The Age du lieu suivant : Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 5

FRIDAY 16 MAY 1997 THE AGE AS aBspoit torn over pay decision practices and the intro By Joanne hunter enterprise bargaining is what they will get, with all the difficulties and disruption that implies Let me assure our members that in pursuit of our 10 per cent claim we will use our industrial muscle to the fullest extent," Mr Allan said. The national director of the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation, Mr Mark Carter, warned: "The TWU will have to do some seri decent wage increases through the award system," he said. The TWU federal secretary, Mr John Allan, said the ruling would make updating awards difficult and could Jeopardise the relevance of the system. The union would now pursue a claim for a 10 per cent pay rise over two years on a site-by-site basis, he said. "If enterprise bargaining is what the Government wants, ous thinking about how to achieve wage increases for their members who have not received anything through enterprise bargaining and the only way may be through industrial action." Earlier this year, the TWU, with the support of most transport companies, asked the commission to vary the federal transport award in return for reforms to working hours, work follows the commission's recent living wage claim ruling which limited the award system to a safety net role.

The Minister for Industrial Relations, Peter Reith, welcomed the decision, saying it confirmed the safety net role of awards and would encourage enterprise level agreements. "The commission is acting in accordance with the law. The law now is that the award sys tem provides a safety net but beyond that you've got to sit down and do a deal," Mr Relth said. Labor's industrial relations spokesman, Mr Bob McMullan, said the case marked the death of the award system and showed that the Government's legislation would force workers into enterprise bargaining. "Australia needs to retain the capacity for workers to retain had no choice but to use its "industrial muscle" to pursue its wage claim.

In a landmark decision, the full bench refused to ratify a pay deal negotiated with key transport employers, arguing the union had failed to prove its application was a special case. The ruling upholds enterprise bargaining as the main vehicle for wage movements and workplace reforms, and nd INNES WHXOX Transport workers have foreshadowed months of industrial turmoil after the Australian IntftHWial Relations Commission? yMerday rejected a union claim for an pay rise. The Transport Workers UnVMVcondemned the commission's' refusal to adjust industry award 'rates and warned it now duction of part-time work. But leading employer groups, including the Australian Chamber of Commerce and warned the claim would lead to a wages blow-out and would be used as a benchmark for larger increases negotiated through enterprise bargaining. The chamber's chief executive, Mr Mark Paterson, welcomed yesterday's ruling.

cuts made to ABC TV, programs FASE GREENE, 'f v. Bfc -v, i 1 -a 1 Liw-x The Federal Government's Budget' cufs. have forced the ABC to approve $7 million in program cutstacross television and radio networks. The 'ABC Board yesterday decided to cut 4 per cent from boirpWMio and television bud-ge'tyjedhfinirig production cuts to, 'Melbourne and Sydney. Trre ABC's managing director, Mr Brian Johns, told The Age the bo'ir'Had determined the cuts with' three priorities in mind.

"We've, to protect news and, current affairs; we've pro-tec programs; and protected programs that ar: distinctively ABC," he said. He estimated 700 jobs would be losj. JPjjSjiariges will see the Sun-day Afternoon arts program no loigerpresented from a studio and (he presenter's role, now filled by Suzy Baldwin, scrapped. This would save $800,000 a year, Mr Johns said. The Talking Heads interview series, hosted by Jenny Brockie, has been scrapped, as has the ABC coverage of four golf tournaments.

A planned co-produced comedy series has been dropped and $800,000 cut from an investment in an independently produced mini-series. The board also scrapped seven documentaries of the 35 it had planned to buy from independent producers a particularly harsh move given the ABC's determination to establish greater links with external producers. The news and current affairs section did not escape unscathed, with $1 million cut from its international budget. The Radio National programs The Week in Film and Saturday National will be scrapped, while the Mimic Deli show will be halved from its present two hours. The program cuts follow the $7 million saved from halving the Radio Australia overseas service (even allowing for the $4 million Foreign Affairs Department contribution) and the waived or deferred $13 million bonus announced in Tuesday's Budget.

The ABC has identified $28 million in savings from assets sales, efficiency gains and other non-program items, but has yet to carry them out. A sombre mood engulfed ABC Radio's Sydney headquarters in Ultimo yesterday as 200 staff staged a mock funeral for doomed programs. The staff, members of the Community and Public Sector Union, stopped work between 9 and 10.30am, disrupting radio programs. OFF THE MI BHIed for Stardom: Dr Melody Serena, a researcher with the Australian Platypus Conservancy, takes a closer look yesterday. Melbourne Water and the conservancy are netting platypus from Monbulk Creek, Belgrave, fitting them with transponders and releasing them back into the wild so they can track their activity and then try to improve their habitat.

Picture: wayne taylor axed (torn I SuntyMmoon JJ arts prOftBrn, -which wi bee atoto Mavfewt; jj faflargHwifeaate Mapped. Department cleared of child-sex cover-up Coverage of tour oif tumarnertecarcefecl. comeoy series "SeVSi fewer documentaries conduct for government employees working overseas. Ms O'Neil said that despite occasional claims of a widespread problem of paedophilia among diplomats, most of the inquiry's informants raised the same few names and incidents. "Overall what was revealed was that a large number of people are aware of a small number of allegations," she said.

cy at the expense of decisive handling which permitted allegations on two serious cases to drift rather than be resolved. "The failure to act decisively provided an environment which allowed rumors to flourish without cause," Ms O'Neil said. Ms O'Neil investigated the handling by the department of 15 allegations against 10 officers over 21 years but under her terms of reference referred new allegations to the Australian Federal Police. She found there was no official tolerance of paedophile behavior by diplomats or any widespread paedophile problem. Tabling the report in Federal Parliament, the Foreign Minister, Mr Alexander Downer, announced that legislation would be introduced proposing a code of By LINDSAY MURDOCH, Canberra A federal inquiry into paedophilia among diplomats has found that the handling of some child abuse allegations was faulty, but cleared the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of a cover-up.

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