Energy Minister and Australian Services Union member Bill Johnston can and should request that his colleague, The Hon Stephen Dawson, the Minister for Industrial Relations, intervene and stop the second ‘wild cat’ strike by Western Power workers in just two weeks, according to WA Liberal Leader Dr David Honey.
“Mr Johnston is falsely claiming he cannot intervene to stop this reckless industrial action,” Dr Honey said.
“The Minister clearly does not understand the industrial relations laws despite his decades as a union official and being a Minister for four years.
“Mr Johnston is clearly misleading the public of Western Australia with his false claim that he cannot intervene in this serious matter.
“Under Section 569A of the Federal Fair Work Act, the State Minister for Industrial Relations has the right of intervention in industrial relations negotiations such as this.
“All Mr Johnston has to do is simply ask his Cabinet colleague, the Hon Stephen Dawson, to urgently intervene in this matter on his behalf.”
