MPs get beer as part of anti-IR campaign

Federal MPs have been handed a bottle of beer as part of a union campaign
against new laws that will strip independent contractors of collective
bargaining powers.

The symbolic giveaway came after Tooheys' recent decision to cancel
contracts for 60 beer delivery drivers in July.

Transport Workers Union (TWU) spokesman and former Tooheys contract truck
driver Bob Hayden said that if the government passed the new law as part of
a second round of industrial relations reforms, contractors would have to
independently take complaints to the Federal Court.

To date, NSW legislation has allowed independent contractors to collectively
take a complaint to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, but that
body is losing much of its powers under new IR laws.

"Under the new legislation, which we have been told is being drafted, we
would have to act as individual companies through the federal courts," Mr
Hayden said.

"That would mean if 60 of us wanted to lodge a claim, it would be 60 claims
in the Federal Court, each claim costing a lot of money and (each of us)
having to do it on their own without union representation."

Regards
John H
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beer-www/