Opposition workplace relations spokesman Eric Abertz has accused Deputy Prime Minster Julia Gillard of “blatant hypocrisy” after it was revealed that five of the six new Fair Work Australia commissioners have union backgrounds.
The appointments include former union leader Anne Gooley, former senior union official John Ryan, ACTU senior industrial officer Michelle Bissettt and Australian Manufacturing Worker’s Union national president, Julius Roe.
Former West Australian public servant Danny Cologhan also has a union background, while South Australian appointee Peter Hampton has previously worked with employer groups.
Abetz slammed the appointments as an example of the Labor Party “pandering” to the unions.
“Ms Gillard must think we all came down in the last shower if she thinks the Australian public will believe that stacking Fair Work with union stooges will result in there being an ‘independent umpire’ as she puts it, when it comes to workplace relations,” he said in a statement.
“How can Australians can be expected to believe that Fair Work Australia will deliver anything remotely ‘just, fair, open or transparent’? Labor’s blatant pandering to their union mates is simply breathtaking in its audacity.”
Business groups have also reacted angrily to the appointments, with Australian Mines and Metals Association chief Steve Knott saying it “belied belief” that more commissioners with an employer background weren’t appointed.
“It’s highly biased towards the union movement,” he told the Australian Financial Review. “It’s a major concern and a spectacular failure on Gillard’s part.”
This is not the first time that a Government has been accused of stacking Australia’s IR umpire.
During the Howard Government, Gillard was highly critical of a large number of appointments with employer group backgrounds made to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
None of the workplace lawyers SmartCompany spoke to this morning were prepared to go on the record commenting on commissioners who they will soon stand in front of, but one word would sum up their reaction – disbelief.
“Howard made some pretty shocking appointments, but this many unionists in one go is pretty amazing,” one said.
Another lawyer pointed out that Fair Work Australia received about 1,000 applications for the six commissioner posts.
Abetz says businesses should be worried about the IR system under Labor.
“Can the Deputy Prime Minister explain why a sector that only represents 15% of the workforce has five out of six members presiding over Fair Work Australia?”
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
