"Labor" Ministers vote against Fair Work Bill changes

The State Government's Fair Work Bill has been tabled in Parliament and debate commenced in the House of Assembly in November. In the view of the SA Union movement the Government's Bill is a pretty lame effort for a Labor Government.

Major changes included in the Bill are improvements to the Objects of the Act with regard to employment security and pay equity, improved right of entry provisions for unions, the ability to apply to the Commission to assist with 'best endeavours bargaining', and the facility for multi-employer agreements. Even these modest amendments are too much for the Liberal Opposition but we expected no support from that quarter for ordinary working people.

What has been really galling is to see two Ministers in the Labor Government, Rory McEwen and Karelene Maywald, cross the floor to vote with the anti-worker, anti-union, anti-fair go Opposition.

The Hon Karlene Maywald, Minister for the River Murray, spoke on the Fair Work Bill on 8 November 2004: ".. in particular, I have problems with the provisions that seek to promote and facilitate security and permanency in employment. Casual employment and other non-traditional working arrangements such as contracting, hired employee services, and labour hire will actively be discouraged by this Bill."

Yes, of course we wouldn't want to do anything that improves job security for workers would be Minister Maywald???

Independent MP Bob Such has been much more prepared to support the working families in his electorate and has been a voice for fairness and improvements in working conditions for South Australians. With his and Greens MP Kris Hanna's support the Government has been able to get the Bill passed in the Lower House relatively unscathed.

The Bill has now gone to the Upper House but will not come on for debate until February 2005, and will be subject to intense scrutiny and lobbying of the Democrats and Independents whose support is necessary to get the Bill through.