THE Rudd Government faces a battle with unions over its plan to keep the Coalition's much-maligned Workplace Authority in charge of a revised industrial relations system until 2010.
Senior unions officials are incensed that the authority's chief, Barbara Bennett, is set to run Labor's interim regime on workplace agreements after she was used to spearhead a Coalition campaign before the election.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has pledged to establish a new industrial umpire, Fair Work Australia, as a central part of Labor's promise to abolish Work Choices and have an alternative system fully operating by January 2010. But The Australian has learned Ms Gillard intends the Workplace Authority, headed by Ms Bennett, to continue with the job of approving all agreements under Labor's transitional arrangements to be introduced next year.
The plan, not contained in Labor's election policy, raises the prospect of Ms Bennett's authority amassing another enormous backlog of agreements awaiting approval, after it struggled to cope with 180,000 lodged before the election.
Many unions and legal experts object to the Workplace Authority continuing, saying Labor should hand its powers back to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, as the agency with the best expertise to check agreements.
They criticised Ms Bennett's allegedly partisan role before the election when she personally promoted the Howard government's "fairness test" in multi-million-dollar advertisements.
Before the election, Ms Gillard branded the ads an "arrogant abuse" of the public service for political campaigning.
The news of Ms Bennett's continuing role comes a week after The Australian reported that unions were threatening to campaign against the Government unless Work Choices was dismantled in 12 months.
Ms Bennett, who was appointed by the Coalition in July and defended her role in the ads, confirmed to The Australian she intended remaining in her position under Labor, and looked forward to "working under any new legislative requirements".
Ms Bennett's spokeswoman added that until Labor's legislation to replace Work Choices was enacted, Ms Bennett's authority would continue to process agreements under the former government's fairness test.
The Rudd Government has remained silent until now on who should run its transitional arrangements.
The Australian Workers Union yesterday supported the establishment of Fair Work Australia as a new "one-stop shop", and accepted Ms Gillard needed time to introduce a new system.
But AWU national secretary Paul Howes said "agreement-making" should be put in the hands of the AIRC until the new umpire took over. "They have the expertise and it would be recognising that for the vast bulk of John Howard's tenure the AIRC had the responsibility for agreement- making," Mr Howes said. "It was only when Work Choices was introduced in 2006 that the power was removed."
Mr Howes said he had "serious misgivings" about the Workplace Authority continuing until 2010 because of a partisan role played by Ms Bennett in the election lead-up.
Instead of remaining neutral as a public servant, Ms Bennett had become too closely associated with Work Choices after appearing in the taxpayer-funded ads, he said.
"She was a significant part of the Howard government's campaign against the union movement," Mr Howes said.
Victorian Trades Hall Council Brian Boyd criticised the Rudd Government over Ms Bennett's role, warning it was typical of Labor's "softly, softly" approach to scrapping Work Choices.
"I have nothing personal against Barbara Bennett but giving her this role sends the message that it's all the way with the employers," he said.
"Having someone like her who was very enthusiastic about promoting (Australian Workplace Agreements) signals to employers to keep exploiting Work Choices while it's on the slow burn to being dismantled."
Mr Boyd said appointing Ms Bennett to oversee Labor's bargaining regime between 2008 and 2010 was "not really a good stepping stone" to opening Labor's alternative collective bargaining model.
"It's all part of (the Government) sending the wrong signals to all those people who definitely voted Work Choices out, and I don't think it's a good start to thedismantling process," Mr Boyd said.
Unions NSW secretary John Robertson, a past critic of Labor's policy, said yesterday he could live with the Workplace Authority because it would operate under different guidelines.
Mr Robertson said Ms Bennett had exercised "bad judgment" in agreeing to appear in the former government's ads, but he accepted "bureaucrats work with what they've got".
--------------------
Looks like the unions want to run the country again.
> THE Rudd Government faces a battle with unions over its plan to keep > the Coalition's much-maligned Workplace Authority in charge of a > revised industrial relations system until 2010.
> Senior unions officials are incensed that the authority's chief, > Barbara Bennett, is set to run Labor's interim regime on workplace > agreements after she was used to spearhead a Coalition campaign before > the election.
> Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has pledged to establish a new > industrial umpire, Fair Work Australia, as a central part of Labor's > promise to abolish Work Choices and have an alternative system fully > operating by January 2010. But The Australian has learned Ms Gillard > intends the Workplace Authority, headed by Ms Bennett, to continue > with the job of approving all agreements under Labor's transitional > arrangements to be introduced next year.
> The plan, not contained in Labor's election policy, raises the > prospect of Ms Bennett's authority amassing another enormous backlog > of agreements awaiting approval, after it struggled to cope with > 180,000 lodged before the election.
> Many unions and legal experts object to the Workplace Authority > continuing, saying Labor should hand its powers back to the Australian > Industrial Relations Commission, as the agency with the best expertise > to check agreements.
> They criticised Ms Bennett's allegedly partisan role before the > election when she personally promoted the Howard government's > "fairness test" in multi-million-dollar advertisements.
> Before the election, Ms Gillard branded the ads an "arrogant abuse" of > the public service for political campaigning.
> The news of Ms Bennett's continuing role comes a week after The > Australian reported that unions were threatening to campaign against > the Government unless Work Choices was dismantled in 12 months.
> Ms Bennett, who was appointed by the Coalition in July and defended > her role in the ads, confirmed to The Australian she intended > remaining in her position under Labor, and looked forward to "working > under any new legislative requirements".
> Ms Bennett's spokeswoman added that until Labor's legislation to > replace Work Choices was enacted, Ms Bennett's authority would > continue to process agreements under the former government's fairness > test.
> The Rudd Government has remained silent until now on who should run > its transitional arrangements.
> The Australian Workers Union yesterday supported the establishment of > Fair Work Australia as a new "one-stop shop", and accepted Ms Gillard > needed time to introduce a new system.
> But AWU national secretary Paul Howes said "agreement-making" should > be put in the hands of the AIRC until the new umpire took over. "They > have the expertise and it would be recognising that for the vast bulk > of John Howard's tenure the AIRC had the responsibility for agreement- > making," Mr Howes said. "It was only when Work Choices was introduced > in 2006 that the power was removed."
> Mr Howes said he had "serious misgivings" about the Workplace > Authority continuing until 2010 because of a partisan role played by > Ms Bennett in the election lead-up.
> Instead of remaining neutral as a public servant, Ms Bennett had > become too closely associated with Work Choices after appearing in the > taxpayer-funded ads, he said.
> "She was a significant part of the Howard government's campaign > against the union movement," Mr Howes said.
> Victorian Trades Hall Council Brian Boyd criticised the Rudd > Government over Ms Bennett's role, warning it was typical of Labor's > "softly, softly" approach to scrapping Work Choices.
> "I have nothing personal against Barbara Bennett but giving her this > role sends the message that it's all the way with the employers," he > said.
> "Having someone like her who was very enthusiastic about promoting > (Australian Workplace Agreements) signals to employers to keep > exploiting Work Choices while it's on the slow burn to being > dismantled."
> Mr Boyd said appointing Ms Bennett to oversee Labor's bargaining > regime between 2008 and 2010 was "not really a good stepping stone" to > opening Labor's alternative collective bargaining model.
> "It's all part of (the Government) sending the wrong signals to all > those people who definitely voted Work Choices out, and I don't think > it's a good start to thedismantling process," Mr Boyd said.
> Unions NSW secretary John Robertson, a past critic of Labor's policy, > said yesterday he could live with the Workplace Authority because it > would operate under different guidelines.
> Mr Robertson said Ms Bennett had exercised "bad judgment" in agreeing > to appear in the former government's ads, but he accepted "bureaucrats > work with what they've got".
> --------------------
> Looks like the unions want to run the country again.
If the Unions campaign against the Govt who will they campaign for - the Greens with noone in the House of Reps or the Coalition ? This shows what a joke the Unions are.
>> THE Rudd Government faces a battle with unions over its plan to keep >> the Coalition's much-maligned Workplace Authority in charge of a >> revised industrial relations system until 2010.
>> Senior unions officials are incensed that the authority's chief, >> Barbara Bennett, is set to run Labor's interim regime on workplace >> agreements after she was used to spearhead a Coalition campaign before >> the election.
>> Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has pledged to establish a new >> industrial umpire, Fair Work Australia, as a central part of Labor's >> promise to abolish Work Choices and have an alternative system fully >> operating by January 2010. But The Australian has learned Ms Gillard >> intends the Workplace Authority, headed by Ms Bennett, to continue >> with the job of approving all agreements under Labor's transitional >> arrangements to be introduced next year.
>> The plan, not contained in Labor's election policy, raises the >> prospect of Ms Bennett's authority amassing another enormous backlog >> of agreements awaiting approval, after it struggled to cope with >> 180,000 lodged before the election.
>> Many unions and legal experts object to the Workplace Authority >> continuing, saying Labor should hand its powers back to the Australian >> Industrial Relations Commission, as the agency with the best expertise >> to check agreements.
>> They criticised Ms Bennett's allegedly partisan role before the >> election when she personally promoted the Howard government's >> "fairness test" in multi-million-dollar advertisements.
>> Before the election, Ms Gillard branded the ads an "arrogant abuse" of >> the public service for political campaigning.
>> The news of Ms Bennett's continuing role comes a week after The >> Australian reported that unions were threatening to campaign against >> the Government unless Work Choices was dismantled in 12 months.
>> Ms Bennett, who was appointed by the Coalition in July and defended >> her role in the ads, confirmed to The Australian she intended >> remaining in her position under Labor, and looked forward to "working >> under any new legislative requirements".
>> Ms Bennett's spokeswoman added that until Labor's legislation to >> replace Work Choices was enacted, Ms Bennett's authority would >> continue to process agreements under the former government's fairness >> test.
>> The Rudd Government has remained silent until now on who should run >> its transitional arrangements.
>> The Australian Workers Union yesterday supported the establishment of >> Fair Work Australia as a new "one-stop shop", and accepted Ms Gillard >> needed time to introduce a new system.
>> But AWU national secretary Paul Howes said "agreement-making" should >> be put in the hands of the AIRC until the new umpire took over. "They >> have the expertise and it would be recognising that for the vast bulk >> of John Howard's tenure the AIRC had the responsibility for agreement- >> making," Mr Howes said. "It was only when Work Choices was introduced >> in 2006 that the power was removed."
>> Mr Howes said he had "serious misgivings" about the Workplace >> Authority continuing until 2010 because of a partisan role played by >> Ms Bennett in the election lead-up.
>> Instead of remaining neutral as a public servant, Ms Bennett had >> become too closely associated with Work Choices after appearing in the >> taxpayer-funded ads, he said.
>> "She was a significant part of the Howard government's campaign >> against the union movement," Mr Howes said.
>> Victorian Trades Hall Council Brian Boyd criticised the Rudd >> Government over Ms Bennett's role, warning it was typical of Labor's >> "softly, softly" approach to scrapping Work Choices.
>> "I have nothing personal against Barbara Bennett but giving her this >> role sends the message that it's all the way with the employers," he >> said.
>> "Having someone like her who was very enthusiastic about promoting >> (Australian Workplace Agreements) signals to employers to keep >> exploiting Work Choices while it's on the slow burn to being >> dismantled."
>> Mr Boyd said appointing Ms Bennett to oversee Labor's bargaining >> regime between 2008 and 2010 was "not really a good stepping stone" to >> opening Labor's alternative collective bargaining model.
>> "It's all part of (the Government) sending the wrong signals to all >> those people who definitely voted Work Choices out, and I don't think >> it's a good start to thedismantling process," Mr Boyd said.
>> Unions NSW secretary John Robertson, a past critic of Labor's policy, >> said yesterday he could live with the Workplace Authority because it >> would operate under different guidelines.
>> Mr Robertson said Ms Bennett had exercised "bad judgment" in agreeing >> to appear in the former government's ads, but he accepted "bureaucrats >> work with what they've got".
>> --------------------
>> Looks like the unions want to run the country again.
> If the Unions campaign against the Govt who will they campaign for - the > Greens with noone in the House of Reps or the Coalition ? This shows what > a joke the Unions are.
Come on, another break with tradition, government employees enjoy their jobs on the condition that they are apolitocal, something you and fellow liberals never understood or honored along with not using public funds as your personal advertising bank account.
And as she has clearly shown political bias should not be left in any government job except under very special circumstances which probably exist. Oh the unions are back, not running everything, but certainly stopping the excesses that the howard liberals liked to install.
On Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:40:55 GMT, "goodguy" <g...@rock.com> wrote: >Come on, another break with tradition, government employees enjoy their jobs >on the condition that they are apolitocal, something you and fellow liberals >never understood or honored along with not using public funds as your >personal advertising bank account.
LOL ... the state ALP governments gave public funds to public sector unions (in the form of inflationary wage rises) who then used some of that to bankroll pro-ALP political advertising. Same fucking thing.
Even today, in NSW, the ALP government is running a campaign promoting the benefits of electricity privitisation.
> On Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:40:55 GMT, "goodguy" <g...@rock.com> wrote:
>>Come on, another break with tradition, government employees enjoy their >>jobs >>on the condition that they are apolitocal, something you and fellow >>liberals >>never understood or honored along with not using public funds as your >>personal advertising bank account.
> LOL ... the state ALP governments gave public funds to public sector > unions (in the form of inflationary wage rises) who then used some of > that to bankroll pro-ALP political advertising. Same fucking thing.
> Even today, in NSW, the ALP government is running a campaign promoting > the benefits of electricity privitisation.
> Are you getting a clue yet?
So whats your problem? Just wnt corruption with your favorite party?
And can you work it out? Funds to glorify and support the liberal party for election. And funds towards selling privatisation .
Cant see the difference? no wonder howard and his liberals were dumped so fully.
> > THE Rudd Government faces a battle with unions over its plan to keep > > the Coalition's much-maligned Workplace Authority in charge of a > > revised industrial relations system until 2010.
> > Senior unions officials are incensed that the authority's chief, > > Barbara Bennett, is set to run Labor's interim regime on workplace > > agreements after she was used to spearhead a Coalition campaign before > > the election.
> > Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has pledged to establish a new > > industrial umpire, Fair Work Australia, as a central part of Labor's > > promise to abolish Work Choices and have an alternative system fully > > operating by January 2010. But The Australian has learned Ms Gillard > > intends the Workplace Authority, headed by Ms Bennett, to continue > > with the job of approving all agreements under Labor's transitional > > arrangements to be introduced next year.
> > The plan, not contained in Labor's election policy, raises the > > prospect of Ms Bennett's authority amassing another enormous backlog > > of agreements awaiting approval, after it struggled to cope with > > 180,000 lodged before the election.
> > Many unions and legal experts object to the Workplace Authority > > continuing, saying Labor should hand its powers back to the Australian > > Industrial Relations Commission, as the agency with the best expertise > > to check agreements.
> > They criticised Ms Bennett's allegedly partisan role before the > > election when she personally promoted the Howard government's > > "fairness test" in multi-million-dollar advertisements.
> > Before the election, Ms Gillard branded the ads an "arrogant abuse" of > > the public service for political campaigning.
> > The news of Ms Bennett's continuing role comes a week after The > > Australian reported that unions were threatening to campaign against > > the Government unless Work Choices was dismantled in 12 months.
> > Ms Bennett, who was appointed by the Coalition in July and defended > > her role in the ads, confirmed to The Australian she intended > > remaining in her position under Labor, and looked forward to "working > > under any new legislative requirements".
> > Ms Bennett's spokeswoman added that until Labor's legislation to > > replace Work Choices was enacted, Ms Bennett's authority would > > continue to process agreements under the former government's fairness > > test.
> > The Rudd Government has remained silent until now on who should run > > its transitional arrangements.
> > The Australian Workers Union yesterday supported the establishment of > > Fair Work Australia as a new "one-stop shop", and accepted Ms Gillard > > needed time to introduce a new system.
> > But AWU national secretary Paul Howes said "agreement-making" should > > be put in the hands of the AIRC until the new umpire took over. "They > > have the expertise and it would be recognising that for the vast bulk > > of John Howard's tenure the AIRC had the responsibility for agreement- > > making," Mr Howes said. "It was only when Work Choices was introduced > > in 2006 that the power was removed."
> > Mr Howes said he had "serious misgivings" about the Workplace > > Authority continuing until 2010 because of a partisan role played by > > Ms Bennett in the election lead-up.
> > Instead of remaining neutral as a public servant, Ms Bennett had > > become too closely associated with Work Choices after appearing in the > > taxpayer-funded ads, he said.
> > "She was a significant part of the Howard government's campaign > > against the union movement," Mr Howes said.
> > Victorian Trades Hall Council Brian Boyd criticised the Rudd > > Government over Ms Bennett's role, warning it was typical of Labor's > > "softly, softly" approach to scrapping Work Choices.
> > "I have nothing personal against Barbara Bennett but giving her this > > role sends the message that it's all the way with the employers," he > > said.
> > "Having someone like her who was very enthusiastic about promoting > > (Australian Workplace Agreements) signals to employers to keep > > exploiting Work Choices while it's on the slow burn to being > > dismantled."
> > Mr Boyd said appointing Ms Bennett to oversee Labor's bargaining > > regime between 2008 and 2010 was "not really a good stepping stone" to > > opening Labor's alternative collective bargaining model.
> > "It's all part of (the Government) sending the wrong signals to all > > those people who definitely voted Work Choices out, and I don't think > > it's a good start to thedismantling process," Mr Boyd said.
> > Unions NSW secretary John Robertson, a past critic of Labor's policy, > > said yesterday he could live with the Workplace Authority because it > > would operate under different guidelines.
> > Mr Robertson said Ms Bennett had exercised "bad judgment" in agreeing > > to appear in the former government's ads, but he accepted "bureaucrats > > work with what they've got".
> > --------------------
> > Looks like the unions want to run the country again.
> If the Unions campaign against the Govt who will they campaign for - the > Greens with noone in the House of Reps or the Coalition ? This shows what a > joke the Unions are.
