Reith's Bill anti-worker says union

Date: 11 May 2000

Peter Reith's latest attack on workers who collectively achieve strong wage agreements is hypocritical and contrary to international best practice, Australia's largest construction union said today.

"The ILO Committee of Experts has already found the current Workplace Relations Act's prohibitions on pattern bargaining are contrary to the spirit and the letter of the Collective Bargaining Convention," said John Sutton, National Secretary of the CFMEU Construction & General Division.
"The ILO has requested the government 'take steps to review and amend the Act to ensure that collective bargaining will not only be allowed but encouraged, at the level determined by the bargaining parties'. Peter Reith's move to introduce a Pattern Bargaining Bill is not only contrary to that request; it compounds the inadequacies of the current situation."

"Pattern bargaining is common practice in all OECD countries which practice collective bargaining, including the United States," said Mr Sutton.
"It makes sense in industries like construction where large numbers of businesses and workers work side by side on a single project. And contrary to what Reith might think, not all employers in the construction industry oppose pattern bargaining."

"Reith's latest Bill is just another instance of Liberal hypocrisy. The Office of the Employment Advocate last week launched its 'template' for Australian Workplace Agreements for small employers," said Mr Sutton.
"A template AWA is apparently not a 'pattern' agreement because it gives the whip hand to employers not workers."

"Peter Reith's motivation in this Bill is quite clear: it is to attack those workers who have bargained successfully to achieve collective outcomes across a number of industries. His aim is to weaken workers' bargaining power with his familiar divide and rule tactics," Mr Sutton said.

For further comment phone John Sutton, National Secretary CFMEU Construction Division on: 0419 254 180 or Alex Bukarica, Assistant Secretary on 0419 266 795.

For further information

Contact:	Bernadette Moloney
Union:	CFMEU
Phone:	0414 229660

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