Fed: Unions calling Labor's shots on IR laws - Abbott

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Fed: Unions calling Labor's shots on IR laws - Abbott

By Denis Peters

CANBERRA, Feb 14 AAP - Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott slammed Labor overits union links today, saying the ACTU was behind the party's opposition to proposed unfairdismissal laws.

Mr Abbott also stepped up his attack on Opposition Leader Simon Crean's ACTU background.

The minister said ACTU president Sharan Burrow had intervened to prevent any easingof Labor's opposition to the government's plan to exempt small business employees fromaccess to unfair dismissal laws.

The government yesterday introduced another bill seeking to exempt small business employeesfrom unfair dismissal laws, a bill which, as on several previous occasions, seems doomedin the Senate.

Mr Abbott said Labor had not (not) put any alternative proposals to him, but he believedopposition workplace relations spokesman Robert McClelland had been rolled on the issuein caucus.

"I understand that Robert McClelland was rolled in caucus yesterday because caucusreceived an angry message from (ACTU president) Sharan Burrow that was relayed by (LaborSenator) Steve Hutchins," he said.

Mr McClelland's office dismissed the claims and said the party had consulted widelywith interested parties including Ms Burrow and the small business coalition.

"The idea that a message was sent via someone is just a ludicrous one," a spokesman told AAP.

"She's (Sharan Burrow's) entitled to call up and put her views, just like the smallbusiness coalition."

Both Labor and the Australian Democrats repeated their resistance to any exemptionfor small business.

Democrats workplace relations spokesman Andrew Murray said his party would not be coercedinto passing the legislation in the Senate.

"We won't bend to threats or talking tough. We're quite happy to give them the doubledissolution trigger," Senator Murray said.

Mr Abbott sidestepped questions on the double dissolution trigger, which occurs whena bill is twice rejected by the parliament and opens the way for fresh elections.

He also brushed aside a compromise proposal put forward by Australian Industry Grouphead Bob Herbert in which new small business employees would have to wait 12 months beforehaving access to the laws.

"We've got a mandate to entirely take the unfair dismissal burden off small businessand we're going to pursue the mandate that we got," Mr Abbott said.

He widened his attack on Labor's union links, saying West Australian workplaces wouldbecome a wasteland of strikes and closed shops if proposed industrial laws were enacted.

The proposed laws seek to repeal the former Liberal government's industrial regimewhich restricts union access to the workplace, entrench individual agreements and restrictpowers of the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

"They will introduce a restoration of a Jurassic Park wasteland of strikes and no-ticket,no-start signs," Mr Abbott told federal parliament.

AAP dep/daw/las/sb

KEYWORD: UNFAIR NIGHTLEAD