Sally McManus: Strike outbreak a crazy fantasy

ACTU secretary Sally McManus laughs off government claims the union movement’s wage policy is a return to the 1970s.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus. Picture: Kym Smith

ACTU secretary Sally McManus says industrial action in support of sector wide pay claims will be a “last resort” and government claims the union movement’s wage policy is a return to the 1970s are “crazy”.

In response to the ACTU wages proposal, federal Labor has left open legislating to allow workers to strike in support of sector-wide pay claims if Bill Shorten wins the next federal election.

But employers and the Turnbull government have attacked the ACTU bid to permit unions and workers to take protected industrial action in support of sector-wide wage claims, warning it would kill jobs and business competitiveness.

Ms McManus said today government claims the implementation of the ACTU proposal would result in an outbreak of strikes as occurred in the 1970s was “just a crazy fantasy”.

We want to see an outbreak of pay rises, not an outbreak of strike action, @sallymcmanus tells @barriecassidy #auspol #Insiders pic.twitter.com/McV4O5eP4m

— Insiders ABC (@InsidersABC) April 14, 2018

“For us, we want to see a balance between the right for working people to take industrial action as a last resort, and giving again the power to make decisions to the Fair Work Commission,’’ she told the ABC’s Insiders program.

“At the moment, they do not have the power to make decisions when there’s a big dispute or a disagreement.

“So essentially that means it is actually the law of the jungle, and the tigers are winning. And those tigers are the big multinationals and we need to make sure that we have a fair independent umpire that will balance, that will make sure, we don’t see long big strikes. We just want to see an outbreak of pay rises, not an outbreak of strike action.”

She said the workplace relations system should deliver pay rises that were in line with increases in productivity.

“Over the last 10 years, productivity has gone up about twice as fast as wages have so clearly there is something wrong there,’’ she said.

Ms McManus said the ACTU would have discussions with all political parties — not just the Labor Party — in a bid to win support for the policy.

"It's the law of the jungle, and the tigers are winning," @sallymcmanus tells @barriecassidy #auspol #Insiders pic.twitter.com/jUWK1slz71

— Insiders ABC (@InsidersABC) April 14, 2018

“We have been really open, we’ve outlined exactly what we think needs to happen for a new, fair system so people also get better job security,’’ she said,

“We’re sitting down with (the Labor Party) but we’ll also sitting down with the Coalition, and we’ll sit down with all of the minor parties as well because in the end we believe this is what is necessary.

“We hope, of course, that the Labor Party would adopt a lot of the proposals we’ve got but, in the end, that’s going to be a matter for them.”

She said less than half of the unions affiliated to the ACTU were not affiliated to the Labor Party, including the nurses, teachers and public sector unions.