Fed: Secret ballots would nullify union influence - McClelland

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2001
Fed: Secret ballots would nullify union influence - McClelland

CANBERRA, Dec 2 AAP - The federal government's plans to force unions to hold secret
ballots before strike action would neuter their ability to take part in industrial bargaining,
Labor said today.

The plans would extend the required period of notice of a strike to up to six weeks,
opposition workplace relations spokesman Robert McClelland said.

"Unions have already got to give 72 hours notice before they take protected action,"

he told ABC TV.

"To take that back to even a six-week period, according to the previous legislation,
would neuter the ability of unions to participate in collective bargaining."

Mr McClelland said one should bear in mind that the coalition government had taken
away the right to seek an arbitrated outcome and to put arguments before the industrial
commission and get an outcome on their wage or conditions claims.

"It's now been turned into the law of the jungle to say to unions `all right, you're
involved in the law of the jungle process, you've got to get what outcomes you can through
this collective bargaining process' and then to tie their arms and their legs behind their
backs to take away any response they can have is simply creating a massive shift in power
in that structure."

He warned the government that industrial relations was too important an area to use
for political aspirations.

"Getting industrial relations right gets a substantial part of your economy right.

We're 20 million people, we're only going to achieve our destiny by working together,
not working apart," he said.

"It's entirely the wrong area to have this aggressive, adversarial approach."

Senator Bob Brown earlier today said the Greens would not support the government in
the Senate on what was already known of its industrial relations agenda.

AAP dep/ph/br

KEYWORD: BALLOTS MCCLELLAND

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