FED: Govt to introduce urgent bill for Oakdale miners

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-1999
FED: Govt to introduce urgent bill for Oakdale miners

The federal government says it will introduce urgent legislation next week to provide a
$6.3 million entitlement payout for the 125 New South Wales Oakdale miners sacked in June.

The miners have been campaigning for the entitlements they lost when the mine south-west of
Sydney closed down -- a campaign which included last Friday's national strike.

Cabinet approved a package yesterday to pay the entitlements -- including accrued sick
leave, annual leave and redundancy pay -- from the coal industry's long service leave fund.

Workplace Relations Minister PETER REITH says the government will also release an options
paper within a fortnight on a national scheme to protect the benefits of sacked workers.

He says Oakdale and a similar case at Cobar were turning points in the coalition's effort
to get a national scheme to protect sacked workers' entitlements.

But he's denied on ABC radio that Cabinet caved in to public pressure on Oakdale.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union has welcomed the decision, but
spokesman TONY MAHER says the government shouldn't take any glory from it.

Mr MAHER says it's an about-face by the government on the union's sensible proposal to use
the coal industry's long service leave fund.

AAP RTV msl/rt/shm

KEYWORD: OAKDALE (CANBERRA)

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