Reith Plays Tricks With Inquiry Ad

Date: 19 May 2000

Senate inquiry into the Workplace Relations Amendment Bill 2000 has placed its first public advertisements, calling for submissions, in national papers today - and has asked for all submissions to be in 'as soon as possible' but no later than next Thursday.

The indecent haste in which the Senate inquiry is being guillotined threatens the rights of all Australians to a decent workplace, Tim Ferrari, the Assistant National Secretary of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union said today.

" Like a pea-and-thimble trick - in the hope people willl be bamboozled and won't see it - the advertisement calling for submissions for the Senate Inquiry is buried in the Friday insert of the AFR, The Review Arts pages.

" The Bill has just been introduced into Parliament, and now is being shoved through a Senate inquiry with this undue haste."

" It is an attempt to minimise the number of submissions,.general public commentary and protests about core changes to workplace rights," Mr Ferrari said.

Mr Ferrari said that in small workplace industries like childcare, hotels, restaurants and security employers will still be able to 'pattern bargain' but their employees will be banned from having the same rights.

" This is an outrageous, unfair and one-sided proposal which deeply affects LHMU members.

" The Bill can only be portrayed as discriminatory.
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" Minister Reith's Department is providing 'templates' for employers to bargain new arrangements with their employees but the Minister wants to stop working people and their unions 'pattern-bargaining' their collective agreements

" If there is no sanctions to be imposed on employers ' pattern bargaining' arrangements with their employees why should there be sanctions on workers doing the same with their employers?," Mr Ferrari asked.

Last year a similar inquiry into changes in workplace laws received over 500 written submissions, while the 1996 Workplace Relations Amendment Bill received more than double this number of submissions.

" If Minister Reith had any respect for the needs of ordinary Australians he would immediately ensure that there was an extension of time to fully consider, discuss and debate his proposed changes to the rights of people in the workplace.

" This draconian plan needs wide-ranging and comprehensive input from the community.

" This timetable of 4.5 working days is a joke. This is a deliberate attempt to guillotine debate about laws which will severely compromise the legal rights of working people," Mr Ferrari said.

" If Minister Reith won't back down then the Senate should act to ensure they are not being used as 'rubber stamps'.

" Give enough time and proper consideration we believe a wide range of community organisations would want to have their voices heard in discussion about these controversial amendments," Mr Ferrari said.

For further info: Mr Tim Ferrari 02 9281 9511 or 041 766 7242

(Note: The Senate advertisement is buried in the arts and ideas AFR Friday insert section: The Review p.11)

For further information

Contact:	Andrew Casey
Union:	Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union
Phone:	9281 9511
Fax:	92821 4480
Email:	Andrewc@lhmu.org.au
WWW:	http://www.lhmu.org.au

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