Workers' rally against Reith

Date: 19 May 2000

ACTU President Sharan Burrow kicked off a campaign against Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith and his anti-industry bargaining legislation today by addressing a rally of locked-out workers outside a Conference attended by Mr Reith.

"This is the first day of our campaign against the biased legislation of a biased Minister," said Ms Burrow.

"The community knows that Peter Reith has already swung the pendulum too far against workers. His latest plans will only tip the balance even further."

The rally was organised by 70 workers from Joy Manufacturing in Moss Vale, NSW who have been locked-out of work for 6 weeks under the Government's industrial relations laws.

The workers suspect that their financially troubled employer may use the lockout to strip the Moss Vale plant of assets, leaving workers without redundancy pay and accrued entitlements.

Earlier this year Joy Manufacturing refused a union request to put workers entitlements into a trust fund following news that its US parent company Harnischfeger has filed for reorganisation under the US Bankruptcy Code.

"The community wants laws that give people more job security, not less," said Ms Burrow.

Peter Reith, Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Arch Bevis and Democrats spokesperson Senator Andrew Murray are attending the Industrial Relations Society conference in Bowral NSW. Ms Burrow called on Labor and the Democrats to form a united front in their opposition to Mr Reith's laws.

Ms Burrow also criticised the rushed timetable for public submissions, hearings and Senate Committee consideration of the Bill as an attempt by the Government to guillotine public debate.

In the interests of fairness we are calling on the Opposition and the Democrats to block this Bill," said Ms Burrow.

For further information

Contact:	ACTU Media Officer: George Wright
Union:	ACTU
Phone:	0419 556 616
Fax:	(03) 663 8220
Email:	gwright@actu.asn.au
WWW:	http://www.actu.asn.au/

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