Rt. Hon. J W Howard MHR
Prime Minister
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA     

November 30, 2006

Dear Mr. Howard:

On behalf of the six million members of the Change to Win Federation, I am writing to express our deep concern with the direction your country is heading in terms of fundamental labor rights.

In the past, we have looked to Australia as a reference point for upholding human rights and respecting workplace standards. We are distressed to see that new labor laws in Australia are heading in the opposite direction. Indeed, we believe they are contrary to international labor standards. Not only do we understand that they are a threat to the livelihoods and rights of Australian workers, they also represent the most serious breach of labor standards anywhere in the industrialized world.

We are also especially concerned by the removal of the right of employees to challenge and seek redress in the event they are dismissed unfairly.

We in the United States are dissatisfied with the weakness of our own labor laws; we are distressed to see that Australia is going yet further down the dead-end road of free-market orthodoxy and anti-worker legislation.

We urge you to amend Australia’s industrial relations laws to restore fundamental rights.

We have always enjoyed very close relations with our counterparts in Australia. We will stand with them in absolute solidarity on this issue, and continue to do whatever we can to ensure that Australian workers retain their rights at work. We are convinced that this is important for the welfare of Australian working people, for the rights of working people worldwide, and indeed for the country of Australia itself.

We will be keeping a close watch on the legal developments and the political situation in Australia, and intend to make our concerns known to Australian corporations and interests in the United States if necessary.

Yours sincerely,

Anna Burger
Chair, Change to Win

cc.           Ambassador Dennis Richardson