TASMANIAN INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION

Industrial Relations Act 1984
s.23 application for award or variation of award

Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, Tasmanian Branch
(T6489 of 1996)

CLOTHING INDUSTRY AWARD

Award variation - wage rates - conditions of employment - application granted - award varied - operative ffpp 18 December 1996

REASONS FOR DECISION

This amended application, lodged by the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, Tasmanian Branch (the applicant), was for the purpose of varying the Clothing Industry Award as a result of negotiations between the parties, pursuant to the wage fixing principles, and specifically the following principles:

a) Structural Efficiency;

b) Minimum Rate Adjustment; and

c) Arbitrated Safety Net adjustments.

The parties presented a consent draft Order1 for which they sought the Commission's endorsement. That document contained the first and second Minimum Rate Adjustment and the first arbitrated Safety Net Adjustment.

Mr Strickland, for the applicant, submitted that the third and fourth Minimum Rate Adjustment would be pursued at 6-monthly intervals, via separate applications.

Mr Strickland said that he did not see the agreed position of the parties being the completion of the award restructuring process, and the parties would be turning their attention to other issues in the future.

Mr Flood, for the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Limited, supported the submissions of Mr Strickland and was not opposed to the variations the award.

The proposed restructured award established skill-related career paths to provide an incentive to employees to continue to participate in skills formation. It also creates appropriate relativities between various categories of employees within the award, along with appropriate classification standards.

I have also noted that the proposal modernises a number of clauses and removes superfluous clauses contained in the existing award.

I am satisfied, having heard the submissions from the parties, that the award should be varied in the manner sought, as the variations are consistent with the wage fixing principles.

The Order giving effect to this decision is attached and will be operative from the first full pay period to commence on or after 18 December 1996.

R J Watling
COMMISSIONER

Appearances:
Mr D Strickland for the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, Tasmanian Branch
Mr A Flood for the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Limited

Date and Place of Hearing:
1996
October 30
November 27
December 16
Hobart

1 Exhibit S.2