AAP General News (Australia)
02-13-2000
FED: Unions not becoming militant under Bracks ACTU
CANBERRA, Feb 13 AAP - The perception that a
new Labor government in Victoria had brought
back militant unionism was wrong, ACTU secretary-elect Greg Combet said.
"It's completely wrong," Mr Combet told Channel Nine.
"In Victoria, a lot of the enterprise agreements are coming up for negotiation in the
course of the next four-to-five months.
"Whether we'd had a Kennett government or a Bracks Labor government, these agreements
would have been coming up and this campaign down here has been foreseen for some time."
Mr Combet said the media had blown the disputes out of proportion.
He said the industrial relations system should be improved after Mirvac indefinitely
postponed its $1 billion Melbourne Docklands apartment plan following industrial disputes.
"In particular (the government) has to restore the role of the independent tribunal
to assist parties to reach a resolution of claims and issues and have regard to the public
interest and investment projects and jobs, etc," he said.
"There are a few holes in the system at the moment but they are not of our creation."
AAP rmg/arb/bwl b
KEYWORD: INDUSTRIAL ACTU
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