Page 4044 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 24 November 1993
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MR LAMONT: Asking Mrs Carnell to arbitrate or even conciliate in this matter is like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank - something which I do not believe would come up with an appropriate resolution. This is a strike by visiting medical officers, for there is no question that they are acting in collusion to withdraw their labour, to withdraw their services. By acting in collusion and entering into the strike, they have to understand - - -
Mr De Domenico: They have been locked out.
MR LAMONT: I find it amazing that the white knight of organised labour, Mr De Domenico, is up here defending the rights of organised labour, as he calls it, for the visiting medical officers. It shows the sort of hypocrisy with which the Opposition has treated this matter. There is an old axiom in industrial relations that every dispute has a beginning, a middle and an end.
Mr Cornwell: That is profound.
MR LAMONT: It may be profound. What you have to realise, Mr Cornwell, is that there is an end to every dispute. The real test of how well you can handle an industrial dispute, either as an employer or as a trade union, is the process by which you achieve the end of the dispute. I, as a paid trade union official, regarded it as an absolute failure whenever, because of a breakdown in negotiations, I had to recommend or accept the withdrawal of labour. That is my view. I believe that it is a breakdown in the system. Nevertheless, when that does occur there is always an end to the dispute.
The visiting medical officers have it in their collective hands to end this dispute. They have it in their collective hands to go to the Industrial Relations Commission on Thursday. They have agreed to go. They are going to adopt the De Domenico tactic of industrial relations. They will go along and say, "Yes, Mr Commissioner, we are here, but we are not going to listen. We are not going to take any notice. You can do your darnedest".
The simple position for the people of the ACT is that the visiting medical officers now have the opportunity to resolve this matter through their organisation, through their trade union, through their professional body - call it what you like; but it is, to all intents and purposes, acting in a manner consistent with the way organised labour has been able to operate. They are acting in collusion. They are acting as a trade union would act. They have the opportunity to go along to the Industrial Relations Commission on Thursday of this week and have this matter resolved by an independent third party, a body which, indisputably, has the collective wisdom to handle the complexities forming the basis of this dispute. The Industrial Relations Commission has that expertise, beyond a shadow of a doubt. They have acted to resolve disputes elsewhere in the health system.
Mr Humphries: Between employees and employers.
MR LAMONT: They have acted elsewhere in Australia to resolve disputes between contractors and employers. Yes, they have, Mr Humphries. It might surprise you. If you look at your industrial law you can see where that happens. What you and your bunch do not want to see is this matter resolved on the basis outlined by the Government. You do not want to see it resolved on that
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