
Issue No 54		19 May 2000

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News

Democrats Wavering on Reith Bill

The Australian Democrats have flagged that they could be persuaded to accept part of the Howard Government's latest wave on industrial refroms.

The new industrial relations online service Workplace Express is today quoting Democrats' Senator Andrew Murray as saying he would be more inclined to amend the legislation than reject it outright.

Speaking at the NSW IR Society's conference in Bowral, Senator Murray said that the bill dealt with "problems that had to be addressed".

"I have always said that I am uncomfortable with the notion of unions pursuing standardised logs of claims across an industry that take no regard of the conditions of each enterprise," he said.

But, he said, he also believed that unions and employer bodies had a legitimate right to establish common policy for their members.

"The key issue is whether pattern bargaining erodes enterprise bargaining and results in the enforcement of wages and conditions where workers and employers do not want that."

The Art of Burying Public Debate

Meanwhile, the Senate inquiry into the Workplace Relations Amendment Bill 2000 has placed its first public advertisements, calling for submissions, in national papers today - and has asked for all submissions to be in 'as soon as possible' but no later than next Thursday.

The indecent haste in which the Senate inquiry is being guillotined threatens the rights of all Australians to a decent workplace, Tim Ferrari, the Assistant National Secretary of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union said today.

"Like a pea-and-thimble trick - in the hope people will be bamboozled and won't see it - the advertisement calling for submissions for the Senate Inquiry is buried in the Friday insert of the AFR, The Review Arts pages.

" The Bill has just been introduced into Parliament, and now is being shoved through a Senate inquiry with this undue haste."

" It is an attempt to minimise the number of submissions,.general public commentary and protests about core changes to workplace rights," Mr Ferrari said.

Mr Ferrari said that in small workplace industries like childcare, hotels, restaurants and security employers will still be able to 'pattern bargain' but their employees will be banned from having the same rights.

"This is an outrageous, unfair and one-sided proposal which deeply affects LHMU members. The Bill can only be portrayed as discriminatory.

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  Issue 54 contents

Interview: South of the Border
Victorian Trades Hall chief Leigh Hubbard on life under Bracks, militant unionism and why more people march in Melbourne.

Politics: Jeff Shaw's Second Wave
The full text of the NSW Industrial Relations Minister's speech to Labor Council announcing the Carr Government's IR reform agenda.

Unions: Reith's Laws: Just Say NO
The ACTU has called on Labor and the Democrats to reject Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith's anti-industry bargaining Workplace Relations 2000 Bill out right.

History: A Breed Of Their Own
Labour historian Greg Patmore explains what makes his fraternity tick - and why they're still going strong and making history.

International: Sony's Asian Showdown
The Japanese electronic giant Sony is threatening to shutdown production facilities in Indonesia - where a prolonged strike has cost it US$200milliom - and move to next door Malaysia where electronic workers are banned from forming a union.

Human Rights: Good Guys, Bad Guys
Everywhere we look -in our newspapers, on the television, in reports by business leaders, academics and politicians - advocacy of human rights seems to be on a collision course with governmental and business interests.

Review: New Workers, New Challenges
A new wave of thought is arguing that working life is changing - but this doesn't necessarily deal unions out the action.

Satire: Rain Man Withdraws Endorsement of Qantas
After the third major safety incident in the space of a year, Qantas has lost the confidence of the most famous public supporter of its once unblemished safety record, the autistic star of Rain Man, Raymond.

» Carr Moves on Casuals

» Democrats Wavering on Reith Bill

» Exit Visas for Child Care Workers

» GST Pay Claims to Target Allowances

» Tide Turns On Competitive Tendering

» Joy Takes Message To The World

» Mines Out as Rio Tinto Torps Talks

» Political Economy for Activists, 2000

» Unions March for Reconciliation

» STOP PRESS: AK-47s used in coup against union-aligned Fiji Labour Government