THE AGE http://www.theage.com.au/news/20000304/A53264-2000Mar3.html Reith takes new tack on labor [sic] reform By ANDREA CARSON WORKPLACE REPORTER Saturday 4 March 2000 The Federal Government has flagged a new strategy to reform the workplace relations system, conceding its present plans have no chance of passing the Senate. The Government wants to use its corporations law power under the Constitution to introduce a single industrial system across Australia. This would undermine the arbitration role of the Industrial Relations Commission and give more power to the courts. The Minister for Workplace Relations, Mr Peter Reith, told an Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry conference the Government would not succeed with its proposed workplace relations amendment bill and needed an alternative. Last year a Senate inquiry into the controversial "second wave" bill discarded most of the Federal Government's proposed workplace changes. "I have floated the idea of moving to a more simple, rational system by use of the Commonwealth corporations power," Mr Reith said. He claimed a single system would stop duplication, improve safety net coverage of low-paid workers and end the historic ambit log claims, paper disputes and demarcation fights under the conciliation and arbitration system. Mr Reith said he would be seeking talks with the Democrats, whose industrial relations spokesman, Senator Andrew Murray, has supported the idea of one unified industrial relations system. "It is all a matter of what you can get through the Senate and what the people in the Senate are prepared to support," Mr Reith said. He said his desire to effect real change to Australia's workplace system had been undermined by the actions of the four state Labor governments. Mr Reith accused the Labor governments of "re-regulating" the industrial relations systems, with Victoria the most recent government to undermine his workplace agenda. "Although it is early days for the Bracks Labor Government, there is already much cause for concern," he said, accusing it of "pandering" to unions when it stopped offering public-sector unions Australian workplace agreements. Mr Reith said he planned to meet the state Industrial Relations Minister, Ms Monica Gould, this month, to talk about his concern over plans to re-establish a separate state industrial tribunal. "A separate Victorian tribunal will represent a move to the past," he said. "But in the end the Victorian Government can't unilaterally set up a Victorian system, they've got to have the support of the coalition." Mr Reith said the Federal Government would oppose Victorian unions' campaign for changes to working hours and conditions, including the metal unions' industry-wide campaign 2000, and the building industry's push for a 36-hour week. ************************************************************************* 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
