Ridout's AI Group 'too big for its boots'
Matthew Franklin, Chief political correspondent | September 03, 2009
Article from: The Australian
A POWERFUL union has attacked employer organisation the Australian Industry Group for abusing its "favoured status" with the Rudd government to "run roughshod" over workers.
The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union yesterday accused the AI Group of seeking to undermine timber workers' conditions in award modernisation talks, despite timber industry employers not being among its membership. CFMEU timber division secretary Michael O'Connor said yesterday the organisation, frequently criticised by the opposition as being in the pocket of the government, was "too big for its boots".
"They are guilty of terrible overreach and clearly feel emboldened by the influence they have in Canberra," Mr O'Connor told The Australian.
"The AI Group clearly now feel a sense of entitlement that they can make submissions on award modernisations wherever they like, ignore industry standards, the industry's peak body and simply run roughshod over everyone."
The Labor Party forged strong links with the AI Group before it took office in 2007, largely because rival employer group the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry openly opposed its plans for industrial relations reform.
Yesterday, as chief executive officer Heather Ridout defended her submission to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, Mr O'Connor said she had called for workers on a seven-day roster to lose a week of annual leave, with the extra holiday available only to those on a seven-day roster as well as shifts around the clock.
Ms Ridout said the proposed modernised timber award would have wide coverage, including in the pulp and paper industry, where the AI Group had substantial membership.
