Reith Must Own Dispute Manual

Date: 26 April 2000

Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Arch Bevis, today called on Workplace Relations Minister, Peter Reith, to show some political courage by taking responsibility for his own portfolio.

Mr Bevis said Mr Reith was running for cover over a story in today's papers that his department - Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business
(DEWRSB) - had produced a training package advising managers to 'deliberately lie, confuse, discredit and provide misleading information as negotiating tactics' when dealing with workers.

"Peter Reith can't pass the buck on this one," Mr Bevis said.

"As Minister, he must accept ownership of this offensive management tool. After all, it has his fingerprints all over it. The DEWRSB Dispute
Management Manual comes from the same file as Dubai, Rottweilers, and Balaclavas. It is a disgrace.

"Peter Reith's latest attack on workers was produced by his own department using taxpayers' dollars."

Mr Bevis said that one of the tactics suggested by the manual is 'Pretend Ignorance'.

"It is clear that Peter Reith has read this chapter and is now using it to sneak away from his ministerial responsibilities.

"This document is a sad reflection of the Howard Government's attitude to Australian workers - first public servants, and then the rest. The
Government's endorsement of deliberately lying to workers in negotiations is yet another example of the shabby standards of the Coalition.

"Peter Reith should instruct his department to shred this manual and produce training material that endorses bargaining in good faith," Mr Bevis said.

For further information

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

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