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Union Leaders, Shorten Reject Howes ‘Compact’

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Union Leaders, Shorten Reject Howes ‘Compact’ The Australian Page : 1 of 2 Friday, February 07, 2014 Circulation : 250,186 Area Of Clip : 96.17 sqcm a Page : 1 ClipClip IDID :: 00000049448028 Section : Edition : All-Round Country Region : National Metropolitan Union leaders, Shorten reject Howes ‘compact’ claim by the Maritime Union of EWIN HANNAN Australia for pay rises totalling SID MAHER 22 per cent over four years. Bill Shorten described Mr THE head of Australia’s biggest Howes’s call for a compact be- union has ridiculed the call by tween government, unions and Australian Workers Union employers as ‘‘a fantasy’’, saying leader Paul Howes for a ‘‘grand there was not even a remote compact’’ on industrial relations chance of it becoming reality as ‘‘fanciful and naive’’, predict- while Tony Abbott was Prime ing the proposal will ‘‘sink with- Minister. out a trace’’. The Opposition Leader said Joe de Bruyn, the national he was all for consensus in the secretary of the Shop, Distribu- workplace, but that the Coalition tive and Allied Employees As- wasn’t interested in sitting down sociation, also dismissed Mr with unions to resolve industrial Howes’s criticism of pay out- issues. ‘‘I’m just not going to comesinthe offshoresector,say- engage in some fantasy that ing it was the first time in his Tony Abbott is going to change decades-long career he had his spots,’’ Mr Shorten told ABC heard a union leader criticise the radio. ‘‘I can’t seriously sit here in level of wage increases received this interview and say to you that by union members. Continued on Page 4 Resource employers seized on Mr Howes’s comments on PETER VAN ONSELEN P4 wages, claiming they supported GRAHAM RICHARDSON P12 their position to oppose the EDITORIAL P13 Page 4 of 6 Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licensed copy or Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth) s 48A copy The Australian Page : 2 of 2 Friday, February 07, 2014 Circulation : 250,186 Area Of Clip : 148.66 sqcm aa Page : 1 ClipClip IDID :: 00000049448028 Section : Edition : All-Round Country Region : National Metropolitan Howes ‘compact’ rejected Continued from Page 1 of an Abbott government to attack the pay and conditions of I think there is a remote chance of employees. Tony Abbott and his hardline, He said to call for a compact rightwing government (being) was ‘‘just naive, it’s fanciful’’. interested in co-operation. How ‘‘It won’t go anywhere, it’s a can you sit down and form an one-day wonder,’’ Mr de Bruyn accord with a series of said. organisations that you want to ‘‘It will sink without a trace. It’s have a royal commission into? It’s like a flare that’s shot into the sky not real.’’ — lots of sparkles, but when it hits The Prime Minister said Mr the deck we are in darkness. It will Howes’s speech to the National go nowhere.’’ Press Club on Wednesday had The Australian Mines and ‘‘pulled the rug out from Metals Association said the underneath Bill Shorten’s scare comments by Mr Howes reflected campaign’’. ‘‘a growing recognition within all ‘‘That was a very powerful industrial relations quarters that assault on everything Bill Shorten what has occurred in the offshore has been doing for the last few oil and gas sector, in terms of months, but my emphasis would wages inflation, exorbitant be on workers and managers allowances and anti-productive having a partnership in the workplace practices, is not workplace,’’ Mr Abbott said. sustainable within a globally He said he thought workers competitive industry’’. and managers needed to be ‘‘Howes’s comments, partners in the enterprise. particularly acknowledging that ‘‘Whether we need to have our offshore sector is becoming some kind of grand compact with uncompetitive, support the big government, big business and industry position that our nation big unions, I am not so sure about cannot afford the 22 per cent pay that,’’ he said. ‘‘That was very increase being sought by the 1980s, all of that.’’ MUA on wages already north of Mr de Bruyn said resources $200,000 for six months work employers had been prepared to each year,’’ said the association’s pay substantial wages in the executive director Scott mining industry in order to meet Barklamb. labour shortages and wage levels Some Labor MPs saw Mr had now eased as the sector Howes’s speech as frustration slowed. over his failed bid to enter the Rather than a compact, Mr de Senate after Bob Carr resigned Bruyn said unions were and said he lacked support in the ‘‘battening down the hatches’’ party to enter parliament. because employers, after spending Mr Howes last night declined two years agitating for workplace to comment on the criticism by change, wanted to use the election Mr de Bruyn and Mr Shorten. Page 5 of 6 Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licensed copy or Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth) s 48A copy.
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