Women in low wage jobs are significantly worse off under federal industrial relations laws, receiving lower pay and penalty rates and with less job security, a new study shows.
The Women and WorkChoices report is a summary of individual studies funded by Labor state and territory governments in which a total of 121 women in low wage jobs were interviewed last year and earlier this year.
Most reported significant negative outcomes for job security, level and predictability of pay and hours, overall earnings and employee voice and say.
Some reported loss of over $100 a week in pay and penalties with no compensating increase in other conditions, the report said.
Only in Western Australia did respondents report less harsh outcomes and that was attributed to the strong labour market.
"The experiences of participants point to a system that is out of balance, unfair and disadvantageous to women employees made vulnerable to because of factors such as age, caring responsibilities, language background, disability of industry sector," it said.
"The experience of women participants strongly suggests that WorkChoices is not meeting its stated aims of greater choice, certainty or flexibility."
The report made 25 recommendations, including reinstatement of the right of all workers to take action for unfair dismissal, prohibition of any employment conditions requiring signing of an Australian Workplace Agreement and removal of all legislative barriers to union entry and collective bargaining.
Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey said the report's methodology and findings were deeply flawed and it was just a rebranding of previous research by left-wing academics, most with links to the unions.
But he said it did acknowledge that workers lacked information about minimum standards and conditions and about their rights and obligations.
"This is hardly surprising given the unions and State Labor is engaged in one of the most expensive and misleading scare campaigns in the history of Australian politics," he said in a statement.
"This is why the Australian government is undertaking a comprehensive information campaign as well as requiring employers provide employees with a workplace fact sheet."
Business groups last week unveiled their advertisements backing the government on workplace relations.
On Sunday, the business groups went further, attacking Labor's plan to wind back the WorkChoices package.
Business Council of Australia President Michael Chaney said workplace relations reform had been a key element in Australia's prosperity over the last 20 years.
"Winding it back is certainly going to have a negative effect on the economy and without any doubt will create unemployment. It is exactly the opposite of what has happened over the last 20 years," he told Sky News.
Mr Chaney also warned of the possible return of militant unionism.
"There is a real risk if unions are given the greater rights of entry to workplaces where they haven't been welcomed, if third parties are able to intervene in a process between employers and employees and if we end up with levels of disputation that we saw when unions were more in control," he said.
Heather Ridout, chief executive of the Australian Industry Group (AIG), said they remained deeply disturbed about some aspects of Labor policy.
"There are risks attached to the ALP and that has been part of our message to the ALP and to the wider community for some time. They really do need to decide to put more discipline behind this policy," she told the Ten network.
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