WorkChoices rollback may be an Easter gift

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has promised to keep the pressure on the Coalition to support the rollback of WorkChoices. ACTU president Sharan Burrow indicated that with Coalition provision, she expects the federal government to have the transition laws in place by Easter.

"If it's in Parliament in two week's time, it's a straightforward mechanistic bill that sets up the machinery for the awards system and for legislative standards," she said.
 
Opposition industrial relations spokesperson Julie Bishop notes that an Easter deadline would be difficult to meet if the legislation enters a Senate inquiry, considering the Senate will sit for only 10 days between now and Easter.
 
"If there is to be a Senate inquiry into aspects of this transitional bill then they haven't scheduled enough sitting days to enable the Senate to do that properly," said Bishop
 
Union leaders meet today in Canberra to set an agenda for the remainder of the year.