[?]Stralian Unions

Essure On The

Rritories

Mand Entry

The Islands

\fter years of toying about

h the possibility of establishing

ilf in Papua-New Guinea,

stralian trade unionism has :ided to take up the question

tously.

IE Australian Council of Trade Unions, the combined voice of Australian unions, will ask the imonwealth Government for m right of entry into P-NG. 0 make this possible, it wants >ur laws, “at least comparable 1 those in Australia”, to be ex ied to P-NG —and in fact to all tralian external territories. he ACTU demand is being made behalf of the building union ip, and follows a dispute be en employees and management i Port Moresby building firm in November, which resulted in )loyees asking their unions in tralia for union representation

J -Ng.

he Federal building unions—the IU, the Plumbers’, the Painters’ the Builders Labourers’ unions jacted by referring the matter to ACTU, and by putting out a ibined statement pointing out re were no labour laws in the irnal territories, and that em bers could draw up their own Dloyment contracts, “and be the i interpreters”. he statement added, “Usually se contracts are made very at ;tive on paper, but in fact are vily weighted against the work- This practice has time and in been condemned by the ons, but the Commonwealth yernment has not corrected the ition”. hould the ACTU achieve its ective, union spokesmen say it ild be unlikely the unions would ye into P-NG in full strength ially. The number of union mem s available would not warrant ployment of full-time officials for ry union. ’robably as a first step, full-time retaries would look after the Lvities of several unions, with a our council co-ordinating.

'his organisation is similar to t operating in the Australian Dital Territory and some NSW vincial centres. lowever, the unions have yet to n entry. What the latest ACTU ve brings, will be interesting. (See comment, p. 18)