Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

Victorian ALP Conference Support I.R. Resolutions

By Brian Boyd
VTHC Secretary

Tuesday 6 March 2007

On Saturday (3/3/07) the Victorian ALP State Conference held at the Melbourne Convention Centre heard a number of important addresses that tackled the deepening impact of John Howard’s IR laws.

Premier Steve Bracks said his government will always  “stand up for working Victorians” and added that “how much better” this aim could be achieved if we had a Kevin Rudd led government in Canberra.

Kevin Rudd told the conference it was his determination to make “our workplaces fair again” and that a key step in this direction was to consign the Work Choices legislation “to the dustbin of history”.

In her speech to the Conference, Federal IR Spokesperson, Julia Gillard, said the Federal ALP was working towards a clear document outlining the IR policy.  She told delegates this is a lot more than what John Howard did before the 2004 Federal election.  He “didn’t say a word” about IR then she said.  When he won he imposed the most extreme legislation in relation to workplaces ever enacted in this country.  It was “hypocrisy” of the highest order, she said.

The conference then went on, amongst other things, to pass unanimously the following resolutions:

1. ´WorkChoices:

“That the Bracks ALP Government be congratulated on winning the last Victorian state election on 25 November 2006.

That the Conference calls on the Bracks ALP Government to work with the industrial wing of the labour movement to help oust the Howard Government in Canberra and achieve an ALP victory in the upcoming federal election.

In particular, the Bracks Government expedite steps to protect Victorian working people from the extremes of the “WorkChoices” legislation and other harsh federal laws.

“To this end the Bracks Government should progress the various working parties and forums addressing issues such as OH&S, drafting laws to protect basic industrial rights and entitlements, improving collective bargaining rights in the state public sector, government procurement processes, Section 442, 456, 457 visa abuses, state-wide Cup holiday in 2007 and addressing the slump in the state manufacturing base.

Conference notes the above is currently being addressed through the VLAC process but has been slow and time consuming.

Moved: Brian Boyd
Seconded: David Cragg

2. Procurement

State conference calls on the State Government to immediately implement the 2006 ALP Platform previously endorsed by state conference and require that companies who supply goods and services to Government comply with accepted industry benchmark agreements.

Twelve months ago Work Choices made it easier to remove workers from awards and union agreements onto individual non-union contracts (AWAs).  Since then we have seen the gutting of wages and conditions.  Rights to overtime, penalty rates, breaks etc. have disappeared in some industries and sectors.

In 2006 the ALP conference endorsed the ALP election platform which opposed WorkChoices.   The platform ensured that workers on government projects would be protected from anti-union and worker elements of WorkChoices.  Twelve months later the State Government has failed to act to protect workers on Government funded projects.

Currently, companies providing goods and services to Government do not have to comply with EBAs, industry agreements or even awards.  For example workers building or renovating government schools, police stations or hospitals are not entitled to an ward or EBA safety net.  They have no automatic rights to overtime, no rights to be paid extra for working on public holidays, at night or on weekends.  Anti-union employers working on State Government projects can use Work Choices to cut wages and conditions to get a competitive advantage over EBA companies.

This situation has to change.  It is an embarrassment to ALP members, the state Government and Kevin Rudd all of whom have publicly opposed Work Choices.  The State Government should not be part of the problem but they should be part of the solution.  They should not be undermining workers terms and conditions when it is within their ability to protect current conditions.

State conference demands that the State Government stand up and act against WorkChoices.  The time for empty rhetoric is gone – workers are losing rights while the State Government stands idly by.

State conference demands that the State Government immediately require:
1. Companies tendering for government work have to pay EBA or agreed industry rates for the life of the contract.
2. Companies that seek to tender for government supply evidence that they apply EBA or agreed industry rates to a government panel which will include union representatives.  (As per the current school cleaners’ process.)
3. Any dispute about whether a company has complied with wages and conditions in the EBA or agreed industry standard will be referred to the Workplace Rights Advocate who will within 14 days determine whether the employer has complied with the EBA or industry standard.
4. Failure to comply with the EBA or industry standard will mean the business will be removed from the government project and will be unable to tender for future government work for a period to be determined in consultation with the relevant union.

The industrial relations minister to report to the next state conference on the implementation of this resolution.

Moved:   Martin Kingham
Seconded: Cesar Melham

 

The VTHC and its affiliates are now seeking dialogue with the Bracks government in order to pursue the intent of these resolutions.


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