Printing Industries has made a submission to the Award Review Taskforce supporting in principle the move to rationalise awards and classification structures to eliminate duplication from existing state and federal awards.

However, the Association does not support union proposals to use the rationalisation process to extend the skilled based classification structures across the new award system.  

The Taskforce was established by the Federal Government to examine and report to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations on award rationalisation and rationalisation of award wage and classification structures.  

Printing Industries National Director, Employee Relations, Greg Parkes, said the Association looked forward to consulting with the Taskforce in the near future to elaborate on its written submissions.

"We support in principle the move to rationalise awards and classification structures as this will eliminate the massive duplication that exists with existing state and federal awards," he said.  

"It is an obvious burden to business in Australia by having over 4000 industrial awards and tens of thousands of wage classifications fixing minimum rates of pay that differ from each state and from award to award," he said.  

"Printing Industries supports the concept of creating national industry awards that will compliment the objectives of the WorkChoices legislation," he said.  

Mr Parkes said the proposal to broadband the classification structures was a throwback to the 1990s and had been proven to be plagued by pitfalls for businesses.

"Many organisations experienced this form of agreement which had the unintended effect of moving all employees to the top of the pay scale resulting in excessive labour cost increases that render the companies uncompetitive," he said.  

The Award Review Taskforce will report to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations with its recommendation by the end of March 2006.  

Printing Industries will keep members informed of progress. To view the Printing Industries submission  click here.