MINDA INCORPORATED

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (15:32): I rise today to congratulate the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union and its delegates for the fine work they have done in a very long-winded dispute with Minda. It is a dispute that has gone on for more than 18 months, and a lot of people have put in a lot of hours fighting the injustices of a system where Minda did not want to increase pay and wanted to actually reduce conditions. So I was very glad to hear yesterday that a successful resolution has been reached in this case.

The key features of the agreement include: an agreed definition of shift worker and a retention of six weeks' annual leave for all shift workers, which will be backdated for employees in Brighton East. This is something that Minda tried to do to its workers, who work very unsociable hours with many of the most vulnerable people in our society; and they do an absolutely fantastic job.

I was at a sausage sizzle a few weeks ago with the LHMU and the delegates, and Dave Di Troia, the secretary of the South Australian branch, was also there to address the crowd. I heard the passion with which Minda workers spoke about their time at Minda. Many have been there since the 1970s, and they love the work they do and take great pride in it. They really care for these very vulnerable people with disabilities whose welfare they are entrusted with.

It is very important to the people at Minda that they have people there who know what they are about and what their special needs are. This is something that cannot always be catered for by bringing in contractors to do the job. It was a very important part of it that the six weeks' annual leave be preserved for these workers, because it is a very stressful job and there is a lot of shift work involved. I think they are very deserving of the six weeks' annual leave that they get.

Other features of the agreement are a 5 per cent wage increase payable from 1 July 2009, with 2 per cent of that backdated to November 2008 (which is when this dispute started), a 3 per cent increase payable from 1 July 2010 and a 3 per cent increase payable from 1 July 2011. There is also a commitment to genuine consultation on changes to work practices, including the introduction of long-term or permanent changes to rosters that would impact on employees' take-home pay or entitlements.

I think that, speaking to the workers at Minda, that was something they were affronted by: the fact that Minda wanted to change the rules and decrease the benefits that the workers had without any consultation at all, when these people have put in many years of hard work to look after people in their care. They were really quite appalled at Minda's behaviour in this. So, I am glad this agreement has been reached and I hope that management at Minda will play a far more responsible role in the future and get on with the people who have given Minda such a great reputation in society, and that is the people who deliver the care at Minda.

I also want to acknowledge the fact that, through Fair Work Australia, this resolution was made possible. I think that under John Howard's unfair WorkChoices we possibly would not have seen this. This is something that we all need to work towards. Everyone deserves fair pay and fair conditions. I know that there are some on the other side who would like to see the abolishment of wages and conditions, but we believe in sticking up for people who work very hard for a better society and a better community, for which we are all very grateful.

Julia Gillard has done a magnificent job as the industrial relations minister in Australia and in setting up Fair Work Australia, and it is great to see her promoted today to Prime Minister of Australia. I think she is going to do an absolutely magnificent job as our Prime Minister. I think it is good that we have someone who not only can mix with business, as Ms Gillard can, but also knows what it is like to come from a working family and to go in there and fight hard for the rights of workers.

We know that if it is left to the other side and if it is left to big business, those rights are just going to be eroded. There is nothing more unfair in society than to see class division, where we have the people with all the money and the people left to do all the work are left with nothing. It is totally unfair and would bring about a breakdown of our society. Australia can be rightly proud of the fact that we have a very good society and a community that works very well without the class distinctions that we see in so many countries. So, congratulations to the LHMU. It is a wonderful victory. Minda, I hope you take heed of the fact that you need to discuss changes with workers. Again, congratulations to the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard.