Saturday, June 04, 2011

NSW Unions Protest

More than 300 trade unionists are heading to the NSW parliament after the government suddenly shut down debate on planned changes to public sector employment conditions.

Unions members started gathering in Macquarie Street from midday to continue their public campaign against the industrial relations bill.

The gathering includes 300 teachers from across NSW who make up the NSW Teachers Federation's state council.

"They will vote there on the future direction which the federation will take in the campaign to defend wages and conditions of the states public sector workers, including teachers," the teachers union said in a statement.

Earlier today, the government used a provision that had not been used in more than a century to guillotine the debate in the upper house, accusing filibustering Greens and Labor MPs of wasting taxpayers money.

"The state government has today set a new low in democratic standards, gagging debate on a bill that will strip away workplace rights for 400,000 workers in NSW," Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon said in a statement.

The debate on the industrial relations bill, which will give the government the power to stipulate wages and conditions for public servants, has been running in various stages since Wednesday.

"These laws mean public sector workers will have their wages and conditions dictated by the government with no negotiation or recourse," Public Service Association general secretary John Cahill said a statement.

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