Employers slam `them and us' bill

By VERNON SMALL deputy political editor

Employers see little, if anything, in the Government's Employment Relations Bill to prefer over the existing Employment Contracts Act.

The Employers Federation has told a select parliamentary committee that the bill has an inherent acceptance of a "them and us" approach to workplace relations, that was inappropriate at the start of last century.

However, federation chief executive Anne Knowles said employers accepted that the bill would be passed and were committed to continuing consultations.

In its submission, the federation said its concerns were consistent with Treasury and Labour department advice that the bill had the potential to increase labour and compliance costs, lower workplace flexibility and employment growth, and increase industrial action and litigation."It sets out to protect existing employees at the expense of individuals seeking employment, failing to recognise that to do so has ultimately adverse consequences for employed and unemployed alike."

The bill would also move the emphasis away from enterprise bargaining by sanctioning strikes in support of multi-employer agreements.

Expanded union access, stopwork meetings and union education leave would increase compliance costs for businesses.

Provisions ensuring continuity of employment for those covered by a collective agreement flew in the face of commercial reality, and would greatly increase compliance costs.

Introduction of mandatory mediation and a change to the Employment Court structure would increase, not decrease, costs.

The federation rejected a union monopoly on negotiating collective agreements, saying that right should be open to any group of employees.

Concerns over requirements to disclose financial and business plans to unions negotiating collective agreements could be lessened by passing such information to an independent, professional, third party to assess.

The federation wants provisions deleted which stipulate that employees on fixed-term contracts who are not retained are deemed to be unjustifiably dismissed unless certain conditions are met.

It said the fixed-term contract clause should be limited to those earning up to twice the annual average wage.