From: brian@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian)
Subject: Re: Enterprise bargaining or.....exploitation of the workers?
Organization: Computer Services Centre, Australian National University
Distribution: aus
Date:  2 Sep 92 01:46:39 GMT

pod@suite.sw.oz.au (Paul O'Donnell) writes:

>In <brian.714805943@coombs> brian@coombs.anu.edu.au (Brian) writes:


>>	Interesting to see little comment (as yet ;-) on Kennet's proposals
>>for "Industrial Relations" in the new Victoria that he's planning to build after
>>the coming election.  I wonder why the Libs assume that workers will be able to
>>enter into a bargaining situation with their (prospective) employers on
>>an equal footing when they have no experience of bargaining or negotiations
>>and still come out ahead.  Perhaps the Libs really want Australians workers to
>>become "more competitative" with third world workers by enjoying the same
>>exploitation that they do?

>I heard an interesting interview on ABC radio yesterday morning.  I
>missed the first bit as I was just waking up so I don't know the
>full context but the gist was that Andrew Olle was interviewing a
>guy from Du Pont.  They have a factory at Girraween which takes
>bulk film and packages it.  20 years ago they were going to the
>wall.  Without sacking anyone, they gave the workers more resonsibility,
>allowed them to use initiative, reduced the number of supervisors
>(to use his words "they weren't doing anything productive, just
>clogging up the flow of information from the factory floor to
>management), initiated an enterprise bargaining system (they no
>longer have anyone earning the same as anyone else) and generally
>freed up their work practices.  Although they had initial union
>resistance, once the union realised what was happening, they
>supported it.  They now have high morale, high productivity and
>low staff turnover.  Their wages are within the top range of those
>paid anywhere in the industry.  That's a funny definition of
>exploitation.  Du Pont are closing a film finishing factory in
>Japan to do it at Girraween.  Hmmmmm.

>Obviously this requires sensible management, but enterprise bargaining
>can work.

	But what makes you think that all employers will have the interests
of their employees at heart (like the Du Pont example)?  We have already
seen how some employers will exploit their workers to their advantage
(have a talk to the kids who work at McDonalds/etc and ask how many of them
expect to still be employed there after they turn 18).  I'm not saying that
all employers are bad, just as I'm not claiming the Union based, centralised
wage fixing system is perfect.  However IMO it benefits the greatest number
for the greatest good, whereas open slather enterprise bargaining (and
this is what Kennet/Hewson are proposing because under their system _both_
parties have to agree to remain within the award system.  If one wants out
[ie the employer will usually I suspect] then the other is forced out as well)
will I am sure benefit some but a large number will be much worse off.



--
Brian Ross____________________________________________________________________
	"If this is the revolution, why are the drinks so fucking expensive?"
		- unsigned Graphitto, Paris, 1968
______________________________________________________________________________