FED: Church leaders to meet Reith today

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-1999
FED: Church leaders to meet Reith today

CANBERRA, Aug 24 AAP - Church leaders will meet Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith
later today as they step up their campaign for changes to his second wave of industrial
relations reforms.

The delegation also will meet Opposition Leader Kim Beazley and Australian Democrats leader
Meg Lees.

The meetings come ahead of a major ACTU-organised protest here later this week against the
laws.

Australia's churches have signed a joint statement opposing Mr Reith's new laws, describing
them as an assault on the vulnerable.

They have in particular been critical of any move to weaken the powers of Australia's
industrial umpire.

In their statement, released earlier this month, the leaders said: "The provisions in this
bill will promote injustice and inequality at a time when the social divide between rich and
poor is growing."

The statement also criticised restrictions on the right to collective bargaining and said
the legislation entrenched the move to more casual employment.

Mr Reith's laws, which will be subject to a lengthy Senate inquiry, include compulsory
secret ballots on proposed industrial action and a reduced role for the Australian Industrial
Relations Commission.

The Democrats have said they cannot support the laws in their current form.

But Mr Reith has complicated the matter by tying a national scheme to protect worker
entitlements to the industrial relations legislation.

AAP rmm/mfh/it/br

KEYWORD: INDUSTRIAL CHURCHES DAYLEAD

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.