Issue No 107 | 17 August 2001 | |
MediaLabor's Entitlements Pledge: Trust Will Remain
A Beazley Labor Government would ensure that a universal scheme of workers entitlements did not override trust funds established by individual unions, Labor's IR spokesman Arch Bevis has revealed. Bevis has told Workers Online that he accepts that for some workplaces a trust-fund arrangement such as Manusafe will be preferable to Labor's comprehensive insurance model. But he says he expects that most firms will find the government-backed insurance scheme - where a small levy would be added to superannuation payments - a better option. "I think those unions that have taken the initiative on those matters deserve to be applauded," Bevis says. "They have actually tried to fill a void that has existed frankly for too long. "For some firms and for some industries, depending on their worker profile, depending on their cash flow, a trust fund model will actually be better for them and I recognize that. "But for others they will be better placed and will prefer to have an insurance model, which is why we went down that path. "So I don't think there needs to be a competition as it were. They are two different models to achieve the same outcome. ... The important thing is that the initiative that those unions have taken and the commitment we have as a Labor Party, achieves the necessary outcome - all workers' entitlements will be protected." Entitlements Disputes Flare Across Economy Meanwhile, disputes over workers entitlements continue to flare across the economy: � workers at MainTrain, manufacturers of equipment for rolling stock on the sate railways continued industrial action which is will threaten rail services next week. � about 150 Taubmans workers at Villawood in Sydney went on a week-long strike on Thursday in support of an enterprise bargaining campaign. The workers are calling on Taubmans to protect their entitlements by contributing to Manusafe the joint trust fund. � And 250 workers - members of the ETU, AWU, NUW and AMWU, at Solectron Telecommunications Pty Ltd walk off the job for 48 hours. Labor Council secretary John Robertson says the protection of workers entitlements is now figuring in all enterprise agreement negotiations. "Workers have seen the stories of workers in all types of industries - from mining,to textiles to telecommunications - losing their entitlements and they are now taking action to sure it does not happen to them," Robertson says. "It is an industrial issue and it will mbecome a political issue as the federale elction approaches." How will Manusafe work? You can get more information about Manusafe by clicking here. Give us your views on the Manusafe campaign? Have you got a story about how workers lost their accrued entitlements went a company went down the gurgler?. Write a note in our Guest Book by clicking here.
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Interview: What's The Deal? Labor's IR spokesman Arch Bevis explains how a Beazley Government will rebuild our broken system. E-Change: 2.3 The State of the Union White hope or white elephant? The future of trade unions is by no means guaranteed in the networked society. Industrial: Into the 21st Century ACTU President Sharan Burrow looks at the landmark deal delivering workers 12 months paid maternity leave. Unions: The Black Hole Jim Marr goes inside Stellar to discover the human cost of a management philosophy that says: you are on your own. History: The Age of Dissent The Sydney Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History has organised a Conference on Social Protest Movements and the Labour Movement, 1965-1975. Media: ABC and the Knowledge Nation Tony Moore looks at how the national broadcaster's fortunes are closely linked to the Knowledge Nation Agenda International: Brazil�s C.U.T. - When Big Is Beautiful The CFMEU�s Phil Davey drops in on Brazil�s equivalent to the ACTU, the Central Unica Dos Trabalhadores (CUT). Satire: Bracks Disputes Cabramatta tag Victorian Premier Steve Bracks has called for a national council to decide on a location for Australia's drug capital. Review: Globalisation Is Globalisation In an extract from his book, Christopher Shiel argues that the official Australian perspective on globalisation is strikingly narrow.
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