August 21 2007 - The new Secretary of the ACTU, Jeff Lawrence, took office today vowing to stand up for working Australians and to intensify the campaign against the Howard Government's WorkChoices IR laws.
Mr Lawrence was elected unopposed to replace Greg Combet as Secretary of the ACTU.
He will join ACTU President Sharan Burrow in a new partnership to head Australia's peak union body, representing more than 1.9 million union members and their families.
Mr Lawrence comes to the ACTU after 17 years as National Secretary of the LHMU - one of Australia's largest unions representing more than 130,000 workers in hospitality, property services, health, manufacturing and community services.
ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence said today:
"I am absolutely committed to standing up for working Australians.
"I want to do everything I can to make sure that all Australians have proper rights in their workplace and that employees are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
"I am determined to stand up for the rights of working Australians that have been taken away by the Howard Government.
"I want to see people protected from unfair dismissal.
"I want to see workers' take home pay protected against cuts to penalty rates, overtime pay, shift allowances, redundancy pay, rest breaks and other award conditions under the Government's unfair WorkChoices IR laws.
"The way we can achieve this is by making sure the Liberal and National Parties and their IR laws are thrown out at the next election," said Mr Lawrence.
ACTU President Sharan Burrow today welcomed Mr Lawrence's appointment:
"I look forward to working with Jeff Lawrence to lead the 'rights at work' campaign against the Howard Government's unfair WorkChoices IR laws," said Ms Burrow.
Greg Combet - Final Comments to ACTU Executive
21 Aug 2007
"It has been a wonderful privilege to serve as ACTU Secretary and I appreciate the support given to me by all of the unions," said Mr Combet.
"I especially want to put on record my gratitude and appreciation for the support I received to take on the role of ACTU Assistant Secretary in 1996 and then ACTU Secretary in 1999 and particularly want to thank senior leaders Joe De Bruyn, Greg Sword, Wendy Caird, Doug Cameron and ACTU President Sharan Burrow.
"I also want to express my deep appreciation for Tas Bull (dec.) and the mentoring role he provided when I began work with the Waterside Workers’ Federation in 1987, prior to coming to the ACTU.
"I want to also record my respect and gratitude to former ACTU Secretary Bill Kelty. Bill is one of the greatest leaders the labour movement has had, achieving many great things, not the least of which is the universal superannuation that working Australians enjoy today.
"My time as ACTU Secretary has been spent entirely under a hostile Federal Government. But I admire the unity and guts unions have shown in the face of the aggressive attacks on Australian working people and their families that have occurred over the past eleven years.
"There have been many highlights - the 1998 waterfront dispute, fighting for Ansett workers’ entitlements, achieving justice for victims of James Hardie asbestos products, and leading the campaign against the Howard Government’s unfair IR laws.
"But I am also very proud to have contributed to higher pay for low paid workers, and to have worked with unions to modernise their strategies and campaign methods to help working people.
"My resignation today clears the way for me to focus all of my energy on campaigning in the seat of Charlton in NSW as the Labor candidate.
"I know that I leave the ACTU in very safe hands with Sharan Burrow and Jeff Lawrence.
"And I know that I leave the ACTU at a time when unions are clear about what they believe in and what they are fighting for - the rights and living standards of working people and decent opportunities for our children.
"I will take these values with me into Parliament and will join a strong set of voices striving to get the best for working families.
"I have spent 14 years at the ACTU and a further 6 at the Waterside Workers Federation of Australia. These twenty years have been an enormously formative and rewarding time in my working life.
"I want to express my thanks again to all of the unions, union representatives and members who have given me the opportunity to work as ACTU Secretary.
"I would also like to thank the many people in the community generally who, over the years, have encouraged me and expressed their support.
"Finally, I thank ACTU President Sharan Burrow and the ACTU officers and staff for our productive and enjoyable time together at the ACTU, and wish my colleagues all the best for the future."
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