Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 1831 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

We understand that these restrictive practices were put into place gradually over many years. The existing EBA provides the framework for dealing with work practice issues and has already gone some way to improving them within ACTION. It also provides the framework by which we can continue to negotiate with the unions, over time, to remove these restrictive work practices. If Mr Corbell is aspiring to be the Minister for Industrial Relations in a government after February, I would like him to explain to me how he is going to arbitrarily and unilaterally remove all of these restrictive work practices that his predecessors built into the system over many years.

Members interjected.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Otherwise I will introduce a few restrictive work practices.

MR KAINE: The answer, Mr Speaker, is that it cannot be done quickly and it cannot be done unilaterally. It can be done only through a long process of negotiation. Enterprise bargaining - this is a small lesson for Mr Corbell - is not about one-off solutions; it is about establishing cooperative arrangements between the employer, the staff and their trade unions - all three - to deal with continuous improvement within an organisation. It is not about arbitrary overnight decisions that merely cause industrial conflict and confrontation. Mr Speaker, we understand the fact that there are, in the current arrangements within ACTION, restrictive work practices which need to be addressed. They have been clearly defined by Mr Graham. We will, over time, negotiate those issues with the trade unions, in a spirit of cooperation, in an attempt to make ACTION more efficient. We will not do it by trying to meet them head-on.

Mr Speaker, I have always said, in any comment that I have made about industrial relations, that I have always found trade union officials and members to be reasonable people. I am sure that we can negotiate these issues on a basis of reason and rationality, just as today a meeting of delegates of the various unions involved with ACTION unanimously, I understand, supported the notion, contrary to the intention of the Labor Party, that the Deane's trial should continue. Two or three days ago, no doubt egged on by some of the people over the road here, they were all for an industrial confrontation over the issue. Having had the facts, comprehensive facts, put before them in a meeting which, I understand, took place only about an hour or two hours ago, they have endorsed the pilot study. Once again, Mr Speaker, they have proven my general contention that when they know the facts they are reasonable people. We will continue to negotiate with them on a basis of reason and rationality on these work practices, put into place by the Labor Party over a period of years, in order to eliminate them and make ACTION an organisation that is more responsive to the needs of the travelling public.

MR CORBELL: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Contrary to the Minister's invitation, I am not going to take lessons from people who, clearly, do not know how to run a bus service, particularly the Minister. Minister, why did your Government, only last year, sign an enterprise agreement with the TWU that, if the Graham report is correct, supports inefficient work practices in ACTION? Minister, is it not the case that you are simply trying to blame the bus drivers for your own mismanagement?

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .