NSW: Call for wider inquiries into flexible work hours

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-1999
NSW: Call for wider inquiries into flexible work hours

SYDNEY, Aug 6 AAP - A union today called for industrial and Senate inquiries into flexible
work hours in the wake of a case of a young mother who was given an ultimatum by her employer
to start work an hour earlier at 6.30am.

The Australian Services Union (ASU) said it had been inundated with messages of support for
its backing of Steggles tele-sales operator Kym Wood, who has taken her case to the Industrial
Relations Commission (IRC).

Ms Wood claimed a company directive for her to start work an hour earlier, at 6.30am, or
work an hour less or face dismissal was unfair because she had three school-age children for
whom she could not make alternative arrangements.

Both Goodman Fielder, Steggles' parent company, and union officials have agreed not to make
statements to the media on the issue until another meeting on Tuesday.

But the ASU has won backing from the NSW Labor Council for approaches to the state
government and federal Labor and Democrats to back inquiries into the issues of flexible work
hours and child care which the Wood case raised.

"We've had letters of support from South Australia, Victoria, Canberra, NSW, federal
parliamentarians, state parliamentarians, lawyers, academics," ASU clerical and administration
branch secretary Michael Want said.

"We've been forwarding them to the site at Marsden Park for Kym to be aware of that sort of
support.

"The union calls on Labor Council to support an IRC inquiry into the inflexible practices
of employees generally, particularly for the lower paid in relation to the hours of work and
availability of suitable childcare."

Council secretary Michael Costa agreed to contact NSW Industrial Relations Minister Jeff
Shaw and Labor senate leader John Faulkner.

Mr Costa warned unions would "go on the offensive" on the issue if Tuesday's talks failed
to satisfactorily resolve the issue.

"We put Steggles on notice today that they've got until Tuesday to resolve the issue," he
said.

"If they don't resolve the issue I'm sure that the support that the ASU has pointed out
will double, and if it goes on will increase by tenfold until we get a satisfactory solution."

AAP dep/tsm/it

KEYWORD: STEGGLES (CARRIED EARLIER)

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