TASMANIAN INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION

Industrial Relations Act 1984
s.23 application for making of a new award

Australian Workers' Union
Tasmania Branch
(T.3111 of 1991)

PLANT NURSERIES AWARD

Making of a new award

REASONS FOR DECISION

This application was made by the Australian Workers' Union, Tasmania Branch (AWU) for the purpose of making a new award to be known as the Plant Nurseries Award.

The applicant and the Tasmanian Confederation of Industries (TCI) presented an agreed position on the need for the new award, its Title and Scope.

Mr P Targett for the TCI, whilst acknowledging that employers in the plant nursery industry currently fall within the Scope of the Horticulturists Award, nevertheless, emphasised the need for the industry to have its own award which was more industry specific and relevant to its needs.

Mr Targett also stated that it was not intended, through the making of this new award, to cover employers involved in the growing of plants through to bloom and then marketing those blooms.

This application is part of a programme to modernise and rationalise the Horticulturists Award. This was foreshadowed as far back as 19851 and again during a structural efficiency progress report2 given to the Commission.

I hereby endorse and approve the agreed positions of the parties attending this hearing to make a new award to be known as the `Plant Nurseries Award' for the plant nursery industry including the growers of instant turf. However, the award excludes floriculturists.

Having decided to establish this new award, it would now be open to any registered organisation to seek an interest in the award in accordance with the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act 1984. After the completion of that exercise, the Commission will continue to hear submissions on the content of the award.

As the making of this award is not yet completed and submissions still have to be presented in respect to wage rates and conditions of employment, employers falling within the Scope of this award should continue to observe the wage rates and conditions of employment contained in the Horticulturists Award.

The order giving effect to this decision is attached and shall be operative from 8 August 1991.

R J Watling
COMMISSIONER

Appearances:
Mr D Hayes for the Australian Workers' Union, Tasmania Branch.
Mr B Hansch for the Transport Workers' Union of Australia, (Tasmania Branch).
Mr K Rice for the TFGA Industrial Association.
Mr P Targett for the Tasmanian Confederation of Industries.

Date and place of hearing:
1991
August 8
Hobart

1 T.227 of 1985
2 TP No. 10 of 1990