Tonight NSW Labor voted against proposed amendments to the Industrial Relations Act which sought to impose bigger penalties for unions taking illegal strike action in breach of orders made by the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC).
Under the proposed amendments, the maximum penalty that could have been imposed on unions or employers for contravention of dispute orders would have been aligned with those available in Queensland and in the federal industrial relations jurisdiction.
Minister for Employee Relations Damien Tudehope said that it was disappointing that Labor chose to support industrial disharmony and chaos for the people of NSW by voting against the proposed amendments.
“In recent times, unions have repeatedly chosen to ignore orders of the IRC prohibiting industrial action. The amendments proposed by the NSW Government were intended to deter unions from flouting IRC orders and disrupting essential services for the people of NSW,” Mr Tudehope said.
“This kind of illegal action interferes with the lives and livelihoods of ordinary workers and small business owners and should not be cheered on by the Labor party.
“These unions have deep pockets and consider the current penalties as a minor cost of doing business. Without increasing penalties, we can expect Labor’s year of the strike to continue.”
Labor’s position follows their conference over the weekend where parliamentarians gave Rail, Tram and Bus Union boss Alex Claassens a standing ovation after a speech promising to continue his political campaign of strikes.
Last week, the Supreme Court of NSW handed down a $60,000 fine to the NSW Teachers Federation for industrial action organised and promoted by the union in breach of dispute orders made by the IRC. The Court noted the union’s annual revenue from memberships alone is $37 million.
The Court held the breaches were ‘inimical to the orderly conduct of the conciliation and arbitration system established by the [Industrial Relations] Act’.
Penalties for breaching dispute orders can only be applied against industrial organisations or employers and not against the individuals or workers participating in industrial action.