Comment: Australia's working mums can work part time

The Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) today ruled that:

* Working mothers can ask for part-time employment until their children go to school.

* Award workers have the right ask for up to two years' unpaid parental leave.

* Fathers allowed to take up to eight weeks' leave after the birth of their child.

* All workers will be entitled to take 10 days' leave each year to care for sick children or other family members (in addition to four weeks paid recreation leave).

In a remarkable display of common sense, the AIRC turned down union demands that would have allowed workers to change their hours, days of work and meal breaks to suit their family life. The family *they* chose to have.

No doubt, workers will also be able to pop into work now and then to say hello, have a chat around the coffee machine, check their private email and take home a ream of copy paper for little Kylie and Jason to draw on. Otherwise of course, they would be able to claim sick leave for emotional stress caused by being away from their normal work routine.

Yes, this is Australia - the same country that unions claim has working conditions similar to underdeveloped countries. A country where unions claim the Australian way of life and the family unit, is under attack by draconian industrial relations legislation.

God help Australia, for God must surely be management. After all, he worked six days before resting which is more than you would get out of many of these buggers.

The Guv'nor