Data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that industrial disputation in our workplaces continues to trend downwards from the highs of the Howard Government years.

 Under Fair Work, the rate of working days lost per 1000 employees is on average around one third the rate (4.9) we saw under Howard Government (13.5).

 In the building and construction industry the rate is on average less than one sixth the rate (11) we saw under the Howard Government (73).

 This is at a time where more Australians are covered by enterprise agreements than ever before which shows that the vast majority of agreements are made without any industrial action at all. In the March quarter 2013, over 1300 new enterprise agreements were approved.

 While industrial action increased in the last quarter, it remained at a relatively low level of 52 100 working days lost for the March Quarter compared to an average of 102 900 working days lost per quarter under the Howard Government.

 This is equal to 5 working days lost per 1000 employees, which is around the average rate under this Government and around one third of the rate under the Howard Government.

 The ABS data released today showed that State Liberal Government disputes with their own employees account for the vast majority of the increase in last year.

 The past twelve months has seen State Liberal Governments in Victoria, NSW and Queensland in dispute with nurses, teachers, disability workers, park workers, emergency services workers and public sector staff.

 State Liberal Government disputes with their own workers are largely the reason for the increase over the year to March Quarter 2013.

 Education and training and Health care and social assistance accounted for 72 per cent of working days lost in the March quarter.

 Victoria alone accounted for 74 per cent of working days lost in the March Quarter.

 The Gillard Government has delivered a fair, balanced and productive workplace relations system that protects the most vulnerable.

 At its core, the Liberal Party believes in individual statutory contracts that cut wages and conditions in a race to the bottom.

 The Liberal Party cannot be trusted on workplace relations. And they certainly can’t be trusted to deliver harmonious, fair workplace relations in Australia.