Sabotage of Fair Employment Bill
MELBOURNE On March 20, 150 people protested against attempts by the Liberal and National parties to block the Fair Employment Bill from passing through the Victorian parliaments upper house.The bill, introduced by the state Labor government, was to bring Victoria's 250,000 state award workers up to similar levels of pay and working conditions as those workers on federal awards. The industrial laws introduced in 1992 by Premier Jeff Kennetts Coalition government had stripped state awards of conditions such as bereavement leave, overtime for working more than 38 hours, annual leave loading and some public holidays.
Other provisions in the bill include establishing a Fair Employment Tribunal and deeming outworkers to be employees making them subject to laws covering employees.
The demonstration was joined by queer activists protesting the Liberal and National parties' blocking of a separate bill which would eliminate some forms of discrimination against gay and lesbian couples.
Yallourn workers appeal rejected
MELBOURNE On March 19, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission refused to hear a second appeal by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union against the termination of its bargaining period with Yallourn Energy, one of the four privatised power generation companies in Victoria's Latrobe Valley. A previous appeal had also been rejected.The AIRC's next step will be to hear the company's application for an arbitrated award. The CFMEU and the Power Workers Support Committee are planning a big demonstration on the first day of this hearing, although the date for it has not been set yet.
Meanwhile Yallourn Energy is using contractors to clear overburden in the mine and is moving to contract out in-house maintenance in violation of the existing enterprise agreement.
To contact the Power Workers Support Committee phone Simon Millar on (03) 5134-3311 or email <vicm-e@net-tech.com.au>.
Charter of rights for call centre workers
BRISBANE More than 50 members of the Australian Services Union (ASU) rallied outside a seminar for call centre employers on March 23, to demand that call centre companies and the Queensland Labor government sign the call centre charter of rights for workers in the industry.Call centres are one of the fastest growing industries in the country, growing at a rate of 25% per annum, according to an ASU leaflet headed Battery hens get better treatment than some call centre workers.
Call centres currently employ around 160,000 people in Australia, but not enough is being done to ensure the basic minimum employment standards of workers in the industry are protected.
The Australian Services Union, which represents thousands of call centre workers throughout Queensland, is calling on the Queensland government and reasonable employers to sign on to the Charter.
For information about the campaign visit the ASU Web site <www.qld.asu.asn.au> or the ACTU Web site <www.callcentral.com.au>.