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Issue No. 291 | 25 November 2005 |
International Relations
Interview: Public Defender Legal: Craig's Story Unions: Wrong Way, Go Back Industrial: WhatChoice? Politics: Queue Jumping History: Iron Heel Economics: Waging War International: Under Pressure Poetry: Billy Negotiates An AWA Review: A Pertinent Proposition
Senators Back Rorters' Charter Job Cuts Threaten CBA's Bottom Line
The Soapbox The Locker Room Culture Parliament
Name and Shame Unite and Fight The Worker's Best Friend What Choices? Stop the Corporate Rot The Telemarketeers
Labor Council of NSW |
News Printers Stamp on Low Paid
The Printing Industries Association is appealing an Australian Industrial Relations Commission decision on a skills based classification, which would boost pay for an employee's on-the-job skills.
AMWU printing secretary Steve Walsh said it was a "bloody-minded" move, cynically devised to hold out for the Howard Government's industrial relations reforms. He said if the award was not upgraded before the reforms, the ability to introduce a skills-based classification structure into enterprise agreements would be reduced. "We're very disappointed at the Printing Industries Association after such a long period of time trying to secure this result," Walsh said. The AIRC's Senior Deputy President Marsh handed down the decision last month to re-classify printing workers on points earned through on-the-job skills. Previously, only formal qualifications were recognised. The classification structure would see an extra $20 to $30 a week in the pockets of low-skilled printing workers. It would encourage workers do develop their skills at work, as bonuses would be gained through acquiring skills across all tasks in the industry. The Australian Industry Group backed the initiative, arguing before the AIRC it provided more precision for classifying employees. Walsh said it was important to have the classification structure in place before the Howard Government took its razor to awards. "It would give workers some degree of security," Walsh said. "The Printing Industries Association is simply engaged in tactics to delay this important decision."
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