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Date: Wed, 18 Jun 97 09:05:43 CDT
From: rich@pencil (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Western Australia: labour laws violate ILO conventions
/** labr.global: 441.0 **/ ** Topic: Labr Laws Being Violated In W.Australia **
** Written 10:45 PM Jun 17, 1997 by labornews in cdp:labr.global **
From: Institute for Global Communications <labornews@igc.apc.org>

Western Australia: labour laws violate ILO conventions

From the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
ICFTU OnLine...
166/970617/TN (17 June 1997)

Brussels, June 17 (ICFTU OnLine): The secretariat of International Labour Organisation (ILO), a Geneva-based UN body, has released an opinion stating that the harsh new labour laws in Western Australia contain several breaches of ILO Freedom of Association conventions which Australia has ratified.

The new laws effectively stop unions from functioning properly and deny workers the right to strike. Union officials are banned from talking to non-union members at work, and heavy penalties are set for even minor breaches of the legislation.

Unions in the state capital Perth have asked to meet the government to help bring the laws into line with ILO standards, and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is prepared to consider a formal complaint to the ILO if the government refuses to change its hard-line position.

Meanwhile, Perth unions continue their vigil outside the State's Parliament at a "Workers' Embassy", despite government threats to remove them from the site.

More information, including a copy of the ILO opinion, is available on the state ACTU branch website at:
http://www.global.net.au/~jeremyh/thirdwave.html For other details contact ICFTU Press at ++322 224 02 12. Other OnLine news on Poptel Bulletin Board ICFTU-Online for geonet users and on the WWW at:http://www.icftu.org