Fed: AIRC decision won't resolve dispute, says Campbell

AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2001
Fed: AIRC decision won't resolve dispute, says Campbell

CANBERRA, Aug 7 AAP - The Australian Industrial Relations Commission's (AIRC) decision
to order Tristar workers back to work would not resolve the car industry dispute, Labor
Senator and former union leader George Campbell said today.

Striking car components workers will decide at noon today whether to end industrial
action crippling Australia's car industry, ahead of a 3pm deadline ruling the strike illegal.

The 350 Tristar Steering and Suspension workers have been ordered by the AIRC to end
their 14-day strike because it is crippling the industry and threatening thousands of
jobs.

Unions and Tristar continued private negotiations overnight and a resolution will be
put to workers at midday.

Senator Campbell said the AIRC order was predictable but would not resolve the issue.

"Whether or not those workers go back is a matter for them," Senator Campbell told reporters.

"They'll have to judge that decision of the commission in the context of their dispute
with the company.

"But whether or not the commission orders them to go back, whether or not they go back
will not resolve this dispute."

The parties must sit down and work out a realistic solution, he said.

"The only way this dispute will be resolved is when the parties sit down and come up
with a realistic scheme that will ensure workers in this country can go to work every
week knowing that what they have earned, what is held in trust for them, will be there
at the end of the day when they're entitled to collect it."

The current scheme was inadequate, Senator Campbell said.

"There's a need for a fresh look at it and there is a need to look at the proposals
that are being put forward by the unions," he said.

Under the federal scheme, workers who face losing their entitlements in the case of
their company going broke are entitled to up to $20,000.

The government had planned for it to be backed 50-50 between the commonwealth and the states.

Labor has attacked the scheme, claiming the $20,000 cut-off prevents workers from accessing
all of their entitlements.

AAP lm/

KEYWORD: CARS CAMPBELL

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