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25 January, 2000The IMF fully supports its Australian affiliates in their fight to protect the fundamental human and trade union right to bargain collectively.
AUSTRALIA: In support of its Australian affiliates -- the AMWU, AWU and CEPU -- in their struggle to protect trade union rights at BHP, the IMF is stepping up its activities to bring increased pressure on BHP to abandon its anti-union stand, respect the rights of its employees to collective trade union representation and negotiate in good faith with the unions concerned. The mineral and metals multinational, which is Australia's largest company, is in effect derecognising the trade unions in the iron ore mining sector of Western Australia and issuing all its 1,000-strong workforce in the iron ore mines with individual, so-called "staff" contracts. BHP has stated that it will not negotiate new terms and conditions of employment through collective bargaining.
In addition to organising international actions with other international trade union secretariats, the IMF has written to all its affiliated unions, representing 22 million metalworkers worldwide, calling on them to support the Australian affiliates in any way possible. The Australian government's failure to effectively support and promote the key trade union principles of ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining, which Australia has ratified, will be looked into, as well as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Corporations.
The Australian unions are mapping out further industrial action in the coming days against BHP's iron ore operations and are seeking a Federal Court injunction against the company. According to a report by the newspaper, The Age, the unions will claim that BHP has "injured" unionists under the Workplace Relations Act by breaching provisions relating to freedom of association and will tell the Court that the company has illegally induced workers to sign individual contracts, effectively forcing them to leave the union.
In addition to organising international actions with other international trade union secretariats, the IMF has written to all its affiliated unions, representing 22 million metalworkers worldwide, calling on them to support the Australian affiliates in any way possible. The Australian government's failure to effectively support and promote the key trade union principles of ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining, which Australia has ratified, will be looked into, as well as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Corporations.
The Australian unions are mapping out further industrial action in the coming days against BHP's iron ore operations and are seeking a Federal Court injunction against the company. According to a report by the newspaper, The Age, the unions will claim that BHP has "injured" unionists under the Workplace Relations Act by breaching provisions relating to freedom of association and will tell the Court that the company has illegally induced workers to sign individual contracts, effectively forcing them to leave the union.