O75 Public Administration

Penalty-rate victory for Coles workers

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Original article by Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-Jan-18

The Shop Distributive & Allied Employees’ ­Association has negotiated a new enterprise agreement with grocery giant Coles that includes higher penalty rates for staff who work at night and on weekends. The deal includes an annual pay rise for all employees, and a one-off payment to ensure that their take-home pay is not adversely affected by the new wage deal. Coles workers will vote on the proposed enterprise agreement in mid-February. Coles and the SDA have been negotiating a new deal for about 12 months.

CORPORATES
COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

‘Show them your tits’: Fair Work upholds sacking of car manager

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 24-Jan-18

The full bench of the Fair Work Commission has dismissed an appeal by the former business manager of a Queensland car dealership. Phillip Parker had been dismissed by Cricks Volkswagen for sexual harassment after a female employee alleged that he had made inappropriate comments to her. Parker appealed against the original ruling, citing it as an example of "male inequality".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, CRICKS VOLKSWAGEN

ALP’s Fair Work Commission power play

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 24-Jan-18

ACTU secretary Sally McManus has expressed support for the Federal Opposition’s proposal to give the Fair Work Commission more power to arbitrate industrial disputes. Labor’s workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor says that while the parties to a dispute should always seek to resolve it themselves, an alternative is needed when one party has not acted in good faith. However, Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox has warned against any changes to the Fair Work Act that would give unions more bargaining power.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

Budget gets Trump bump

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Tom McIlroy, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Jan-18

The Australian Government’s May 2018 Budget may take into account the impact of the Trump administration’s tax reforms when restating its forecasts for global economic growth. The mid-year update in December maintained Treasury’s current forecast of global economic growth of 3.5 per cent in 2018. However, Treasury may respond to the International Monetary Fund’s upgrade of its global growth forecasts by upwardly revising its own guidance.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, RESMED INCORPORATED – ASX RMD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence pulls back after three consecutive increases

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Jan-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 3.3% to 119.4 in the week ended 21 January, following three consecutive strong reports. The fall was broad based, with views towards current finances leading the pullback. The current finances sub-index fell a sharp 9.1% to 104.7, partially unwinding gains over the previous three weeks. In comparison, views towards future finances fell a more modest 2.2%, following a 0.2% decline in the week prior. Despite the weekly falls, both sub-indices sit above their long-term average. Households’ pessimism also extended towards the economic outlook. Views around current and future economic conditions dipped 3.6% and 1.3% respectively, although both sub-indices remain elevated compared to recent lows.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Alleged victims fear public flak

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Original article by Miki Perkins, Clay Lucas
The Age – Page: 2 : 23-Jan-18

At least four women have made sexual harassment allegations against Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle. They include former City of Melbourne councillor Tessa Sullivan, current councillor Cathy Oke and Melbourne photographer Dianne Mallas. However, it is understood that a number of other women claim to have been harassed by Doyle, but they do not wish to make formal complaints due to fears that their identities will be made public. Some of the alleged incidents are said to have occurred during Doyle’s career as a teacher and when he was Victoria’s opposition leader.

CORPORATES
CITY OF MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE HEALTH SERVICE, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, PRESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, VICTORIA. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

AEC criticised over election security

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 23-Jan-18

Auditor-General Grant Hehir has accused the Australian Electoral Commission of misleading voters about the level of polling security at the 2016 federal election. Hehir also found that the amount that the AEC paid contractors to transport voters’ ballot papers was higher than it had budgeted for, and that it had made a last-minute decision to manually count more than 14 million large Senate ballot papers. The AEC had spent $A27.2 million on scanning systems, but it determined that they were not accurate enough.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN SIGNALS DIRECTORATE

Win for employers over casuals

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 23-Jan-18

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union has failed to have a Fair Work Commission ruling on casual workers overturned on appeal. The AMWU had contended that two labour-hire employees who had worked for Visy continuously for three months were entitled to become permanent employees under a clause in the packaging group’s enterprise agreement. The full bench of the FWC upheld the ruling that the clause was not a "permitted matter" under the Fair Work Act. ACTU secretary Sally McManus says the ruling highlights the need for changes to workplace laws.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, VISY INDUSTRIES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Trump tax cuts lift world economy

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 23-Jan-18

The International Monetary Fund forecasts that the global economy will grow by 3.9 per cent in 2018 and at a similar pace in 2019. The global economy grew by 3.7 per cent in 2017. The IMF has also used its latest world economic outlook report to upgrade its forecast for US economic growth in 2018 by 0.4 per cent, to 2.7 per cent, citing the likely impact of the Trump administration’s company tax reforms. Treasurer Scott Morrison says the IMF’s forecasts emphasise the need for Australia’s company tax rate to be reduced to ensure that the nation remains internationally competitive.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

Indonesian Consumer Confidence highest in Bali, Sulawesi & Maluku Islands

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-18

Roy Morgan Indonesian Consumer Confidence rose 0.5pts to 154.3 in November 2017, to its highest since November 2014 (161.4). Consumer Confidence is now 5.4pts higher than in November 2016 (148.9) and 19.9pts above the long-run average (2005-2017) of 134.4. Now 69% (up 1ppt) of Indonesians expect their family to be "better off" financially this time next year, and just 4% (down 1ppt) expect to be "worse off" financially. In regard to the Indonesian economy, now 87% (unchanged) of Indonesians expect Indonesia will have "good times" financially during the next 12 months (the equal highest for this indicator since February 2015), and just 13% (down 1ppt) say Indonesia will have "bad times" financially (the lowest for this indicator since February 2015).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED