Coalition accuse Labor of using jobs summit to ‘rubber stamp’ union demands
Unions will use the Labor Government’s upcoming jobs summit to have their demands ‘rubber stamped’ at the expense of employers, the Coalition has warned.
National
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Unions are “taking advantage” of Labor’s federal election win and will use the government’s upcoming jobs summit to have their demands “rubber stamped” at the expense of employers, the Coalition has warned.
Opposition employment and workplace relations spokeswoman Michaelia Cash has lashed the government’s “talk of consensus and negotiation” in the lead up to the September gathering of businesses, unions and other stakeholders as hollow.
“It is merely a PR raising exercise to pretend they are listening to you,” she told News Corp.
“There is a new show in town and I fear it will be at (employers’) expense and ultimately the expense of the economy and Australians.”
The jobs summit has been hailed by Labor as an opportunity to develop solutions to Australia’s ongoing labour shortages, supply chain issues and also reform workplace relations after attempts to do so during the Covid-19 pandemic broadly failed.
On Monday Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke told an Australian Industry Group conference in Canberra he was “increasingly concerned” about the ability of businesses to make “unilateral cuts” to workers’ pay and conditions by termination enterprise agreements.
Mr Burke said the issue would be “further discussed” at the summit, but outlined his opposition to the measure.
“My starting point on face value is I cannot see how the tactic can be justified,” he said.
In her own speech responding to Mr Burke on Tuesday, Ms Cash will argue Labor’s intention to scrap unilateral termination provisions in the Fair Work Act “make no sense”.
Ms Cash will say this would be a particularly bizarre move given the current laws were installed by Labor in 2009.
“Add that to other Union demands that would wind the clock back decades with a return to industry wide disputation and we should be very concerned,” she will say.
“In truth, we know the (Australian Council of Trade Unions) wants a return to the bad old days of industry wide bargaining.”
The ideological battle lines between the two major parties have been illustrated in response to a dispute between tugboat operator Svitzer, which is seeking to terminate its EBA through the Fair Work Commission after two years and more than 50 failed meetings with unions to negotiate a new deal.
Ms Cash said Mr Burke was being “disingenuous” about how terminations happen.
“There is no unilateral termination by an employer,” she said.
“An application can be made to the Fair Work Commission and it is up to the independent umpire to decide.”
Svitzer has committed to maintaining crew salaries and core conditions if it succeeded in getting the agreement axed and it can get “reasonable productivity improvements”.
Ms Cash has also challenged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over Labor’s ties to the CFMMEU after South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said he would seek to return a donation to the union in the wake of allegations of vandalism and standover tactics.
“The decision by the SA Labor Premier in relation to a donation from the controversial CFMMEU now sets a clear test for Anthony Albanese,” Ms Cash said.
Join the conversation
Case for interest rate cut ‘getting stronger’
The Australian economy is growing at its slowest pace since the early 1990s recession, with a key group saying the RBA is focusing on the wrong thing to fix it.
Read more
Case for interest rate cut ‘getting stronger’
The Australian economy is growing at its slowest pace since the early 1990s recession, with a key group saying the RBA is focusing on the wrong thing to fix it.
Read more