The Howard Government has created a bureaucratic nightmare.

Monday 3^rd September 2007

Debbie Hyland and Louise Bruce from the Mornington Inn are to be congratulated for standing up after being unfairly affected by the Howard Government’s Unfair IR laws. But why did they have to wait so long?

Unions Tasmanian congratulates Louse Bruce and Debbie Hyland for having the guts to stand up and be counted over the unfair impact of the Howard Government’s IR Laws. However it has been over a year since the incidents occurred at the Mornington Inn and the Office of Workplace Services (now known as the Workplace Ombudsman) began to investigate the allegations of duress. Those employees who signed the AWA and stayed on have had to wait for over a year to have some fairness put back into their working lives. The outcome of the government’s investigation does not provide any fairness for those who refused to sign the AWA and left and those who were dismissed.

Secretary of Unions Tasmania, Simon Cocker said:

“The Mornington Inn AWA is one of the worst I’ve read. The Howard Government made it possible for employers to offer contracts like this that undercut the Award safety net. Is there any compensation for the distress and anguish working mums like Louise and Debbie have suffered?

“No-one should have to wait over a year for an answer to the basic question ”Am I being treated fairly in the workplace?”.

“The Howard Government has set up a huge bureaucracy to administer their Workplace Laws. Hundreds of new staff at the Office of the Employment Advocate are trying to catch up with a massive backlog of AWA contracts lodged. The Workplace Ombudsman has investigators and lawyers and magistrates working on cases. The whole system is a bureaucratic nightmare from one end to the other. Why did anyone in the Howard Government ever think Workchoices was a good idea?”

“We note the State Industrial Relations ministers have asked for a meeting with Joe Hockey on Sept 14^th. I urge Steve Kons to raise this and other Tasmanian cases of excessive delays in investigations at that meeting.