PM Must Upgrade Dyeworkers Package

Date: 23 March 2000

The Prime Minister must intervene to upgrade the package offered by Peter Reith to Fabric Dyeworks workers to equal that offered to workers at National Textiles, the company chaired by the Prime Minister's brother, Shadow Assistant Treasurer, Kelvin Thomson, said today.

Mr Thomson said the workers at National Textiles have been promised their entitlements in full, but it is now evident that Peter Reith's National Employee Entitlements Scheme is much less than entitlements in full, as the Fabric Dyeworks case shows.

"To start with, it does nothing about workers' missing superannuation. Secondly, the Commonwealth will only fund a maximum of two weeks unpaid wages, two weeks annual leave, and two weeks edundancy pay.

"It would be nice if the Australian Taxation Office, which is responsible for ensuring Superannuation Guarantee compliance, had put the same energy into making sure the superannuation for these workers was kept up to date as it put into the Section 218 garnishee notices that sent this company into liquidation.

"It is now up to the Prime Minister to intervene, just as he did in the National Textiles case. If not, can he explain what makes Fabric Dyeworks employees less worthy than National Textiles employees?"

For further information

Contact:	Kelvin Thomson
Union:	ALP Federal
Phone:	0419 594 882

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