PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT TUESDAY, 10 JULY 1979
NEWS CONFERENCE IN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE
ON TELECOM DISPUTE
Prime Minister
The Government this afternoon has surveyed the general industrial
scene, especially as it affects the Government's own employees,
whether in the Public Service or in instrumentalities such
as Telecom, Australia Post, or the Australian National Railways.
In all those areas there are disputes proceeding which are
inconveniencing the public and doing a very great amount of
damage. Especially in Telecom, where the disruption to normal
communication and normal business has been very, very severe over
the last few days.
There was a significant delay in having that matter referred to
the Full Bench, for reasons that we all know and understand.
I have already indicated that we will be legislating in the
Budget Session to make sure that Sir John Moore has power to take
over any particular case if he requires it or if believes it to
be in the national interest. That legislation will be introduced
at the very beginning of the Budget Session.
I am glad . to see that Mr. John Ducker has applauded that particular
move to strenghten the President of the Arbitration Commission.
It is quite clear that the general stand-down procedures, the
general no-work, no-pay provision, in a number of instances is
not a particularly effective weapon. It is not strong enough
when particular trade unions to seek to support their own wage
claims or claims for changes in conditions, with bans and
limitations which cause great difficulty for the public.
Especially in areas of public service employment where there is a need
to continue to supply services to the public.
What the Government has sought to do over recent times, and
throughout its period in office, is to support the arbitration
system, to support the Arbitration Commission.
It is worth noting that equivalent support from the Australian
Council of Trade Unions was sought last Friday and was rejected
by the President of the ACTU. It didn't seem to the Government
to be too much to expect the Australian Council of Trade Unions
to support the general strength of the arbitration machinery
and to exhort their own members and affiliates to respect
arbitration, respect conciliation and not to resort to bans and
limitations which so much damage Australia's reputation. But
that suppott from the Australian Council of Trade Unions, from
Mr. Hawke, was not forthcoming.
The Telecom dispute has gone on far too long. The processes of
arbitration, under a Full Bench and under Commissioner Clarkson
have now begun. The Government has no wish to take actions that
will interfere in that particular process throughout the course Of
the next day or so. But there are limits to the Government's
patience. There is certainly a limit to the community's patience.
There are very real limits to the hardship which the community
can be expected to endure while these bans and limitations continue.
/ 2
-2
Prime Minister ( continued)
Since the-matter is now before arbitration, since the matter
is now being heard by Commissioner Clarkson, it would have
reasonable enough to expect the union concerned to lift the bans,
to lift the limitations, so that normal communications could be
returned in Australia.
If the bans and if the limitations are not off by first thing
on Friday morning, we will be seeking an Executive Council decision
to proclaim the Commonwealth Employees Employment Provisions Act.
That will be proclaimed and proclaimed forthwith if there are
bans and limitations still in place by Friday morning of this week.
Question_ Prime minister, what will that mean? In lay terms, what would
Prime Minister
That greatly strengthens the employing authority, it greatly
strengthens the Public Service Board, and the Government, in relation
to stand-downs, in relation to suspensions. Ultimately, in
relation to dismissals of people who are disrupting essential
services. It applies to Commonwealth employees. It will apply to
statutory instrumentalities of the Commonwealth. It would give
employing authorities a general power which the Government now
believes, in these circumstances, those employing authorities and
the Public Service Board, ought to have.
Question But won't you be risking a massive confrontation with
Public Service unions and the whole union movement?
Prime Minister
There has been a massive confrontation caused by the union movement,
caused by the Telecom union, with the whole Australian people over
the last few weeks and days. The Government has been patient.
The Government has been tolerant. Some would say, tolerant in
the extreme.
Question Will this. get Telecom working?
Prime Minister
Using a power of this kind obviously cannot guarantee getting
Telecom working on Friday morning, but if a trade union ' is to
cause great inconvenience to the Australian public, if members of
that trade union are not to work to supply services to the people of
Australia as they are employed to do, as they are paid to do
they cannot continue to get paid. They cannot continue to get
supported. They will have to learn that there is a cost to
themselves. If that means for a while that the public could be
without the service and that could be-the result then the
Government accepts that and I believe the public will also accept
3
Prime Minister ( continued)
it. I think that in the final result, we would get to a
saner situation. But we cannot allow people to continue to
inconvenience the Australian public virtually at no cost to
themselves. Question Do you intend to implement that legislation immediately on
Friday, if the unions haven't lifted the bans by then.
Prime Minister
That would be normal management prerogative and the prerogative
of Government. The powers conferred by that particular act
would be within then the general weaponry available to employing
authorities in industrial disputes.
Question What will you achieve if you stand down the very people, the only
people, that are capable of running telecommunications systems.
Prime Minister
They are not working the system now. It is not working now.
They are taking it out on the people of Australia in support of
a claim that can be heard by arbitration and conciliation. I hope
you are not supporting that kind of action against the interests
of the total Australian community.
Question How long will it run when you do that. How long is it going
to run?
Prime Minister
It will run when the union learns that it cannot produce this
kind of action without a cost to themselves. It is as simple
as that.
Question It has been suggested in some newspapers, no doubt wrongly, that
you want this industrial confrontation as an election issue.
dispel that kind of suspicion, will you give us a guarantee
that there will no election this year.
Prime Minister
I don't want any industrial confrontation as an election issue.
/ 4
-4
Question will there be an election this year.
Prime Minister
That's not something that is going to run.
Question Despite some ( inaud) that have been made by the Federal Government
on previous occasions to get Mr. Bob Hawke to ( inaud) intervene
in this situation, have you consulted with him on this issue.
Prime Minister
Mr. Hawke has intervened on one or two other occasions, after
the Government had indicated that it would use this legislation,
or other legislation. It has been after that that the disputes
have been resolved.
Question You've threatened to proclaim this legislation before and you
haven't. Is there any reason this time why the union should
think you would go ahead with your threat.
Prime Minister
We hadn't proclaimed it on earlier occasions because the disputes
were over within the time limit given by the Government. But if this
dispute, if the bans and limitations are not over within the time
limit that I have stated, the legislation will be proclaimed, and
let nobody mistake that.
Question Why' not proclaim it in any case, if you are saying you will do
it on Friday, why not have it...
Prime Minister
Principally because the Government did not wish to interfere with
the processes before Commissioner Clarkson.
Question
Why not wait until they are concluded.
Prime Minister
Because it is fair. enough to let the parties know what the
consequences will be if the bans and limitations continue.
Question-This legislation was passed last year.
Prime Minist-er
Two years ago.
Question
Why didn't the Government proclaim it when it was passed.
What were the reasons for waiting.
Prime Minister
Because we thought it would be better unproclaimed at the time.
Question You say, the Government has said in the past, that when unions
take industrial action while matters are before the Arbitration
Commission that that is tantamount of blackmail. Would you accept
the point of view that this type of action now, while this
situation is before the Arbitration Commission, is also tantamount.
to blackmail to the unions.
Prime Minister
No I wouldn't. I would say it is tantamount to the Government
taking to itself the powers that are necessary to Government and
to employing authorities, to make sure that the services Governments
must provide to the people of Australia can be supplied to the
people of Australia. Telecom is not owned by the employees.
They are working in that particular organisation to provide a service
to the people of Australia. It is time the people of Australia
were placed first.
Question ( Inaudible)
Prime Minister
The principle provisions of this legislation are suspension and
stand-downs. Quite plainly, any of the people trained to work
in Telecom are necessary for the operations of Telecom. But at
the same time, their special skills are ones that are appropriate
to the Telecom organisation. So they need Telecom. They need the
jobs that they can get in that particular organisation if they
are to have the kind of remuneration to which they have been used.
I think it is time that the members of this particular union learnt
that they owe some obligations to the people of Australia and they
ought not to use their power in an important instrumentality to
continue to inconvenience and disrupt the business and life and
livelihood of the people of Australia, as they have over the last
few days and weeks.
Question first of the unions you are going to take on?
Prime Minister
I would hope that people would be able to learn from a lesson.
./ 6
-6-
Question you will follow on with others?
Prime Minister
If this legislation is proclaimed, well then it is proclaimed
and the powers within it are generally available to Commonwealth
instrumentalities, and the Public Service Board.
Question
Why was the legislation better unproclaimed two years ago
when it was first passed by both Housesof Parliament.
Prime Minister
It might still not be proclaimed if the bans and limitations
are*. lf ted.
Question But why was it better unproclaimed?
Prime Minister
Because we believed it better-to play it that way.
Question Could you expand on it?
Prime Minister
I don't think there is any need to expand on it at all.
There are powers in this particular legislation which normally
you would prefer not to have to use, but against the background
of the kind of disputes that we have had over recent times
the Government believes that* it needs those very powers.
Question But why is proclamation so crucial?
Prime Minister
Because the powers can't be used unless it is proclaimed.
Question If that legislation is proclaimed will you proceed forthwith to
instruct Telecom to stand down all employees that it can~ not
gainfully employ?
Prime Minister
There will be no doubt that the powers conferred by the legislation
would be used by Telecom.
Question Forthwithi Prim e minister: Yes. 000
7 1.