Brian Boyd (unionist)

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Brian Boyd was elected secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council on May 5, 2005, succeeding Leigh Hubbard in this position, one of Australia's most powerful trade union roles. He is longstanding member of Birds Australia.[1]

Mr Boyd worked for the Builders Labourers Federation in the 1980s before the BLF was deregistered. He has also coordinated Victoria's building unions, and worked as an industrial and campaigns officer with Melbourne Trades Hall.[2]

In regard to the right to strike and industry-wide bargaining, Brian Boyd was reported in The Age in April 2007 "I'm arguing that there's still an unfettered right to strike, no limitations on it; we might want to stop work to give consideration to the Iraq war, for instance,"[3] The statement was made in regard to the debate around Federal Australian Labor Party policy leading up to the 2007 Federal election.[4]

In regard to Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA) Brian Boyd has voiced concern many may breach OHS law following statistics released in April by the major newspapers that claim 30% of AWAs do not allow workers to have rest breaks during scheduled hours of work. He has called AWAs that breach OHS regulations as criminal and asked that WorkSafe Victoria prosecute any employer found to have taken away this safety condition under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. “Workers are protected by occupational health and safety law. Our Victorian law says that the employer has to provide a safe system of work – and that includes decent rest breaks,” Boyd said. “Employers think they can do what they want under Howard’s laws, but they are forgetting that state-based OHS laws still call them to account.”[5]


[edit] Bibliography

  • Inside the BLF: a union self-destructs by Brian Boyd, Melbourne, Vic. : Ocean, (1991). ISBN 1875284443

[edit] References

  1. ^ Fury as cherished penguins die in nets Mark Russell and Chris Evans, The Age, May 13, 2007. Accessed May 14, 2007
  2. ^ Howard's IR plans find a foe in new Trades Hall head, Brian Boyd ABC Radio transcript, The World Today, March 8, 2005. Accessed April 30, 207
  3. ^ Trades Hall in attack on Rudd plan Misha Schubert and Michael Bachelard, The Age April 19, 2007. Accessed May 14, 2007
  4. ^ A General Right to Strike Not For Giving Away Brian Boyd, Secretary VTHC, VTHC website. 23 April 2007. Accessed May 14, 2007
  5. ^ VTHC claims AWAs are breaching OHS law safetysolutions.net.au Posted: 18 April 2007. Accessed May 14, 2007
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