Page 4959 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 11 December 1990
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I would also like to draw the Assembly's attention to a further problem that we have, and that is that it is possible, in considering these sorts of corporatisation models, to confuse increases in efficiency with reductions in wages and working conditions of employees. And that is obviously a concern at the moment in the ACT where we know that there is pressure on employment; where we know that there is enormous pressure to increase efficiency.
It is very disturbing to me that the Government has been unwilling or unable to provide employees, through their unions, with some fairly fundamental guarantees on the question of their wages and working conditions. I would ask that the Government consider some of those questions and perhaps respond in this debate. I would ask, first of all: can the Government guarantee that the Territory owned corporations will become parties to awards? You must bear in mind that the awards that exist have been fought for for a long time and often with great difficulty by the workers and their unions; and, if that is all to be thrown out in the name of corporatisation, then we must oppose the Bill. It is my understanding that there is no guarantee, and therefore I raise that concern today.
I would also like to ask whether the Government is prepared to guarantee that the Territory Owned Corporations Bill will not be used as an opportunity to attack award conditions. As I have said before, many people in their employment have fought hard - and their unions have fought for them - to achieve award conditions, and they cannot be thrown out lightly. I know that there has been no agreement reached on it and I think that Mr Kaine should address that matter.
I would also ask him to address whether the Government can guarantee the maintenance of non-award working conditions. Some of those conditions, of course, are particularly important to employees of these organisations. They include, for example, long service leave arrangements and maternity leave arrangements. I would ask Mr Kaine to guarantee that once staff are transferred to Territory owned corporations there will be no reduction in those non-award conditions either.
I would ask also, in the interests of staff who are or who will be employed under Territory owned corporations: what kind of undertaking or guarantees will exist for their mobility into the public service - into the ACT Government Service or into the broader public service? I am aware, of course, that the Government has said that they should retain their mobility. I do not think "should" is quite a strong enough statement in all of the circumstances. I would ask the Government whether they are prepared to give that commitment that there will be that mobility.
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