Page 1093 - Week 04 - Thursday, 1 April 1993
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MR BERRY: Mr De Domenico asks whether I support Mr Connolly. We are as one on this issue. As for the threats or the taking of industrial action by the ETU, the Government understands that the matter has been before the Industrial Relations Commission. I understand that those proceedings have taken place, but at this point I am not aware of the outcome. It is the most appropriate forum for such serious matters to be considered. I understand, and this has been made clear to the ETU, that ACTEW remains available to sit down with the ETU to negotiate an agreement which is consistent with the Government's policy.
This policy is a very serious attempt to gain the support of the trade union movement for the future of the ACT government sector. We value the support that has been given to that agreement by the labour movement and we value the contribution that the Electrical Trades Union makes to the Government Service here in the Territory. We trust that we will be able to work towards an arrangement which will incorporate issues of concern for the ETU in a way that will satisfy it, but in that process we have to ensure that the framework that we had agreed to previously and to which so many unions are committed is not prejudiced. If we are not able to proceed down that path, then at agency level productivity bargaining would be more difficult because we have an orderly process which has been accepted, by and large, and it has been accepted at the Commonwealth level as well.
All of this was somewhat up in the air with the sabre rattling of the Liberals before the last election. We are all past that and we are going down the path of improved productivity and more efficient public services with the unions. We are not taking them on. We are not like the Liberals, refusing to accept automatic payroll deductions or any of that rubbish. This is a process of working through these problems with the view to settling any disputation in an orderly way. We disagree at this point with the ETU. Such is the nature of industrial relations. Conflict is inevitable, as sensible people who know a bit about industrial relations would agree.
As a follow-on from today's industrial relations proceedings - as I said, I am not aware of the outcome yet - I would hope that the Government, the ETU and ACTEW are able to forge, together, an agreement which is accepted, by and large, by the entire union movement in the ACT because, as I have said earlier, we need their support in forging our way forward towards better industrial relations within the public sector. All of this commitment, I think, will assist in negotiating an acceptable outcome with the ETU. Industrial action while these processes are under way will not be very helpful to the process. I can understand that the ETU are agitated and - - -
Mr De Domenico: So are the community.
MR BERRY: I suspect that the ETU will have due regard to the community whilst they consider these matters. In fact, delegates that I met with earlier indicated their concern for the community. I trust that that concern will overcome any wish to take industrial action. Quite frankly, I am fairly confident that there is a way forward by way of negotiation with ACTEW and the ETU towards an agreement with which they will be satisfied.
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