FED: Colston blames Labor for unfair dismissal laws staying

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-1998
FED: Colston blames Labor for unfair dismissal laws staying

CANBERRA, Dec 20 AAP - Unfair dismissal laws introduced last week would stay in place due
to intransigence of Labor senators, independent senator Mal Colston said today.

The regulations, introduced by Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith last Thursday,
removed unfair dismissal protection for workers in a job for less than six months or who work
for a company with up to 15 employees.

But the Senate, which had already rejected the exemption, was now certain to disallow the
regulation when it resumed next February, with non-government senators angered by the move a
week after parliament rose for the year.

Senator Colston had been negotiating to have the Senate recalled next week to disallow the
regulations but said today the ALP was intent on allowing the regulations to remain in force
until February.

"I had been hopeful that the ALP would join other non-government senators in calling for a
special sitting of the Senate next week to protect the interests of Australian workers covered
by federal awards," Senator Colston said in a statement.

"Some of my non-government colleagues have called for the Howard government to withdraw
those regulations immediately.

"In lieu of such a sign of good faith however there appeared to be broad agreement among
the Democrats, the Greens, (independent) Senator (Brian) Harradine and myself that a swift
resolution of the matter through a special sitting of the Senate was in the interest of
Australian workers.

"With the ACTU already indicating that it was prepared to initiate potentially expensive
and protracted legal action to overturn the unfair dismissal regulations, few would have
predicted that ALP senators would not also be keen to see the regulations quickly disallowed."

Senator Colston said Australian Democrats industrial relations spokesman Andrew Murray had
been talking to the Opposition on the timing of an early recall of the Senate.

"Unfortunately I was informed by Senator Murray this morning that ALP senators were not
willing to return to Canberra early to overturn this serious attack on the conditions of
Australian workers," he said.

Senator Colston said he was disappointed the ALP would allow the situation to continue for
a day longer than necessary.

"In those actions, and at a time of year when security in work is perhaps most important,
the ALP has deserted the interests of the union movement and Australian workers," he said.

"Any Australian worker who is unfairly dismissed over the Christmas-New Year period and who
has no legal protection should sheet the blame home to the coalition government and the ALP."

AAP fh/br

KEYWORD: SMALL COLSTON

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