Mr Birch still opposed to union education plan

Press, 22 April 1986, Page 8

Mr Birch still opposed to union education plan

The Opposition spokesman on labour, Mr Bill Birch, spent four hours at a union training course yesterday, but still opposes a proposal to set up a trade union education authority funded by the State. Mr Birch was invited to attend a course run by the Canterbury Hotel, Hospital, Restaurant, Club and Related Trades Union. The invitation stemmed from Mr Birch’s criticism of Government plans to set up a trade union education authority to approve training for delegates. The authority would be established by the Union Representatives Education Leave Bill which also provides for paid leave. After he had attended the course, Mr Birch said

a National Government would repeal the bill and replace it with an education facility which used existing resources and had a greater input from the Education Department. He said he regarded trade union education as essential and did not oppose giving paid leave to delegates to attend courses. The Government’s proposal, however, lacked balance and contained insufficient controls over the quality of the training. The provision giving paid leave' to delegates was also too generous. “It is giving the unions an open cheque to undertake their training in the way they want to do it,” he said. Mr Birch said it would

create a precedent to set up a separate Statefunded education authority for trade unionists. Industrial relations was a very complex area and such courses should be available to employers and all those with an interest in the subject. The Education Department was the appropriate authority to run courses, and Polytechnic facilities could be used, he said. Mr Birch complimented the Hotel Workers' Union on the teaching quality of its course, but he questioned whether all unions would be capable of meeting this standard. The secretary of the Canterbury Hotel Workers’ Union, Mr Martin Moodie, could not be reached last evening for comment.