Asciano wants FWC to play a greater role in negotiations

Asciano is calling for the Fair Work Commission to play a greater role in “agreement facilitation”.

In its submission to the Productivity Commission’s Industrial Relations inquiry the company, which owns Pacific National, said that it believed that parts of the bargaining framework set out in the Fair Work ACT hampered efficient and equitable negotiations.

The company also suggested that the Fair Work Commission should take on a “negotiation advisory role”, that protected industrial action should only be considered a “last resort” and that the “privilege position of collective bargaining is purely ideological.”

You can read their full submission here. 

It doesn’t take much reading between the lines to see that what Asciano is pushing for is more control over the negotiation process and fewer rights for workers and unions to take action to get outcomes.