[Greens-Media] Greens Challenge Beazley to Back ACTU on Collective Bargaining

[Twomey, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)]

Greens Challenge Beazley to Back ACTU on Collective Bargaining 

"The Greens support collective bargaining as the default position for
all employees, as advocated today by the ACTU's Greg Combet," said
Senator Rachel Siewert.

"Greens policy has always embraced collective bargaining as the fairest
and best approach."

"The ACTU policy seems to be at odds with the approach put forward by Mr
Beazley over the weekend, where he seemed to suggest that a ballot would
be needed before collective bargaining can take place," said Senator
Siewert.

"Having to ballot before you can bargain could make the system
unnecessarily slow and costly." 

"We think that the half-way measures suggested by Mr Beazley are doing
the ALP, the unions and the workers a disservice. They make the
bargaining process for employers and employees unnecessarily onerous,
and undermine the right of workers to collective bargaining."

"We challenge Mr Beazley to come out and declare whether or not he
supports the full ACTU position that collective bargaining is the
default position."

	           
For more information or comment call 
Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025
Email senator.siewert at aph.gov.au
http://www.rachelsiewert.org.au

RESCUE THE SENATE


Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens spokesperson on Industrial Relations


Wednesday, 13 September 2006