VIC: Union protests may alienate Democrats on IR bill

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-1999
VIC: Union protests may alienate Democrats on IR bill

EDS: CHANGES KEYWORD FROM AWARDS UNIONS



By Alan Gale, Industrial Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Aug 8 AAP - The ACTU wants every Australian to strike "for an hour or a day" in
protest against the federal government so-called "second wave" of industrial change.

But the protest may harm the unions' goal of having the changes defeated in the Senate,
after the Australian Democrats told the ACTU to change tactics and stop issuing threats.

ACTU president Jennie George said the Democrats should consider the protests a warning that
they risk alienating the union movement if they support the legislation in the Senate.

"Union members will go on strike for an hour or a day ... we are calling on everybody -
unions and all others in the community to join in the protest," Ms George told AAP.

"I'm sure (the Democrats) would not be too happy to be in a position of alienating large
sections of working people across Australia," she said.

The government's changes were introduced into parliament in June but are yet to come before
the Senate, where the legislation's fate depends on how the Democrats use their balance of
power.

However, their industrial relations spokesman Senator Andrew Murray sent a blunt message to
Ms George, telling her to change the tone of her voice.

"There is a flavour of a threatening term in what she's saying - sometimes the force of a
threat has a reverse effect to what they expect," he told AAP.

"It will not help (to convince us) if people start threatening.

"She should consider changing tactics ... she might change the tone of her voice ... this
is not a popularity contest; it is about workplace relations in which our main concern is to
ensure the weak and disadvantaged are properly looked after - especially the non-unionised.

"This can all be done without gumming up the process of creating wealth and jobs (by taking
strike action)."

The union week of protest begins in Melbourne tomorrow, when a Victorian Trades Hall
Council-organised protest marches to the offices of Democrats Senator Lyn Allison.

This is followed by state-by-state protests, beginning with Western Australia on Tuesday.

South Australia and Victoria follow on the 11th and 12th respectively, then Queensland on
the 18th, New South Wales on the 24th, Tasmania on the 25th and the territories on the 26th.

Mr Reith's 1996 Workplace Relations Act, known as the "first wave" of Howard government
industrial law changes, was found to have breached the convention on freedom of association
and the protection of the right to organise by the International Labour Organisation earlier
this year.

The "second wave" plans to significantly change the role of the Australian Industrial
Relations Commission and remove conditions like notices of termination, skill-based
classifications, accident make-up pay, jury and long service leave and union picnic days from
awards.

AAP ag/er/it/de

KEYWORD: INDUSTRIAL UNIONS (CHANGES KEYWORD)

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