c 6/ 143
P~ iMSE MINISTER1
FOR PRESS 4 July 1976
MEDIBANK STRIKE
The A. C. T. U. Executive action is grossly irresponsible
and directly against the national interest.
Mr Hawke's statement that the Government wants confrontation
is nonsense. He knows it is nonsense.
The facts are plain.
The Government recently asked the Trade Union movement to
make representations regarding the administration of Medibank.
The Government listened to the Trade Union movement's views
and gave them careful consideration.
The Government came to the conclusion that the Medibank
proposals, as recently modified, were fair and equitable,
and would provide the best possible health care for
ALL Australians.
The Trade Union movement seems to have forgotten that
the Government has made a major modification to Medibank
to enable Medibank insurance to compete with private health
funds. The Executive seems not to have taken that into
account at all.
The Government's reformed Medibank scheme will also impose
no cost on the poorer people in the community. Under the
Government proposals everyone has to be covered.
It will also provide genuine health care choice and
allow freedom in the medical profession.
The Trade Union proposals, if adopted, would not have improved
health care and health insurance for Australians.
Under the A. C. T. U. proposal, those thousands of two-income
Australian families would pay twice.
The A. C. T. U. proposals would have done nothing for the low
income earner and would have kept the dispute between the public
hospitals and the-doctors alive. ./ 2
Wages lost during a 24-hour Medibank strike would go
a long way to meeting the cost of the Medibank levy for
many Australian families.
Wages lost from one day's strike alone would have paid two
months Medibank levy for Australians earning around the
national average wage.
For those on the lowest incomes because they don't pay the
Medibank levy, the wages lost from the strike could only be
a net loss.
In other words, Mr Hawke is telling thousands of Australians
to throw money away.
When Mr Hawke finds himself in a corner he says the
Government'wants a confrontation.
He of all people knows that this is not true. His colleagues
in his own office and other trade union officials who recently
attended discussions with the Government also know that this
is not true.
What Mr Hawke knows privately, but will not admit publicly,
is that this Government has been far more willing to cooperate
with the trade union movement than Labor ever was.
We have demonstrated time and time again that we are prepared
t6 listen to union views and to change our proposals where it
is in the nation's interests.
The real problem facing Mr Hawke is that he is not prepared
to stand up to those trade union officials who want strike
action for purely political reasons.
Mr Hawke will have to realise that there is only one
national Government in Australia. 0
000ooo000