Fed: ACCI urges Senate to pass industrial bills

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Fed: ACCI urges Senate to pass industrial bills

CANBERRA, Feb 11 AAP - A business lobby group today lashed out at the Senate for blockingthe government's industrial reforms, saying they should be allowed to pass so broaderreform could be taken on.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) is irate the Coalition's industrialwishlist, particularly easing of unfair dismissal laws for small businesses and secretballots for unions, has been stymied.

On the eve of the new federal parliament's first sitting, ACCI acting chief executiveLyndon Rowe said change resulting from the Coalition's 1996 Workplace Relations Act hadslowed.

"In the six years since 1996 the necessary follow-up change at a federal level hasbeen slow and incremental, due largely to a hostile Senate and to attitudes in the industrialand political wings of the labour movement," Mr Rowe said in a statement.

"Business, including small business, have been denied the benefits that further reformwould bring.

"Employees, too, have been penalised because the changes to the Workplace RelationsAct would have led to an increased number of jobs as well as greater job security."

Of greater concern was that in recent years most state governments had moved to re-regulaterather than further decentralise their state industrial systems, Mr Rowe said.

"The result is that labour market reform in Australia remains not just unfinished businessbut is in danger of moving backwards," he said.

"These reforms cannot be allowed to stall. If we can finish the task, Australian businessand employees can achieve mutually beneficial outcomes - a stronger business sector andhigher living standards."

Mr Rowe said industrial reform bills before the Senate should be allowed to pass.

"With these changes then behind us, the government (should move) on to dealing withthe broader structural issues that continue to hold our workplace performance back."

AAP dep/daw/cd/bwl w

KEYWORD: INDUSTRIAL