all other problems that the workforce is currently facing in Australia. As a result, it doesn’t
matters at a great extent that whether the rules are ultimately changed or not, because
eventually the results are obtained even when the current rules shall prevail. It is observed
that the whole idea of changing the employee related laws and regulation should be
completely based on the whole idea is based on the laws of demand and supply. Now in the
end, it could be inferred that employee related laws and regulations should be changed with
the changes in economic condition and current demand of the people.

References
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