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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 1835 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

Mr Speaker, they have established this organisation to assist workers to negotiate in staff/employer initiated certified agreements and workplace agreements. The Workplace Relations Act of 1996 entitles employees to appoint a bargaining agent like Professional Bargaining Australia or the APESMA Bargaining Agency, both of which are now in existence and available for this purpose, to negotiate workplace agreements on their behalf.

Mrs Carnell: Isn't it good to see inventive unions?

MR KAINE: It is moving into the workplace environment of the next century, in fact. These old, outmoded, tired arrangements whereby only trade unions could negotiate are being replaced by new and inventive techniques. I understand, Mr Speaker, that there has been some opposition to the introduction of bargaining agents. I wonder from whom. There has been some resistance to it, and I know that some of the unions have not been too overjoyed about it either; but I note the international trends of employee relations in this area and acknowledge that these agencies really are the way of the future. They are the way of the future, Mr Speaker, because they provide a service to protect that 74 per cent of workers who do not belong to trade unions. The trade unions can continue, if the workers wish, to represent that 26 per cent of workers who currently belong to the trade unions - that is a reducing number - but I submit that the 74 per cent who do not belong to trade unions will be looking to organisations like Professional Bargaining Australia to negotiate on their behalf, and that percentage will increase over time.

This organisation, I understand, was launched this morning by the Federal Minister for Industrial Relations, Peter Reith. I note that his reforms focus on a cooperative workplace culture with a genuinely flexible and fair labour market. That is the sort of environment into which we are moving. It seeks to do this by establishing a system with more direct employer/employee relationships and by concentrating on collective and individual bargaining.

Mr Speaker, so far as the ACT is concerned, the ACT Government will not discourage staff from bargaining for individual or collective agreements; nor will it discourage employees who wish to pursue a bargaining agent to act on their behalf. We acknowledge that bargaining agents act to protect employees' interests. We do not take sides, one way or the other; but, if our employees wish to use such an organisation, we will be only too happy to negotiate with them, just as we are happy to negotiate with the trade unions in respect of that 26 per cent of employees who are represented legitimately by them.

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Mr Speaker, there was a lot of noise. I know you do not tolerate interjections, so I do not suppose it came from - - -

MR SPEAKER: From either side, Mr Hird.

MR HIRD: No. There must have been a lot of wind from somewhere. If you have not already said so, Minister, who are the principals of this new organisation known as Professional Bargaining Australia?

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