Reith's Feral DIY Training Manual

Date: 26 April 2000

The Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Arch Bevis, said today that Peter Reith's Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business was encouraging dubious negotiation practices in public service dealings with its own employees.

Mr Bevis was commenting on a training manual produced by Workplace Partners, a division of Minister Reith's Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business.

"Included in the document is a range of advice, such as to 'Make False Demands' which includes 'When you have many demands, introduce a few false
issues' - in other words lie. Other suggestions include, 'Stall for Time' or 'Discredit Associations', which includes the advice to 'Associate the other party/other party's case with some unsavoury connection'.

"Other suggested tactics are to walk out of negotiations or to deliver a 'take it leave it' ultimatum. Perhaps the most interesting tactic is headed 'Pretend Ignorance' and goes on to say 'To delay proceedings, or to put the other party off guard, act ill informed and ask advice.'

"The public expect the Government to behave in an ethical and proper manner. Clearly this Government believes that in its industrial dealings with its own employees, deliberately lying and other similar tactics are acceptable.

"Minister Reith's department has prepared a do-it-yourself kit for the public service to departments to promote the tactics employed and endorsed by the Government during the Patrick's waterfront dispute," said Mr Bevis.

For further information

Contact:	David Tanse
Union:	ALP Federal
Phone:	0416 136 164
WWW:	http://www.alp.org.au

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