Sydney, Australia, October 30, 2006--The Federal Government says it will refer a row over employment agreements in Victoria to the Office of Workplace Services (OWS).
The dispute involves 300 workers employed by Feltex, which has been placed in receivership and is being sold to carpet manufacturer Godfrey Hirst Australia.
The textile union says the employees have been told by Godfrey Hirst that they must sign individual contracts, otherwise they will lose their jobs and will not receive any redundancy entitlements.
Textile union Victorian secretary Michele O'Neil says that is not a good deal for workers.
"Under the AWA, all of the award conditions that underpin their current union collective agreement are taken away," she said.
But Godfrey Hirst spokesman David Wilson says the company is committed to negotiating a collective agreement with the union..
"It's our intention to offer each and every employee a job going down the track, we've offered a collective agreement it's been in draft form for some considerable time, the union has rejected it," he said.
"All we ask is that they negotiate it and stop politicising the whole issue and provide a future for the workers and a future for the company."
