Australian workers and their families will march in rallies around the nation today to call on Tony Abbott to keep Australia fair and dump his vision of a harsher and less equal Australia.
>> To find out about the ASU's involvement in the "Bust The Budget" rallies see: ASU at #BustTheBudget rallies across the country
"The Abbott – Hockey Federal Budget is a cruel and heartless attack on ordinary Australians and the Australian way of life," ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver said.
"It is a recipe for the Americanisation of Australian society - rising inequality and a working poor – and one that Australian's won't stand for.
"Hardworking Australians are sending a message to Tony Abbott that they're worried about being slugged with extra costs to see a doctor, drive to work or to get into TAFE or university and they're worried about cuts to pensions and other welfare payments.
"Public servants are worried if their job is one of the tens of thousands that Tony Abbott wants to cut and other workers are worried that when the going gets tough Tony Abbott won't go into bat for the jobs of millions of other Australians.
"The Abbott Government's prescription for Australian workers is a future built on insecure work, with people shunted through inappropriate training to unsustainable jobs until their bodies are broken at the age of 70, while hitting them with extra costs at every turn for healthcare and medicine, for education, and for petrol.
"The plan to deny young unemployed people any income support for the first six months – and then make them work for the dole – is vindictive.
"By scrapping apprentice tools payments and loading them young people with debt, making university more expensive while simultaneously dissolving universal health care and welfare safety nets, young workers will be pushed to the edge of homelessness and poverty.
"This Budget has confirmed what we already suspected - that Tony Abbott and the Coalition are no friends of working people and their families."
Mr Oliver warned that the budget was just the start, with workers' wages and conditions also in Abbott's sights.
"The Government and the business lobby are openly campaigning to abolish penalty rates, Mr Hockey confirmed they are actively considering a plan to cut the minimum wage every year for ten years and there is legislation before the Parliament to bring back unfair individual contracts.
"This Government wants to attack rights at work and weaken the union movement because it is unions who stand between them and the realisation of their cruel agenda.
"Australian Unions won't stand by while Mr Abbott attacks the Australian way of life, we'll fight so hardworking Australians get a fair go."
Details for rallies in your community can be found at http://www.australianunions.org.au/events
>> To find out about the ASU's involvement in the "Bust The Budget" rallies see: ASU at #BustTheBudget rallies across the country
Media contact: Carla De Campo, 0410 579 575