Rudd starts work on Howard's workplace laws

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has taken the first steps towards dismantling the Howard Government's Work Choices laws.

His Cabinet yesterday approved the three key planks of Labor's workplace relations policy.

The changes will be implemented in a transitional workplace arrangements bill to be introduced when Parliament resumes in February.

The legislation will ban new Australian Workplace Agreements, abolish the Howard Government's AWA fairness test and replace it with a new no-disadvantage test. The new test will apply to individual transitional employment agreements in place from next year and will be measured against the relevant award or collective agreement.

- AAP