Fed: Labor pressures govt for legislation on payout scheme

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2000
Fed: Labor pressures govt for legislation on payout scheme

The opposition has slammed Workplace Relations Minister PETER REITH for failing to
come up with legislation to protect the entitlements of employees caught in company collapses.

The government promised a protection scheme following high-profile company collapses,
such as the Oakdale mine, the Woodlawn mine and National Textiles, among others, where
workers campaigned to secure their lost entitlements.

But no legislation setting up the scheme has yet been introduced to parliament.

Opposition industrial relations spokesman ARCH BEVIS has accused the government of
not genuinely wanting to tackle the issue of employee entitlements.

Mr BEVIS says if Mr REITH can't get his laws drafted and into parliament, he should
stop blocking debate on Labor's proposals to protect workers' entitlements.

Mr BEVIS launched a private member's bill today seeking to allow the courts to recover
money artificially moved to other related corporate entities so they could fund workers'
legally accrued entitlements.

AAP RTV dep/mfh/msk/wz

KEYWORD: PAYOUTS (CANBERRA)

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