The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has declared the 4th March National Day of Action as a huge success, with nearly 100,000 people marching in 17 cities and towns around Australia. The event was organised by the ACTU to send the Abbott Government a message that the union movement will fight to protect workers rights and living standards.

Of deep concern to the union movement are proposals by the Abbott Government to:-

• Put workers onto individual contracts that would strip away penalty rates and cut take home pay;
• Allow workers to be paid with something other than money;
• Make it easier for bad employers by having workers sign away their right to compensation;
• Take away the right to strike by allowing bad bosses to veto industrial action;
• Make it harder for workers to be supported by their union at work; and
• Move Australia towards an American style system of low wages and zero conditions.

The ACTU has indicated that the community based campaign would continue and is now seeking to mobilise every worker across the country whilst the threat from the Abbott Government continues.

For more information about the ongoing campaign, please visit www.australianunions.org.au/stop_abbotts_laws

A video of the recent National Day of Action is presented below:-