Tony Abbott's 'head in sand' on IR laws: employers | The Australian

EMPLOYERS have attacked Tony Abbott's decision to oppose the reinstatement of individual contracts, accusing the Coalition of "putting its head in the sand" and ignoring major problems with the federal workplace laws.

The Opposition Leader also faced dissent from within the Coalition, with Liberal backbencher Jamie Briggs insisting he would continue to argue for individual statutory agreements, as "genuine" workplace flexibility could not be achieved without them.

Liberal MP Kelly O'Dwyer offered support for Mr Briggs, saying: "We need to have the debate. In the course of the Coalition developing its industrial relations policy before the next election, I'm sure we will debate a range of issues."

The stoush came as Workplace Relations Minister Chris Evans revealed that Labor's upcoming review of the Fair Work Act would be undertaken independently of the federal government.

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The Australian Mines and Metals Association accused Mr Abbott of "thumbing his nose" at employers after the Opposition Leader said in an interview on ABC's 7.30 that the Coalition would not support the return of statutory individual contracts.

Steve Knott, the association's chief executive, said given Mr Abbott's refusal to support individual contracts the Coalition must now commit to making a range of changes to the Fair Work Act to allow employers to strike more flexible workplace deals.

He said that if Mr Abbott did not make the changes he would be "trashing" a core constituency of the Liberal Party.

"People forget they have been in opposition for four years so they have had plenty of time to come up with an alternate IR policy," Mr Knott said.

"And their policy to date is no change.

"Well, if you put yourself up as an alternative government, four years of saying 'no change' in a key economic policy area, in the face of overwhelming evidence, we have problems with this new system, is not very inspiring to the business community both large and small."

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Peter Anderson said he was disappointed individual statutory agreements would not be part of Coalition policy.

"I'm concerned that the statement rules out statutory individuals, because they existed for the 10 years before Work Choices," Mr Anderson said.

He said individual arrangements could be achieved in different ways.

"Statutory contracts are the simplest and cleanest way if there is a proper safety net," he said. "But they are not the only way, and they are a means to an end, not an end in itself."

Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout said her organisation believed individual statutory contracts with a strong no-disadvantage test were "the best option for employers". However, if they were not reintroduced, she said, flexibility could be achieved by making changes to Labor's system of individual flexibility arrangements.

Mr Briggs, who was involved in the development of Work Choices as a Liberal Party adviser, said industrial relations policy had not yet been put before the Coalition partyroom and he would continue to debate the need for individual contracts despite Mr Abbott's statement. "You can't have genuine flexibility without a form of statutory individual contract with a no-disadvantage test," Mr Briggs said.

A spokesman for Mr Abbott said last night that Coalition backbenchers were "entitled to express their personal views".

Opposition workplace relations spokesman Eric Abetz said he believed the Coalition could devise a policy that offered some flexibility to employers and protections to workers without reintroducing the individual contracts.

Howard government workplace relations minister Peter Reith said last night he was suprised and disappointed by Mr Abbott's decision to rule out individual contracts.

"I'm not going to belt into Tony but this is an issue to look at very closely," Mr Reith told ABC's Lateline.

"A lot more talking needs to go on. I'd encourage him to think about the consequences because there is quite a bit at stake."

Mr Reith urged the Coalition to announce a workplace relations policy well before the next election, rather than wait until it was back in power.

"Australia cannot afford to have 10 years of a reregulated workplace," Mr Reith said.

He said giving business flexibility through individual contracts was a key to attaining higher productivity.

With Matthew Franklin and Ben Packham

via theaustralian.com.au

Posted via email from The Left Hack