Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard has sounded the death knell for Work Choices.
She did so by introducing legislation dismantling the previous Howard government's controversial workplace relations regime to parliament, honouring a Labor election promise.
Work Choices had torn apart the core Australian values of mateship and a fair go, Ms Gillard told parliament.
"The philosophy that underpinned Work Choices said, essentially: make your own way in the world; without the comfort of mateship; without the protections afforded by a compassionate society; against the odds deliberately stacked against you," she said.
"No safety net. No rights at work. No cooperation in the workplace to take the nation forward."
Australians had chosen to be true to the ideal of a fair go when they voted to dump Work Choices and sweep Labor into office last November, Ms Gillard said.
The main differences between Fair Work bill and WorkChoices:
FAIR WORK
* 10 National Employment Standards, underpinned by safety net of awards which will have a further 10 minimum employment standards.
* Collective bargaining main vehicle for agreement-making.
* No new Australian Workplace Agreements or individual arrangements except under common law.
* Enterprise flexibility clause allows employees earning more than $100,000 to be on arrangement not based on award provided it meets test.
* New Fair Work Australia body to be one-stop shop industrial agency to replace six bodies including Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
* Unfair dismissal protection widened to cover casuals and all workers in enterprises with less than 100 employees.
* Operational reasons no longer acceptable as reason for dismissal.
* The right to be represented by a union or agent.
* Access to arbitration to settle intractable disputes or action creating economic harm.
WORKCHOICES
* 5 minimum standards as the safety net, everything else negotiable.
* Individual Australian Workplace Agreements for all employees, collective bargaining only allowed where there's a majority vote.
* No compulsory arbitration, curbing of Australian Industrial Relations Commission's powers to conciliate and arbitrate disputes.
* Union right of entry denied in most workplaces.
* Unfair dismissal protection available only to workers in enterprises with more than 100 employees.
* Operational reasons could be used by employers to make employees redundant.
* Establishment of Workplace Authority, Workplace Ombudsman, Fair Pay Commission, Australian Building and Construction Commission.
