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  • Feb, 2012

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    Industrial Relations Laws

    Q. Business groups have said that Australia’s industrial relations laws favour workers and unions and should be changed so that businesses can increase productivity and have more flexibility with their workforce. Do you think Australia’s industrial relations laws favour employers or workers or do they balance the interests of workers and employers?

    Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens Full time workers Part time workers
    Favour employers 25% 29% 23% 36% 27% 25%
    Favour workers 24% 15% 39% 12% 26% 20%
    Balance the interests of employers and workers 34% 43% 25% 37% 34% 38%
    Don’t know 17% 13% 13% 16% 13% 17%

    Respondents were evenly divided over whether Australia’s industrial relations laws favour employers or workers – 25% think they favour employers, 24% favour workers and 34% think they balance the interests of both.

    Labor voters are more likely to think they balance workers and employers interests (43%) while Liberal/National voters are more likely to thin they favour workers (39%). Only 15% of Labor voters and 12% of Greens voters think the laws favour workers. Comments »

  • Nov, 2011

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    Liberal Party and WorkChoices

    Q. If they won the next election, how likely do you think it would be that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices?

    31 May 10 12 July 10 Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Total likely 58% 56% 51% 75% 33% 78%
    Total unlikely 21% 24% 27% 13% 44% 11%
    Very likely 28% 26% 22% 45% 4% 41%
    Quite likely 30% 30% 29% 30% 29% 37%
    Not very likely 18% 18% 19% 9% 31% 8%
    Not at all likely 3% 6% 8% 4% 13% 3%
    Don’t know 20% 20% 22% 11% 23% 11%

    Respondents were less likely to think that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices than when a similar question was asked last year. 51% (down 5%) think it is likely that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party would try to bring back industrial laws similar to WorkChoices if they won the next election and 27% (up 3%) think it is unlikely.

    75% of Labor voters and 78% of Greens voters think it is likely, while Liberal/National voters are split 33% likely to 44% unlikely.

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  • Nov, 2011

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    Concern about Liberals Bringing Back WorkChoices

    Q. If the Liberals won the election and reintroduced WorkChoices or similar laws, how concerned would you be?

    31 May 10 12 July 10 Total Vote Labor Vote Lib/Nat Vote Greens
    Very concerned 28% 29% 26% 53% 4% 54%
    Quite concerned 17% 19% 15% 22% 11% 15%
    A little concerned 20% 16% 20% 12% 24% 21%
    Not concerned 24% 25% 27% 6% 52% 6%
    Don’t know 11% 11% 11% 7% 9% 4%

    Respondents were also less concerned about the re-introduction of WorkChoices than last year. 41% (down 7%) would be quite or very concerned if WorkChoices or similar laws were re-introduced and 47% (up 6%) were only a little or not concerned.

    75% of Labor voters and 69% of Greens voters would be concerned. 76% of Liberal/National voters would be a little/not concerned and 15% concerned. Those most concerned were aged 25-34 (47%) and aged 45-54 (48%).

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