Your Rights at Work

Your Rights at Work fights on

WorkChoices laws still haunting the Liberals

When the Howard Government set out to attack workplace and union rights after the 2004 election, ACTU affiliates agreed to fund a media campaign and EMC went to work.

The challenge was to reach out not only to union members but all working Australians on low to middle incomes and change votes to defeat the Coalition in 2007.

With research showing Australians feel strongly about their work rights – and 75% identifying as ‘working people’ – EMC developed the frame ‘Your Rights at Work – Worth Fighting For’.

Within the ‘Your Rights at Work’ frame, EMC worked with unions to develop key messages underpinning all of free and paid media; as well as collateral for workplace and community campaigning.

A series of national TV ads nearly doubled opposition to the laws to 64%.

Over the 3-year campaign exposed the unfairness of the WorkChoices laws and turned IR into a major election issue in 2007.

The Howard Government spent $200 million on ads defending its workplace laws – 10 times the amount spent by unions.

Polling showed IR was the second most important issue in the 2007 and the biggest vote-changing issue for swinging voters in marginal seats.

The 2010 election campaign shows voters still don’t trust the Liberals on work rights.

EMC Campaigns