Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Kevin Andrews: orchestrating disputation

Australia's construction industry is too important to the national economy to be used a political plaything of the Howard government, CFMEU construction assistant secretary Dave Noonan said today.

According to a report in the Australian Financial Review, Kevin Andrews was acting against the advice of his Department in pressuring construction companies not to settle bargaining agreements with their workers.

"It appears Mr Andrews is more interested in orchestrating disputation in the construction industry than having employers and their workers reach agreement," Mr Noonan said.

"The construction industry is pivotal to our economy - the last thing we need is a politician playing politics with the industry.

"Like so much else in his portfolio, Mr Andrews is putting his ideological obsessions - and those of his Prime Minister - ahead of the national interest.

"These agreements have got the tick from workers, they have got the tick from the Master Builders Association, they have the tick from Mr Andrew's own department - the only person who is playing a spoiling role is Mr Andrews.

"He should listen to the workers, the employers and his own department and stop trying to create mischief in this important and productive industry."

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