OMEN
04-02-2006, 08:32 PM
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Anger ... protests have greeted the Government's IR changes.
PRIME Minister John Howard yesterday put bosses on notice to act within the law as public outcry over a spate of sackings threatens to unravel support for the Government's new workplace rules.
Caught in the middle of the furore are 30 Cowra NSW abattoir workers who were sacked last week and then offered their jobs back at a lower rate of pay.
The Government's new employee watchdog launched an investigation into the case amid accusations the meatworks boss broke the new laws.
Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews warned employers it was illegal to sack a worker and re-employ them on lower wages.
Mr Andrews yesterday urged employers to "pull their heads in" and check the details of the laws before trying to sack anyone.
"I think all should take a deep breath, particularly the employers themselves, because I suspect some people believe the union rhetoric that this is a totally deregulated workplace is correct and that's not right," he told ABC's Insiders.
But Labor's Workplace spokesman Stephen Smith said the Government was trying to "pretend" they were the workers friend while their laws allowed workers to be sacked unfairly for any reason or no reason.
"What that will mean in reality is you can be sacked and someone else will take your job at lesser terms or lesser conditions,' he said.
Mr Andrews confirmed the investigation into whether the Cowra employer had acted contrary to the provisions of the law.
"If you look at a couple of these cases it may well be the employers have jumped the gun and are acting in a way which doesn't take account of their full range of obligations," Mr Andrews said.
ACTU chief Sharan Burrow said yesterday the Cowra case was an example of the "bastardry" of the new laws in operation and Mr Andrews didn't know his own rules.
"Unless this company can be proved to actually employ more than 100 workers, and not have sacked those people for operational reasons, his laws can be used to do just what they did," she said.
The Prime Minister has been frustrated negative effects of the new rules, such as sackings, have dominated the first week of operation and his office last week asked bosses to supply good news stories.
Mr Howard said large employers - those with over 100 workers - would be "wrong" if they invented an operational reason to sack workers under the new laws.
"There has to be a genuine operational situation," he said.
News.au
Anger ... protests have greeted the Government's IR changes.
PRIME Minister John Howard yesterday put bosses on notice to act within the law as public outcry over a spate of sackings threatens to unravel support for the Government's new workplace rules.
Caught in the middle of the furore are 30 Cowra NSW abattoir workers who were sacked last week and then offered their jobs back at a lower rate of pay.
The Government's new employee watchdog launched an investigation into the case amid accusations the meatworks boss broke the new laws.
Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews warned employers it was illegal to sack a worker and re-employ them on lower wages.
Mr Andrews yesterday urged employers to "pull their heads in" and check the details of the laws before trying to sack anyone.
"I think all should take a deep breath, particularly the employers themselves, because I suspect some people believe the union rhetoric that this is a totally deregulated workplace is correct and that's not right," he told ABC's Insiders.
But Labor's Workplace spokesman Stephen Smith said the Government was trying to "pretend" they were the workers friend while their laws allowed workers to be sacked unfairly for any reason or no reason.
"What that will mean in reality is you can be sacked and someone else will take your job at lesser terms or lesser conditions,' he said.
Mr Andrews confirmed the investigation into whether the Cowra employer had acted contrary to the provisions of the law.
"If you look at a couple of these cases it may well be the employers have jumped the gun and are acting in a way which doesn't take account of their full range of obligations," Mr Andrews said.
ACTU chief Sharan Burrow said yesterday the Cowra case was an example of the "bastardry" of the new laws in operation and Mr Andrews didn't know his own rules.
"Unless this company can be proved to actually employ more than 100 workers, and not have sacked those people for operational reasons, his laws can be used to do just what they did," she said.
The Prime Minister has been frustrated negative effects of the new rules, such as sackings, have dominated the first week of operation and his office last week asked bosses to supply good news stories.
Mr Howard said large employers - those with over 100 workers - would be "wrong" if they invented an operational reason to sack workers under the new laws.
"There has to be a genuine operational situation," he said.
News.au