Reith's Jackboots A Better Fit On Bill Stefaniak

Wayne Berry - Opposition Spokesperson on Industrial Relations

Media Statement - 28 July 1999

Peter Reith's jackboot approach to industrial relations fits better with Bill Stefaniak Labor Industrial Relations spokesperson Wayne Berry said today.

Mr Berry was commenting on Minister Stefaniak's decision to stop the pay of low paid schools bursars involved in a dispute with his department.

When the wharfies received the pay lost from the Patricks' stoppages, not even Peter Reith made a murmur about it, but now Bill Stefaniak insists on trampling a few bursars in primary schools.

"What a victory! - LOW PAID, FEMALE, SCHOOL BURSARS TRAMPLED ON BY AN EXTREME IMITATION OF PETER REITH screams the headline.

"If it is acceptable for wharfies to be paid for periods of stoppages then it is acceptable for industrially vulnerable school bursars to be paid. Or is this because the school bursars are a soft target - a female, part-time, small group of industrially vulnerable, low paid workers.

"It is not an offence under the Workplace Relations Act to pay workers while they take industrial action, despite the misleading comments made by the Education Minister.

"Paying the bursars could only be taken to the courts by the bursars, their union, Bill Stefaniak or Peter Reith. Peter Reith will not be interested in crushing a handful of school bursars when he did nothing about payments to MUA members, the bursars and their union would be happy and if Stefaniak was paying them he would have no reason to take the matter to the courts.

"Clearly Bill Stefaniak's move on the bursars is industrial bullying and his claim about being required to cut their pay is phoney.

"Very hairy-chested Bill, but this ranks amongst the lowest industrial tactics ever pulled by the Carnell Government," Mr Berry concluded.