The following newspaper article appeared in The Age, Melbourne, Australia on October 14, 1992.
Brethren seek bar on unions in workplace
By Leon Getler
Members of a funalmentalist Christian group have applied to the Industrial Relations Commission for a ban on unionists entering their business premises.
The company, Production Packaging Industries has taken the unusual step of asking the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to let it deny the Printing and Kindred Industries Union right of entry because 'unionism is not of God"
Production Packaging Industries, which is run and staffed by members of a Christian fellowship known as the Exclusive Brethren, is also seeking an exemption from the Printing Industry Superannuation Award. This is on the ground that the Brethren cannot "join in a common fund with persons with whom we could not partake of the Lord's Supper".
The company has made its application to the commission using evidence drawn from the Scriptures.
The Brethren has already asked the commission to exempt two other companies from right of entry provisions in their relevant awards. Those matters will be heard later this month. Last December, the Brethren obtained a superannuation exemption in the furnishing trades award.
In a written application, a partner in the company, Mr. Barry Joyce, said his co-religionists could not belong to any other association "whether social, commercial, political, sporting, shareholding or of any other kind".
As evidence, he cited from 11 Corinthians chapter six verse 14: "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what communion hath light with darkness."
He said the group's conscience was "regulated by God's word". "We cannot therefore recognise or have any communication with union or employer groups or any such body," he said.
Mr Joyce has asked the commission to insert a clause in the Graphic Arts Award that exempts the Brethren from giving the Printing and Kindred Industries Union the right of entry to their business premises at Altona.
Under the award union officials are allowed to visit the premises twice a week in order to talk to employees about wages and conditions and post notices. The union say this extents to letting them inspect the company's wage books .
In his application Mr Joyce said the right-of entry clause was "unacceptable to us because it is against our conscience".
"This is not negotiable. Unionism is not of God." Mr Joyce said his group did not object to the principle of superannuation and made payments in line with the award.
Ms Di Foggo, an IRC commissioner, said yesterday that is was unreasonable to proceed with the case when the union had been informed of the application only yesterday morning. The case has been re-listed for hearing later this month.
The assistant state secretary of the PKIU, Mr Ed Snell, said outside the commission that the union would fight the move, which he claimed would set a dangerous precedent.
The following newspaper article appeared in The West Australian, Perth, Australia on December 3, 1994.
Sect to get industrial exemption
By John Duffy
Labour Relations Minister Graham Kierath's proposed Brethren clause came about he was approached about a year ago by the Exclusive Brethren
The sect - which numbers about 1000 in West Australia and has several churches in the metropolitan area - bases its religion on the tenets of biblical scripture.
The Exclusive Brethren is wary of publicity but is understood to have been established about 1830 in Britain, Germany and France.
The group - which has no particular hierarchy - believes it holds mainstream Christian values.
About a year ago, Brethren representatives approached a number of Government ministers including Mr. Kierath, to gain recognition of their religious objections to trade unions
The group believe the master-servant or employer-employee relationship is ordained by God and any intrusion into that relationship, except by government, is a violation.
Its representatives "put mattress of Scriptures" to Mr. Kierath and other Government ministers to try to help the Government govern more effectively.
But it is that issue of Scripture apparently influencing Mr. Kierath's industrial policy which has angered unions and the Opposition.
Mr. Kierath his refereed his proposed clause to allow the Brethren the right to refuse the union representatives access to their workplaces or businesses as the "Brethren clause"
He said yesterday that he did not believe the Brethren were getting special treatment and that he would not be setting a dangerous precedent.
Mr. Kierath - who has no links with the Brethren and was bought up a Baptist - said he understood such clauses such as the proposed "Brethren clause" already operated in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
A member of the Brethren said a list obtained by The West Australian of so called rules allegedly adhered to by the Brethren was a malicious attempt by an ex-member to denigrate their faith. The list which said women should wear scarves in public and not cut, dye or perm their hair - included prohibition against holidays, voting, smoking, having lunch at school, china cabinets, Tintin and Asterix comics and contraception.
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