FOR MEDIA 2 MAY 1991
Last Friday, I released a statement outlining the basis for
a resolution of the impasse reached between unions and
employers on -waterfront industry reforms.
Since then, at my direction, there have been intensive
negotiations by the Minister for Shipping and Aviation
Support, Senator Collins, with unions and employers.
As a result, -the parties have accepted the Government
proposal that this matter should be finalised by:
the employers and the unions implementing an agreement
effective from 16 May 1991 through the life of the In-
Principle Agreement ( IPA); the agreement to be closed
except for any general community wage adjustments, and
productivity-based arrangements mutually agreed in
accordance with enterprise agreements under the IPA.
The partiLes, as indicated below, will jointly seek
endorsement of this agreement by the Australian
Industrial Relations Commission ( AIRC)
As to rates of pay, there shall be the following
adj ustmeunts: the first adjustment to be $ 12 per week from the
first pay period on or after 16 May
an aggregate 6.12% adjustment in three equal
instalments consistent with the agreed
classification structure
Wi the first instalment will be available from 1
July 1991, on an enterprise by enterprise
basis, and be paid only when Enterprise Based
Agreements ( EBA) approved by the Waterfront
Industry Reform Authority ( WIRA) are in place
and employees have been reclassified under
the new structure
( ii) the second and third instalments will be
available from 1 January 1992, and 1 July
1992, provided the EBA is being successfully
implemented and delivering productivity
improvements consistent with that agreement.
Employees accepting the WIRA early retirement/ redundancy
package are not eligible for reclassification as they will
leave the industry once the enterprise agreement has been
implemented. It is agreed that the " no extra claims" concerns have been
met in the terms of this agreement.
The employers and the unions have agreed on the changes in
the rates of pay and the conditions of this agreement
attaching to these changes.
Representatives of the Unions have undertaken to submit this
agreement to their members.
Representatives of the Association of the Employers of
Waterside Labour have undertaken to recommend to their
National Council the acceptance of this agreement. Conaust
has also indicated its support for the agreement.
It is agreed that the parties jointly approach the IRC,
before which this matter is currently being considered by
Commissioner Sweeney and to whom a Report Back is due to be
made next Monday.
It is agreed that the parties will report progress and, in
the event of the agreement between them being ratified, the
parties will jointly approach Commissioner Sweeney to
endorse it.
The parties agree to make this approach to Commissioner
Sweeney on the basis of determining a part-heard matter
under the processes of the binding IPA according to the
principles of the 1988-89 National Wage Case decisions.
The parties agreed:
to negotiate a separate award for Container Depots and
Security Officers
to negotiate a clause on day work provisions and on
overtime and double header provisions, including
uniform Sunday and public holiday rates
that the above and other award conditions be negotiated
between the parties and finalised with the assistance
of the Commission, including through arbitration if
necessary that a suitable timetable be agreed between the parties
and Commissioner Sweeney to give effect to this clause.
All other negotiations covering matters other than wages and
conditions within the IPA should continue under the auspices
of the WIRA.
3.
The employers agree that under this agreement the valuation
of classifications will involve no reduction of pay for any
classification. The parties agree that on this basis they
will enter negotiations to seek agreement on the
classification pay relativities. In the absence of
agreement out of such negotiations, it is agreed that the
matter will be arbitrated by the IRC on the basis of no
reduction in pay for any classification. The parties
reserve their rights at the expiry of this agreement to
argue without prejudice whatever pay rates relativities they
consider appropriate.