Mr ZAHRA (11:40 AM) —It is with a great deal of concern that I raise in this chamber the quite atrocious behaviour of G. and K. O'Connor Abattoirs of Pakenham in my electorate. In particular, I raise concern about the role that the federal government have played in a disgusting, sickening lockout which some 160 workers at that abattoir have just endured for the last eight months.

G. and K. O'Connor are a large employer in Pakenham. They have been involved in this aggressive lockout for getting on to seven or eight months now. There has just been a development of sorts in that around 30 of the workers at G. and K. O'Connor, having been bludgeoned by the company over the last six or seven months, have gone back under an Australian workplace agreement. They are going back having to put up with salary cuts ranging from around $60 a week to $300 a week. They are going back having to work probably an extra 45 minutes or an hour a day. They are going back having given up RDOs. They are going back having forgone quite an amount of sick leave.

Security disappears in this sort of environment. These people no longer have the security of employment which they need around which to build a good and decent life and to raise a family and make a contribution in our community. This is the type of environment that Peter Reith's legislation promotes and encourages. This is the type of situation where Peter Reith moves from being a minister acting on behalf of all Australians to being a minister who is acting in a partisan nature on behalf of the company and against the workers and the people of Pakenham and district.

I think it is useful to draw on the comments of the presiding Federal Court judge who was hearing this matter last week on 4 October. I will read out some of the transcript in the Federal Court. In relation to the lockout, acting on behalf of G. and K. O'Connor, Dr Jessup says:

This is a fairly unsophisticated one; it's an all or nothing . . .

Judge Spender says:

Yes. This is a baseball bat lockout.

Dr Jessup says:

It is sort of, your Honour, yes.

Judge Spender says:

Pinkertons Incorporated.

I do not know whether everyone in this chamber understands the significance of what Judge Spender has just said. Those of you with a bit of knowledge of labour history, and in particular American labour movement history, would understand the significance of Judge Spender's comments referring to the behaviour of G. and K. O'Connor, which has taken place under Peter Reith's legislation, by referring to it as being similar to the actions taken in the past by Pinkertons Inc.

Pinkertons Inc. was a notorious US detective company which acted as an anti-union operation in that country for a number of years. They used to infiltrate US labour movement activities. They used to be involved in kidnapping, violence towards union members, extortion, vandalism, and a battery of other illegal and improper activities. So a judge of the Federal Court in Victoria is referring to action being taken by a company, G. and K. O'Connor, as being similar to the illegal and immoral actions which were taken by Pinkertons Inc. in the United States.

I mention again that this action is being taken under the legislation of Peter Reith, the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business. I think people opposite should be ashamed that this sort of legislation promotes and encourages Pinkertons Inc. type of behaviour—the type of behaviour which is illegal and immoral and destroys communities such as those that exist in my electorate: in this case the Pakenham district. I stand by the workers at G. and K. O'Connor Abattoirs, as does everyone in the labour movement and everyone in the Labor Party. G. and K. O'Connor Abattoirs should be ashamed of themselves. (Time expired)