Fed: Abbott bullying car industry firms - Emerson
CANBERRA, Aug 12 AAP - Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott was bullying car industrycompanies into inflaming industrial disputes, Labor claimed today.
There were about 1,400 enterprise agreements in the industry and virtually no industrialstrife, opposition workplace relations spokesman Craig Emerson said.
Mr Abbott revealed yesterday he had written to several major car industry companiesurging them to seek greater flexibility and management power in determining workplaceagreements.
He cited the Institute of Public Affairs' latest capacity to manage index, which claimedmost car industry workplace agreements were restricting companies.
The Australian Industry Group subsequently dismissed the claims and said the industryhad had productivity gains of 17 per cent in the past two years.
"It's yet another example of Tony Abbott's bullying tactics," Dr Emerson told AAP.
"If he can't bully unions directly, he'll bully employers who he considers aren't doingenough to have a blue with unions.
"He's the minister for conflict; the minister for disputation."
Dr Emerson said that if the Workplace Relations Minister had any role in disputes itshould be to settle them down.
"He sees it in his political interest to get involved on one side, the employers' side,and inflame disputes.
"The car industry itself, through the AIG, has rejected his claims. It's rejected thestudy on which his claims are based.
"There are some 1,400 enterprise agreements being negotiated in this current roundand virtually no trouble, no industrial disputation.
"Tony Abbott's not happy with that."
Dr Emerson said Mr Abbott was instructing auto companies to continue legal action againstunion representatives even when the disputes had been settled.
AAP dep/sb/cjm/de
KEYWORD: CAR
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