MAY DAY! MAY DAY! RESCUE WORKCOVER FROM RANN

3 May 2008

Today's May Day rally is an opportunity for South Australians to send a strong message to Mike Rann that they disagree with his attack on their Workers Compensation rights.

SA Unions Secretary, Janet Giles is using the event to urge the government to reconsider its headlong rush into unfairnes.

"The government seems to be digging itself deeper and deeper - these laws are hugely unpopular and will hurt the very voters who elected them to office.  And the more apparent the damage becomes, the more the government is trying to cover itself."

"They're trying to deflect scrutiny with slipper parliamentary tactics - they guillotined the Bill through their Lower House to stifle, debate, and now intend to extend Parliament to a Friday and possibly even Saturday sitting in a bid to strong arm the Bill through the Upper House."

"Mr Rann is in grave danger of being seen as an arrogant, out-of-touch, uncaring Premier who panders to the business lobby at the cost of working families."

"It is political foolishness to propose laws that take money out of the pockets of injured workers, while at the same time giving a financial boost to business."

"Mr Rann needs to realise that public opposition will not vanish no matter how much he tries to silence dissent - in the public, in the Parliament and in the ranks of his own party."

"Unions remain united in their determination to stand up for working families and oppose this attack on their rights", Ms Giles says.