Church / State IR Update

UPDATE: The UCA point of view available at Journey Online:

Uniting Church leaders today condemned the Government’s proposed industrial relations reforms and the limited safeguards announced yesterday which do little to protect the rights and conditions of Australia’s most vulnerable workers.

Uniting Church President, Reverend Dr. Dean Drayton, said the Government’s ‘WorkChoices’ reform package is more about choice for business than protecting the country’s workers.


“We are not comforted by the very minor safeguards which have been included. The Government is so focussed on the economy as an end in itself that it has lost sight of the real purpose of economic systems. The economy is a tool which should serve the needs of people.


“Workers are not commodities in the service of greater profits – they are people trying to make a decent life for themselves and their families. ‘WorkChoices’ claims it will make our labour market and our economy more competitive - but where does it legislate for cooperation, collaboration and community?”

Spot the differnces between the Angllicans and the Unitings on this one - there aren't many. Two things:

1. The ABC picks up what Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney, has to say, rather that Dean Drayion, National UCA honcho. Reflects the Sydney bias of the ABC? The availability of Peter Jensen? His media approachibility?

2. On this issue the UCA Assembly reps and the Sydney Anglicans agree. So the differences do not lie in the issue of social justice, at least as far as it applies to the labourer and his wages.