Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Tuesday last week, the Labor Party’s industrial relations task force visited Devonport, Tasmania to talk to small businesses and workers who have been affected adversely by Work Choices. The member for Fraser and I met with a number of locals. I would like to pay particular regard today to two residents of north-west Tasmania. Firstly, I would like to refer to Phil Upton, who was employed by United Petroleum. We met with Phil Upton and his wife. Phil had been employed by the previous owner of the company, which was subsequently bought by United Petroleum. After the sale, Phil Upton was asked to sign an Australian workplace agreement which reduced his hourly rate by more than $4.50 per hour and removed all penalty rates and overtime rates that were in his previous agreement. This reduced his weekly earnings by almost $200 per week—an awful blow to a working Tasmanian. Through the transfer of the business he was compelled to consider taking such drastic cuts to his conditions of employment. All the member for Braddon can say is, ‘We now have restored power in the hands of the employers, where it belongs.’ That is a direct quote from the member for Braddon when he remarked upon Work Choices legislation in this place.

The other person I would like to refer to is Kees Van Ek. Kees Van Ek is an owner of a civil engineering company, Van Ek Contracting. He employs approximately 100 employees in north-west Tasmania. In 1998 Kees Van Ek and his company entered into Australian workplace agreements for one year, after which he chose, as did his employees, not to enter into AWAs ever again. It was very interesting to talk to Mr Van Ek. He talked to us about the fact that he did not believe you needed to cut conditions of employment to ensure that there were high productivity levels in his company. He found that AWAs were reducing cooperation amongst his workforce. There was distrust as a result of placing people on separate contracts. Instead, since 1999, he has engaged with the delegates of his workforce and entered into collective agreements. He believes Work Choices is not necessary. He believes AWAs are unfair, ineffective and unproductive. The two examples of Mr Upton and Mr Van Ek show us that Work Choices is not working for small businesses and employees in north-west Tasmania—or anywhere else for that matter. (Time expired)