A peak textile body has criticised a recent meeting on the Fair Work Amendment Bill due to its 'lack of industry representation'.
Following on from the Senate Education Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee sitting in Melbourne earlier this week, CEO of the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia (TFIA), Jo Kellock, has lashed out at organisers.
Kellock said she is concerned as not one TCF manufacturer or brand owner was given the opportunity to present the impact of the new legislation on the industry.
“There were no examples highlighting the industry’s difficulties with unworkable aspects of the TCF regime - or of how the amendments will compound the lack of flexibility in the TCF labour market,” Kellock said.
Fair Wear Australia, the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA) and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations representatives were all given the opportunity to speak – but a time slot was not given to the TFIA.
Kellock said the hearing was also shown a power point presentation and Channel 9 segment that depicted worker conditions failing to meet OHS standards, however the only employees given a voice were three Vietnamese women machinists heard through interpreters engaged by Fair Wear Australia and TCFUA.
Australian Industry Group (AIG) was the only industry representative at the hearing and Kellock, who attended the hearing as an observer, says that no small and medium enterprises, which make up the majority of manufacturers in this industry, were given a chance to discuss their experience of the legislation.
Kellock also said none of the many workers who have operated successful enterprises under the existing regime spoke.
She said TFIA is 'acutely aware' of the pressure its members and the broader industry are experiencing and that the lack of industry representation at the hearing means that too many questions at the hearing remain unanswered.
“We all need to
work together to address the problems brought about by extremely poor
operations that exploit staff and undercut legitimate businesses,”
Kellock said. “Legislation alone won't work - nor will an onerous
compliance regime. A united approach must also include the
cooperation and collaboration of the industry."