Page 1483 - Week 05 - Thursday, 12 May 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Let us have a look at something closer to home, a dispute between the Australian Workers Union and the CFMEU. The CFMEU seems to come up time and time again. It is hoped that the Minister for Industrial Relations, or the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, or perhaps even the Attorney-General, can give the Assembly the details of the dispute which started over union membership in January between the AWU and the CFMEU.
Mr Lamont: What has this to do with the Discrimination Act?
MR DE DOMENICO: It is common knowledge that this dispute started when approximately 27 CFMEU members, including one former organiser for the union, joined the AWU due to dissatisfaction, lack of proper representation and the poor treatment they were receiving from the CFMEU.
Mr Lamont: It did not have award coverage.
Mr Kaine: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The Minister has done nothing but snipe across the floor ever since Mr De Domenico got to his feet. He is going to have an opportunity to say something useful when Mr De Domenico sits down. Would you please ask him to be quiet while Mr De Domenico speaks.
MADAM SPEAKER: I remind the Minister of the provisions of the standing orders. Proceed, Mr De Domenico.
MR DE DOMENICO: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am grateful for your protection, Madam Speaker. These people were not permitted the basic human right of being allowed to join the union of their choice, the union that they felt would take more interest in representing them, without undue pressure being placed on them to return to the CFMEU membership. Madam Speaker, the CFMEU still refuses to allow employees to operate plant while they are not members of the CFMEU, although the AWU-FIME has considerable membership in various classifications among employees of DELP. Of these men who changed over to the AWU from the CFMEU, only two members did not rejoin the CFMEU.
Would the Minister try to explain to the Assembly exactly why he thinks the two held out? More importantly, will he explain why he allows this situation to continue? Is it not true that it was not until after one request from Commissioner Bacon for a reciprocal return to the status quo by both unions members and one order from the court that the CFMEU members allowed both the remaining people, AWU members, to return to work? Is it true that the AWU acted responsibly and quickly acquiesced with Commissioner Bacon's request to allow people who had changed from AWU membership to CFMEU membership - a number of gardeners, I believe - to return to work? Is it true that the CFMEU did not follow the good example set by the AWU? Is it true that DELP bent to the CFMEU's demands and redeployed the two employees?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .