[Greens-Media] Media Release: The state government must do more to protect Victorian workers say the Greens

[Greens Victoria Media]

Media Release: for immediate use
Wednesday August 23, 2006
Contact: Sue Pennicuik on (mob) 0407 000 270


THE STATE GOVERNMENT MUST DO MORE TO PROTECT VICTORIAN WORKERS FROM 
CANBERRA'S IR LAWS SAY THE GREENS

The Victorian government's decision to provide unfair dismissal rights 
for state public sector workers in small workplaces, falls far short of 
the mark say the Greens.

"The state government can do much more to protect large numbers of 
Victorian workers from the excesses of John Howard's industrial 
relations laws," said Sue Pennicuik, the Greens Industrial Relations 
spokesperson and candidate for the Southern Metropolitan Upper House Region.

"The Premier could - with the stroke of a pen - repeal the Kennett 
government's transfer of the state's IR powers to the Commonwealth," 
said Sue Pennicuik. "By a simple act of parliament, the state government 
could protect Victorian public sector employees from the whole of 
Canberra's 'Workchoices' laws. This protection could extend to the 
hundreds of thousands of Victorian workers not employed by corporations."

"It is a mystery as to why the state government has not done this, as it 
leaves our workers needlessly exposed," said Sue Pennicuik. "If Labor 
doesn't stand up for the rights of workers, what does it stand for?"

The Greens in state parliament after November 25, will work to:
- restore the State’s industrial relation powers,
- legislate to protect conditions of employment to the maximum extent 
possible,
- remove  Victorian public sector employees from the Commonwealth 
industrial relations system,
- establish a state Industrial Relations Commission, with the power to 
make Awards, register collective agreements
   between union and employers and to settle disputes.

The Greens say the taxation and contracting powers of the state should 
also be used to discourage the use of individual Australian Workplace 
Agreements (AWAs) and employers who are looking to use Federal 
industrial relations law to cut pay and conditions.

For more information and comment please contact
Sue Pennicuik on (mob) 0407 000 270
or
Dave Lane on (mob) 0419 156 213

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