SA: Liberal senators in the dark in IR reforms say unions

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2005
SA: Liberal senators in the dark in IR reforms say unions

ADELAIDE, Aug 9 AAP - Most Liberal senators have little or no idea of the likely impact
the federal government's proposed industrial reforms will have on workers, a senior union
official says.

SA Unions state secretary Janet Giles said some local Liberal senators the union movement
had contacted had refused to discuss the issue while others expressed surprise about what
was intended.

She said Liberal senators seemed unclear about the details and ill informed about the
probable impact.

"What is clear is that Liberal senators have simply been fed a party line and told
not to waver from it," Ms Giles said.

"But when we've sat down with them to discuss the issue in detail, we've discovered
most have little or no idea about the likely impact on working South Australians."

Ms Giles said unions wanted Liberal senators to take on board their concerns, especially
the impact overriding the state industrial system could have on the manufacturing sector
and the state's ability to win wealth creating contracts.

"Our cooperative industrial relations record is one of South Australia's strongest
assets and to foist a less effective system onto this state would be disruptive and hamper
our growth," she said.

AAP tjd/drp

KEYWORD: WORKPLACE UNIONS

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