Trades Hall

Deirdre Mahoney on Women, Reith and an Unwanted Wave

Australian women and the community as a whole must join forces now to avoid being forced down the path of industrial laws which have devastated New Zealand and Western Australia, a group of 60 union women representatives heard in Sydney this week.

Women at the briefing, held by the ACTU and the Women's Committee of the Labor Council of NSW, heard from West Australian ACTU member Helen Creed, who has seen firsthand the effects of changes like those Small Business Minister Peter Reith wants to introduce in his second round of industrial laws. Creed, WA secretary of the LHMU, told reps women were now making only 77% of men's wages compared to around 85% before WA embarked on rolling back wages and conditions.

ACTU president Jennie George told the reps the gender gap had already widened nationally in the two years since Reith's laws had started, particularly in hospitality. She urged women to act now to contribute to the Senate inquiry initiated by the Democrats into the effects of the laws.

George said that one million women depended solely on the award system for their wages. This would be further eroded with Reith's plans to strip protections including super, accident makeup pay, classification structures, transfer entitlements, and paid maternity and extra sick leave from awards.

George said even more frightening was the fact that Reith was threatening holding off on safety net adjustments until these conditions had been handed over, and warned: "What you will lose is much more than what you will gain."

She also spoke about NZ, stressing that deregulation did not make more jobs, did not increase pay and, coupled with the GST, meant economic and social disaster ahead.

The legislation, to be discussed in the next session of Federal Parliament, in August, aims to obliterate unions by squeezing both employers and vulnerable members. A new definition of "closed shop" would see the Employment Advocate investigating any workplace where union membership was more than 60%, looking for signs of coercion. This could range from things like employers allowing the union to be present for inductions, or just by supporting the unions through a friendly message.

Another move, to only let employers have unions in the workplace when invited by a member, and then only in a special segregated room, would undoubtedly have the effect of making many women scared to come forward.

ACTU industrial officer Linda Rubenstein said Reith's closed shop legislation was specifically aiming at women in the industries where membership was concentrated - retail and finance, and possibly also nursing and teaching. She said the intent was to intimidate people psychologically by making them feel there's something "not quite legal" in being a union member, if a workplace gets investigated for having "too many" members.

Women were also the targets in unfair dismissal legislation, which only applied in businesses where more than 15 people worked and facing having to put up costs before a case progressed, with the possible outcome of having costs awarded against them.

Labor MP Jenny Macklin also spoke at the briefing, which was chaired by Labor Council vice-president (and NSW Nurses' Association secretary) Sam Moait. Labor Council announced that Federal Opposition leader Kim Beazley will launch the ALP's campaign against the second wave at Bronte Park at 12.30pm on Sunday, 8 August.

   For more information on the Second Wave campaign visit the ACTU

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  Issue 22 contents

»	Workers' Rights Butchered
»	Unions Back Shaw Plan
»	Buddy�s Buddy Still Singing Blues
»	Labour Calls Labor to Account
»	Olympic Gear - Labor Standards Should Apply
»	Ship of Shame into Darling Harbour
»	Cardboard King Seeks Warehouse Showdown
»	Nurses Enter New Years Fray
»	University Under Fire For Union-Busting Tactics
»	Inquiry to Lift the Lid on Public Service Bargaining
»	Currawong Back on Agenda
»	APHEDA Seeks Campaign and Marketting Officer

»	Guest Report
»	Sport
»	Trades Hall
»	Piers Watch

»	Youth Wages Campaign a Must for the Union Movement
»	Cheers for Piers
»	Cheers from Geneva

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