Selena Black, Melbourne
Australia Post has taken disciplinary action against more than 185 workers and docked their pay for taking part in the June 30 mass protest against PM John Howard's industrial relations changes. The workers defied an Australian Industrial Relations Commission order not to join the rally.
On June 28, Australia Post successfully obtained an AIRC order prohibiting the workers from attending the rally. The 185 workers are being given formal counselling and the incident may remain on their records for 12 months. Management is allegedly combing TV footage to identify other Australia Post workers who attended the rally.
In a July 5 Herald Sun article, workplace relations minister Kevin Andrews said: "[My department] is duty bound to ensure that orders of the AIRC are upheld." However, without the matter going to the Federal Court, the workers cannot be fined by the government for defying the AIRC order.
Andrews did confirm in the same article that his department was still investigating a similar case in which 1200 Visy workers defied AIRC orders to march in a rally for asbestos victims. The Workplace Relations Act allows for $6600 fines for breaches of such orders.
According to postal and telecommunications union Victorian secretary Joan Doyle, Australia Post management was "disadvantaging people for trade union affiliation".
Workers sought access to their award arrangements, such as time in lieu, to attend the June 30 protest, but were given a blanket refusal by management. Doyle told Green Left Weekly that the workers "were discriminated against on the basis of their trade union activity" and that this goes against the "International Labor Organisation convention 1998, of which Australia is a signatory, which gives workers the right to attend protests and collectively bargain".
From Green Left Weekly, July 20, 2005.
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