Qld Sparkies Meet on Freeloaders

Date: 19 March 2002

Electrical workers on major constructions sites around Queensland will stop work tomorrow morning (Wednesday 20 March) to discuss a range of issues including the issue of non-unionists benefiting, free of charge, from workplace gains won by ETU members and concerns about electrical industry training and safety.

Up to 1000 workers around the State are expected to take part. Brisbane workers will meet at 9.00am (Queensland time) at the ETU's Brisbane office, 41 Peel St South Brisbane. Workers in regional areas, including the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Gladstone, Maryborough, Mount Isa, Millmerran and Tarong North will be linked by land-line to the Brisbane meeting.

Similar meetings of ETU members in the construction industry are scheduled for 10.00am Eastern Summer Time in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania.

Tomorrow's State-wide meeting of ETU members represents a major escalation of the campaign by Queensland unions for the right to charge non-unionists a fee for workplace gains won through such things as enterprise bargaining.

ETU Queensland secretary, Dick Williams, said ETU members recently voted to hold the stop work meeting over the issue of training and safety in the electrical industry and the opportunity will also be used to discuss other issues of concern to ETU members in the construction industry.

"These include the issues of non-union freeloaders, the Cole Royal Commission and next year's 36-hour-week campaign," Mr Williams said.

The ETU is one of a number of Queensland unions that have recently indicated their intention to have the federal and State ALP platforms and policies changed so they commit ALP governments to legislative change, which allows unions to charge non-unionists a fee for improvements in wages and conditions achieved by union members.

However, Mr Williams said the ETU would not be simply waiting for ALP conferences to have the issue addressed.

"ETU members want the Beattie Government to commit to such legislative change now. I expect tomorrow's rank-and-file meeting will also endorse a workplace campaign in support of the necessary changes. There is no doubt union members, including ETU members, have had enough of people who sit back and enjoy improved wages and conditions won by unions, but do not join the union or contribute to the cost getting those improvements.

"As I have said before, this is nothing but getting something for nothing and by any measure it is a rort. In fact, this is one of the biggest rorts confronting Australian society with hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people, being allowed to ride for free on the backs of unionists in this way.

"It would not be tolerated in any other sector of society, but for hypocritical ideological reasons on the conservative side of politics and because of what I suspect is policy cowardice on the ALP side, nothing is being done to stop it in the industrial relations sector.

"ETU members are rightly sick of this policy double standard and they want their union officials to do something it and do something about it we will," Mr Williams said.

For further information

Contact:	John Moran
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	07-3366 9010
Contact Mobile:	0410-603 278

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