Rebel Labor MPs have raised concerns about the Australian Building Construction Commission, as well as the welfare payment plan. But the Government defended both measures, arguing that it had flagged the welfare reforms in the May budget and that it had promised to retain the ABCC until 2010 at last year’s election.
The Screen Actors Guild, which has insisted it deserves a sweeter deal than the other guilds, had no official statement at deadline. The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers responded with frustration, tweaking SAG for having its members continue to work under terms of the expired contract. The AMPTP made its final offer to SAG on June 30, the day the previous contract expired, and have stressed repeatedly that they’re done negotiating.
The states are expected to resist the push by the Federal Government to take over industrial relations, while the unions have complained that too few details have emerged to date on the shape of the proposed system. However, ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence said a national system could still be delivered within the framework of the government’s existing Forward with Fairness policy.
It’s all very well to talk up co-operative industrial relations but if one party, in this case Telstra, a very big and powerful employer with a massive amount of market share, does not want to co-operate, you won’t get where you want to go. It takes more than good intentions, gently delivered.
Under the Victorian Government’s plans, TAFE students will be able to take out an income-contingent loan — similar to HECS in universities — to pay for their courses. The move is expected to get the backing of the Rudd Government, and is designed to soften the blow of increased fees.
The Unite for Strength faction’s platform centers around pushing for a merger with rival union AFTRA in an effort to increase actors’ overall leverage at the negotiating table with the major studios. Membership First, which currently dominates the Hollywood board seats, engaged in a public fight with AFTRA this summer.