Fed: Bracks govt hid positive report on AWAs Reith

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2000
Fed: Bracks govt hid positive report on AWAs Reith

Workplace Relations Minister PETER REITH says the Victorian government has suppressed
a report showing non-union workplace contracts have been enthusiastically taken up by
staff of a state public sector agency.

Mr REITH says the action shows the government of Premier STEVE BRACKS is putting the
trade union movement ahead of the rights of taxpayers and workers.

Australian Workplace Agreements have generally been spurned by unions who say the AWAs
are eroding workers' rights and union power.

AWAs are signed by individual employees who can then be sued by their employers if
they take industrial action.

Shortly after being elected last year, the Bracks government abolished AWAs for state
government employees.

The federal government's Employment Advocate says 100,000 AWAs have so far been approved.

But Professor of Industrial Relations at Monash University, GERRY GRIFFIN, says the
100,000 figure is not a big achievement given the eight million members of Australia's
workforce.

AAP RTV dep/msk

KEYWORD: CONTRACTS (CANBERRA)

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