From the ABC

AWA take-up rate concerns Labor
The Federal Opposition says new figures showing thousands of workers have signed onto Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA) is a worrying development.

The Office of the Employment Advocate says in the past three months more than 41,000 workers have entered into AWAs.

The Government says it shows the agreements are popular.

But Labor's Stephen Smith says most workers are losing conditions and are under pressure to sign-up because they do not have protection from unfair dismissal.

"The insidious combination, the capacity to say to someone 'Here's an AWA, sign the AWA' with inferior conditions, with people knowing that because they have no unfair dismissal rights, if they're not careful it'll be 'Sign the AWA or don't have a job, sign the AWA or you'll end up being sacked'," he said.

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