Claims of dirty tricks conspiracy

Date: 09 April 2001

Allegations on yesterday's Sunday program of the Howard Government's possible involvement in another dirty-tricks conspiracy to cut people's wages deserve urgent investigation, the ACTU said.

The program included claims of criminal tactics, incitement to violence, perjury, frame-ups and the use of undercover spies in a three-year drive to cut workers' wages at the G&K O'Connor meatworks at Pakenham, near Melbourne.

ACTU Secretary Greg Combet today said there were serious unanswered questions about the role of the Federal Government and in particular of former Workplace Relations Minister, Mr Peter Reith, in the dispute.

"The Australian public can now see the end product of a vicious industrial relations system built on conflict. This is the ugly side of industrial relations that is flourishing under the Howard Government," Mr Combet said.

"We know that there was regular contact between Mr Reith's department, the Office of the Employment Advocate and the employer during this dispute," Mr Combet said.

"We also know that there are 700 secret Government documents on this dispute that the union has been denied access to. They should be released immediately to assure the Australian public that their government is not involved in these activities."

Mr Combet also called for the present Workplace Relations Minister, Mr Tony Abbott, to distance himself from the tactics used in the O'Connor dispute, and to assist in releasing the documents.

"This dispute proves again that John Howard's promise that no worker would lose pay under his system was a sham. Today's program shows how that system has encouraged some employers to use what most Australians would think of as extremist tactics to cut people's wages, in this case virtually to poverty levels," Mr Combet said.

For further information

Contact:	Jeremy Vermeesch
Union:	ACTU
Phone:	03 9663 5655
Contact Mobile:	0408 513 849
Fax:	03 9663 8220
Email:	media@actu.asn.au
WWW:	http://www.actu.asn.au/

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