Office of IR disappears in Budget
Posted: Friday, 9 September 2011 | By: Sophie Cotsis
The NSW Office of Industrial Relations has been axed as a stand-alone agency and subsumed into the 'Finance, Policy and Strategy Service Group', according to the Government's Budget Papers.*
Ms Cotsis said the Office of Industrial Relations had lost its independence, with the Budget Papers showing its funding and staff had been combined with ICT procurement, finance administration and metropolitan water planning.
"The Office of Industrial Relations delivers important services to NSW businesses and workers", said Ms Cotsis.
"In addition to advising the Government on industrial relations and job market issues, the Office:
Undertakes workplace inspections to ensure compliance with IR regulations;
Helps workers recover lost entitlements, like unpaid wages; and
Conducts free workshops and other information sessions for business owners.
"In 2009, the Office of Industrial Relations undertook more than 10,000 targeted workplace inspections and recovered more than $3 million in unpaid wages.**
"Subsuming the office into a finance administration group shows just how little the Government values the rights of working men and women in this state."
Ms Cotsis said removing the Office of Industrial Relations from the Budget Papers would make it easier for the Government to hide job and funding cuts.
"The O'Farrell Government has an abysmal record on industrial relations", said Ms Cotsis.
"Now we have no way of knowing how many people are employed and how much funding has been allocated to deliver industrial relations services.
"Past Budget Papers have also reported on how many workplace inspections are occurring and how satisfied businesses and workers are with the advice they receive from the Office.
"Without this information, there is no way of knowing exactly what the Government is doing to deliver important services like workplace inspections and recovering unpaid wages."
*Source - Budget Paper No 3
** Source - http://www.streetcorner.com.au/news/showPost.cfm?bid=10156&mycomm=WC
Tags: Barry O'Farrell, Industrial relations, Sophie Cotsis