Fed: Reith, union differ on decision s effect on rail jobs

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2000
Fed: Reith, union differ on decision s effect on rail jobs

By Denis Peters, Industrial Correspondent

CANBERRA, Aug 4 AAP - A ruling effectively retaining junior pay rates in seven Victorian
railway awards was good job news for young people, Workplace Relations Minister Peter
Reith said today.

But a rail union dismissed this claim as unlikely and without proof.

The full bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) today overturned
an earlier decision by Commissioner Bob Merriman to remove junior rates from the awards.

The federal government applied for a review of the decision.

"We wanted to make sure that junior rates were retained so that young Victorians had
a fair go at competing for jobs in the railway industry," Mr Reith said in a statement.

"While the full bench decision is good news for young people in Victoria, it will also
benefit young Australians more widely.

"This is because the decision makes it clear how the amendments the government made
to the Workplace Relations Act last year are to be applied in practice.

"They are to be applied to make sure that work opportunities for young people are improved
by including junior rates in awards where this is appropriate."

He said the decision stood in contrast to Labor's policy platform which would overturn
its support for junior rates brokered last year.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union spokesman Andrew Thomas said Mr Reith's claim that more young
people would get rail jobs as a result of the decision was an assertion only, and he would
like to see any proof to that effect.

Mr Thomas said the case was originally brought to the AIRC only because the junior
rates provision was obsolete and was required to be removed under the act.

"Commissioner Merriman deleted it on the basis of Mr Reith's own legislation," he told AAP.

"The fact remains that junior rates had been in those awards for many years and it
hadn't stopped employers in the rail and tramway industry in Victoria from employing juniors
and paying them the adult rates.

"It didn't seem to be a problem to them."

Employers would be under no obligation to change their current pay rates, Mr Thomas said.

AAP dep/mfh/cjh/br

KEYWORD: JUNIOR

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