Fed: Easter long weekend test for IR laws - Smith

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2006
Fed: Easter long weekend test for IR laws - Smith

The federal opposition says the Easter long weekend will show whether bosses use the
government's new workplace laws to force staff to work on public holidays.

Opposition industrial relations spokesman STEPHEN SMITH .. says Work Choices means
some workers can be told to work over Easter if their employers decide it's necessary.

Mr SMITH says Labor's Industrial Relations Taskforce .. which is sitting in Sydney
today .. expects to hear from dozens of people around the country.

The taskforce is gathering information from workers about their experience of Work
Choices .. to prepare Labor for the next election.







The union movement's also warned .. some of its members face losing their traditional
picnic day on Easter Tuesday because of Work Choices.

An estimated one million workers will lose holidays .. like Easter Tuesday .. or other
union picnic days no longer protected by law.

AAP RTV ved/smb/rt/bart

KEYWORD: WORKPLACE SMITH (SYDNEY)

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