QLD: Beattie calls on PM to intervene in coal strike

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2001
QLD: Beattie calls on PM to intervene in coal strike

BRISBANE, April 12 AAP - The federal government would not intervene in "union thuggery"

on Queensland's troubled coal fields because it was a matter for an industrial court,
federal Regional Services Minister Senator Ian Macdonald said today.

Up to 1,500 miners and port workers have been conducting protected industrial action
at five BHP mines in the central Queensland coalfields and the loading facility at Hay
Point over pay and conditions.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today called on Prime Minister John Howard to get
unions and BHP talking in compulsory conciliation.

"Because this dispute falls under federal legislation, the state government has no
powers to intervene," Mr Beattie said.

"Only the federal government can deal with this industrial relations disaster but it
has done nothing."

Mr Beattie said under Queensland industrial relations legislation the dispute would
have been dealt with as a matter of urgency by the state's Industrial Relations Commission.

But Senator Macdonald said Mr Beattie's "soft approach to trade union thuggery" had
allowed the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) to put Australia's trade
reputation at risk.

"At the end of the day, these disruptions are caused by Peter Beattie's mates in the
CFMEU, so tough talk from Mr Beattie has to be taken with a massive dose of salt," Senator
Macdonald said.

"The federal laws are much tougher than the state laws, albeit that the CFMEU are abusing
the protected bargaining provisions.

"It is up to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to judge whether the spirit
of the law is being met."

Senator Macdonald said "belligerent behaviour" by the CFMEU had cost BHP around $100
million in production and effectively wiped out any recent trade gains for Queensland.

CFMEU general president Tony Maher told AAP Senator Macdonald's comments were uninformed.

"What we are doing in the BHP bargaining campaign is complying with the law and the
law permits legal industrial action in enterprise bargaining," Mr Maher said.

"If we are to be condemned for complying with the law, so be it.

"A lot of what you are seeing in the media at the moment is self-serving rhetoric from
BHP and any of their political mates they can prevail upon to talk up the problem.

"If BHP really wants to stop the economic pain then they simply have to return to the
bargaining table."

AAP pjo/jhm/gmw/br

KEYWORD: MINES BEATTIE NIGHTLEAD

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