Unions will use a parliamentary committee to have their say on proposed changes to Queensland’s industrial relations laws, fearing they could be misused.
The Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) on Wednesday resolved to formally oppose the proposed amendments in parliament next week.
QCU president John Battams says the changes are being rushed through by the new state government without consultation.
He says one provision gives the industrial relations minister the power to terminate industrial action in the public sector.
“The only bargaining power that workers often have in the public sector is to take some form of action,” he told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday.
“What we don’t want to see is this legislation misused, whereby workers’ rights to take action in support of their legitimate claims is terminated.”
The QCU is also concerned about a provision that could allow the government’s financial position to influence the setting of public sector wages.
Mr Battams says that in a first for Australia, treasury officials would be allowed to brief the industrial relations commission on the government’s financial position without cross-examination by unions.
He says this could put pressure on the commission to keep wages in line with the government’s fiscal strategy.
“If in a period of inflation the government has the strategy of winding back government expenditure … what could possibly occur is workers who would be expecting a wage rise to compensate for inflation would not get that,” he said.
The QCU will present its submissions to a parliamentary committee on May 30.
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