Watch on workers

Push for protest exemptions

WORKERS taking industrial action could be prosecuted under the Tasmanian government’s workplace protection Bill, state Labor says.

The Bill passed its second reading in the upper house on Thursday, opposed by independents Meg Webb, Mike Gaffney and Rob Valentine.

During the committee stage, a series of amendments were passed, but some amendments pushed by Labor were not supported.

Labor MLC Sarah Lovell said the party would not support the Bill in its current form when it is read for the third time in August.

“We wanted there to be an exemption for industrial activity,” Ms Lovell said.

“In our view, workers and their supporters, their unions should be able to protest safely in their own workplace.

“It doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be subject to the current trespass laws.”

Greens leader Cassy

O’Connor said the penalties in the Bill were wildly disproportionate.

“It’s important to remember these amendments put the act of protest in the same basket as loitering near children, assaulting a police officer, drugging a person, and arson,” Ms O’Connor said.

“This is Guy Barnett on his fourth crack at criminalising peaceful protest in Tasmania, trying to ram anti-democratic legislation through the Tasmanian parliament.”

When asked if workers could be jailed for speaking up, Mr Barnett said penalties were in line with other states.

“In terms of the jailing of people, the penalties in the Bill are consistent with other states and territories,” he said.

“We want to protect the worker’s right to work, the business’s right to operate free from workplace invasions and free from interference.”

Mr Barnett said the government had listened and supported amendments in other areas.