Fed: PM pledges to investigate ECTEC entitlements

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2000
Fed: PM pledges to investigate ECTEC entitlements

SYDNEY, Dec 14 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard today promised to investigate the case
of 180 workers left jobless and owed $4 million in entitlements after a company collapse.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) said yesterday the workers employed
by national crane manufacturer Electruck and Crane Components Company Kennedy Taylor were
told on Monday that parent company ECTEC had folded.

AMWU state secretary Paul Bastian said the workers had been employed by a company with
insufficient assets to pay their entitlements.

Today Mr Howard said a government scheme was already in place to help the workers.

"I will investigate the details of this," he told radio 2UE.

"I don't have (the details) with me and I'll get some advice on it.

"But there is a federal government scheme available that will give some assistance
to those people.

"It's already in place. I know it's more limited than other people would like, but
at least we have a scheme, unlike the state governments of Australia who aren't prepared
to contribute anything to our scheme."

If there had been any illegal behaviour by the company or its officers, the Securities
Commission would investigate it, the prime minister said.

However Mr Howard said he was not suggesting there had been any illegal behaviour.

Mr Bastian said the failure of the company was a blow to workers, particularly so close
to Christmas.

"One guy has been saving up his long service leave because his wife is on a transplant
list - he's lost all that now and has been told there's little hope of recouping it,"

he said.

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KEYWORD: ECTEC HOWARD

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