The dust has barely settled on the federal election and the Morrison government is already preparing laws aimed at the jugular of the union movement.

It has introduced the Ensuring Integrity bill, which the ACTU describes as “a roll-back of the basic rights of working people which has no equivalent in the Western world”.

The new bill would give the minister, employers, or any other party with a ‘sufficient interest’ the power to intervene in the running and work of unions, disqualify people from union leadership, block union mergers and deregister unions.

“The Morrison Government insisted that it had no plans to reduce workers’ rights during the campaign despite constant questions from unions and the media,” said ACTU President Michele O’Neil.

“Now we see the truth, (Morrison) has called on business to deliver his minister a wish list and has dusted off previously failed legislation to attack unions.

“The first order of business should be acting to tackle low wage growth and stopping penalty rates being cut, but instead (the government) is focused on attacking working people and taking away even more rights.

“The right of workers to organise, and for members to democratically run their unions is an internationally recognised human right. Like a free press, free trade unions are essential checks on the powerful in any democracy. Every single worker benefits from the work of unions; attacking unions is another way of attacking every worker’s rights.”