http://www.theaustralian.com.au/index.asp?URL=/national/4263216.htm By SID MARRIS 22mar99 THE Federal Government has hired a research company to uncover evidence of employers colluding with unions to maintain high levels of union membership. However, the ACTU has condemned the survey as biased and says it is designed to select the Government's next target for confrontation after the failure of its attack on wharfies. The survey, commissioned by the Office of the Employment Advocate, is seeking about 1000 employers to explain why their companies have high rates of union membership. Suggested answers in the 28-question survey for explaining high unionisation levels range from a "better the devil you know" approach to concern about possible industrial disruption if the employers did not comply. Other options include industry association recommendations or demands from customers or clients that workers be unionised. Some questions give the option that employees choose to be union members. The written survey is to be backed up by a telephone poll of employees, asking their attitudes to union membership and unions. The Employment Advocate has responsibility for the freedom of association provisions of the Workplace Relations Act. Advocate Jonathan Hamberger said the survey was designed to help his office plan priorities and establish whether there were still problems with compulsory unionism. "It would be naive of anyone to suggest that because an Act of parliament is passed that there is no longer compulsory unionism," he said. "From our point of view, this is a scientific survey because we want to find this information out. "There is no way we are assuming workers are only in unions because they are forced to." ACTU assistant secretary Greg Combet said the survey was another sign of the deteriorating industrial environment being fostered by Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith, despite research by his party's pollsters showing voters were wary of government taking a biased role. "I think the second-term agenda for Reith is to beat up business on a range of fronts to undermine unionism in the workplace," Mr Combet said. "We know, because employers report to us Mr Reith is very aggressive to encourage them to take a similarly aggressive stance against the unions." Mr Combet warned employers the survey might be a trap, but Mr Hamberger said he was using a research company, Wallis Consulting, to ensure confidentiality. Unions believe the OEA is preparing a major assault on Victorian building sites. Mr Reith has singled out Victorian employers for co- operating with the unions. [This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."] Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
