|
Issue # 1399  18 February 2009
Workers front Senate inquiry over collective bargaining
As The Guardian
goes to press, workers are due to protest against the behaviour of major
employers that continue to use WorkChoices when they front the Senate Inquiry
into the Rudd Labor government’s Fair Work Bill.
The unethical behaviour of Telstra management in denying
the rights of its employees to union representation demonstrates why WorkChoices
must be abolished urgently, workers and their unions will tell Senate Inquiry
hearings this week.
The Community and Public Sector Union – one of the three
unions representing workers employed by Telstra – will appear before a Senate
Inquiry into the Fair Work Bill in Melbourne. The ACTU will also appear
at the Inquiry in Melbourne. Telstra management has refused to meet with
unions to negotiate a collective agreement for employees since last July.
Workers at the telco have not had a pay rise since September 2007.
Members of the Community and Public Sector Union and the
Communication, Electrical and Plumbing Union are now taking protected industrial
action to pressure the company to respect the rights of its employees and
come back to negotiations.
ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence said Telstra has been one of
the most high-profile supporters of WorkChoices and continues to take every
advantage of the remnants of the Howard government’s laws to undermine workers’
rights.
“The company’s submission to the Senate Inquiry is also
pushing for changes to the federal government’s IR proposals that would
strengthen the power of employers and weaken the rights of employees to
good faith collective bargaining and union representation.
“Other employers, including in the large retail sector,
are trying to use the last gasps of WorkChoices to lock retail workers into
job contracts that would leave them out-of-pocket by more than $5500 a year.
“It is vital that Labor’s new IR laws are amended to give
Australian workers strong collective bargaining rights and are passed by
Parliament as soon as possible,” said Mr Lawrence. 
Back to index page
Next article
— Union guarantee of Mayne jobs
|
