Mr McClelland asked the Minister for Workplace Relations and Small Business, upon notice, on 23 March 1998:

Will he bring up to date the answer to question No. 1871 (Hansard , 23 September 1997, page 8257) concerning representations to the International Labour Organisation.

Mr Reith (Workplace Relations and Small Business) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

Since the answer to question No. 1871 was given, there have been no formal complaints made by industrial associations to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) concerning Australian industrial law and practice.

Other representations

The ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) has made an observation regarding the informal representations by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) concerning the federal Workplace Relations Act 1996 and Australia's application of the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949, (No 98).

The CEACR has expressed views on some issues relating to collective bargaining and has asked for clarification or noted developments on others.

The Government will be formally responding to the CEACR's observation in 1999 as part of the usual reporting process on ILO Conventions.

In a letter dated 16 February 1998, the ILO advised the Department of Workplace Relations and Small Business that the National Union of Workers had submitted representations on the application by Australia of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No 87). These representations relate to the New South Wales Industrial Relations Act 1996.

Australia will respond to these representations in its usual report to the ILO later this year.