Vic: Napthine goes bush again to push against employment bill

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2001
Vic: Napthine goes bush again to push against employment bill

MELBOURNE, Feb 15 AAP - Victorian Opposition Leader Denis Napthine went bush again
today to try to muster support against the state government's proposed Fair Employment
Bill.

Dr Napthine said the bill would increase business costs and union power and put jobs at risk.

He said in a statement he had written to hundreds of central Victorian businesses and
today would be consulting directly with businesses in the Ballarat area about the bill.

"We will make sure our consultation with businesses across Victoria leaves business
people in no doubt that the Fair Employment Bill is a big risk to their operation," Dr
Napthine said in a statement today.

"The Bracks Labor government has hurt Ballarat and district businesses enough with
massively increased WorkCover premiums and no business tax relief."

He said a large number of businesses were still unaware of the bill which would, according
to the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI), place 22,000 jobs
at risk.

Dr Napthine travelled to Bendigo in central Victoria earlier this week.

He said the bill would:

* establish a costly new state industrial relations system and complex Industrial Relations
Tribunal;

* give union organisers the right to enter business premises and photocopy private files;

* force independent contractors to be treated as employees; and

* impose minimum conditions on all businesses that are not under federal awards.

Labor's Fair Employment Bill - due to come before parliament again on March 6 - would
restore minimum standards in pay, allowances, leave, working hours and termination requirements,
overseen by a Fair Employment Tribunal.

The National Party already has said it would oppose the bill.

The Labor government would need support from the Liberal Party for the legislation to be enacted.

Earlier this week Melbourne's Catholic Archbishop George Pell warned against "rejecting
out of hand" the legislation.

Dr Pell said it was important low-paid workers not under federal awards, such as outworkers,
had more than the minimum coverage on their conditions.

AAP cmc/jlw/jas/bwl

KEYWORD: INDUSTRIAL VIC LIBS (CARRIED EARLIER)

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