REITH REVEALS LIBERAL PARTY WORKPLACE HIT LIST

Media Release.

Bill Shorten MP.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation

May 16, 2013

In a speech to the Australian Mines and Metals Association today, former Liberal industrial relations minister Peter Reith will reveal the Liberal Party’s workplace hit list that will rip pay and conditions from Australian workers.
It’s a ‘greatest’ hits list that will send a shiver up the spine of every Australian worker, with the return of unfair individual contracts at its core.
Peter Reith, the ideological godfather of Liberal IR policy, has also confirmed that penalty rates and unfair dismissal protections are on this Liberal Party hit list.
As quoted in a media report, Peter Reith, will tell the Australian Mines and Metals Association today –
“Do not let up on the issues:
- individual agreements,
- protected industrial action,
- adverse action,
- the details on trade union right of entry and greenfield agreement making,
- penalty rates,
- unfair dismissal,
- paid parental leave and
- anything else that undermines your right to manage your business in a private sector economy.”
Issuing an ultimatum to Tony Abbott, Peter Reith demanded more radical workplace policy changes if he wins the election.
“Once in government, Abbott will find that the quality of his management, including vital IR reform, will determine his future. And in that regard, the sooner he fixes the IR system the longer he will last as PM.”
On page 47 of his policy manifesto, Battlelines, Tony Abbott describes Reith’s role within the Liberal family:
“Reith, in fact, acted as a political ‘elder brother’ to many of his colleagues and was a big loss to the government after the 2001 election.”
BATTLE LINES
Peter Reith preceded Tony Abbott in the workplace relations portfolio. The next two Liberal workplace relations ministers, Kevin Andrews and Joe Hockey, are on Mr Abbott’s frontbench.
They all believe in cutting wages and conditions to the bone through unfair individual contracts.
Extreme workplace relations policies are in every Liberal’s DNA.