S95 Personal and Other Services

Unions urge defiance on super freeze

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 26-Mar-15

The ACTU states in a submission to the Fair Work Commission that mandatory contributions to superannuation should be increased by 0.5 per cent to 10 per cent for workers on award minimum wages. The Australian Government does not want to increase super contributions, but the ACTU claims that the commission has power under the Fair Work Act to order the increase

CORPORATES
ACTU, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Unions urge defiance on super freeze

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 26-Mar-15

The ACTU states in a submission to the Fair Work Commission that mandatory contributions to superannuation should be increased by 0.5 per cent to 10 per cent for workers on award minimum wages. The Australian Government does not want to increase super contributions, but the ACTU claims that the commission has power under the Fair Work Act to order the increase

CORPORATES
ACTU, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Union could face $500,000 in penalties

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Mar-15

Fair Work Building & Construction director Nigel Hadgkiss will pursue significant financial penalties against the construction industry union following a Federal Court ruling. The court has ruled that the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union’s conduct during industrial action in Melbourne in 2012 was in breach of workplace laws. The union and six officials could face fines of more than $A500,000

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, EMPORIUM MELBOURNE, McNAB PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, GROCON PTY LTD, MONJON AUSTRALIA

Unions push for casual worker rights

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 17-Mar-15

The ACTU wants casual workers to have a legal right to compulsory arbitration when employers do not "bargain in good faith". The ACTU will present its views on the matter in a submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into workplace relations. The Australian Industry Group argues in its submission that workplace agreements should include a mandatory clause about measures to improve productivity

CORPORATES
ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Unions want more say on Labor leader

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 10-Mar-15

The Australian Labor Party’s rules for electing a federal leader will come under scrutiny at its triennial National Conference in July 2015. Ex-prime minister Kevin Rudd gained caucus approval in mid-2013 for changes which gave caucus and Labor’s rank-and-file members an equal say in the selection of a new party leader. However, the Transport Workers’ Union wants further changes which would give union members an equal vote in selecting a party leader. The push is supported by the Rail, Tram & Bus Union

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

Business fears a return to union chaos

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 4-Mar-15

Fair Work Building & Construction’s powers to take action over unlawful conduct by unions are slated to expire at the end of May 2015. The Australian Government faces resistance from the Opposition and the Australian Greens to extend these powers. Groups such as the Australian Industry Union and Master Builders Australia are concerned about the impact on the construction industry if the sunset clause introduced by the Australian Labor Party takes effect

CORPORATES
FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, PALMER UNITED PARTY

Unions seek part-time guarantee

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Original article by Joanna Heath, Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Feb-15

Employers’ groups want the Fair Work Commission’s review of the modern awards system to include changes to penalty rates for people who work on weekends and public holidays. Meanwhile, the ACTU’s submission to the review will argue the case for employers to have a legal requirement to offer flexible working arrangements to female workers who return to work after having a baby. Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Kate Carnell warns that this could deter employers from hiring women

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ASSOCIATION

Qantas workers to vote on EBA

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Original article by Steve Creedy
The Australian – Page: 17 : 14-Jan-15

Qantas Airways has informed the market that a new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) has been approved by 130 staff after negotiations with the United Voice union. A majority of 61% voted for the deal, which includes a moratorium on wage rises for 1.5 years. However a far larger number of employees, represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), will vote on their EBA in February 2015. The TWU has been very vocal in the past in its criticism of Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, but has agreed to a similar wage freeze to be followed by increases of 3% per annum

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, UNITED VOICE

Aurizon’s Qld staff to vote on strike action

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Original article by Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 8-Dec-14

The Rail, Tram & Bus Union’s Queensland state secretary Owen Doogan expects Aurizon Holdings staff to vote in favour of protected industrial action over a new enterprise agreement. The ballot closes on 10 December 2014, while an Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees ballot closes later in the month. The proposed agreement will enable the rail group to make staff redundant

CORPORATES
AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERATED UNION OF LOCOMOTIVE EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

InvoCare fined over ‘misled’ families

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Original article by Beau Donelly
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 10 : 18-Nov-14

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has secured a court-enforceable undertaking as well as compensation payments for affected customers from InvoCare. The listed company owns the White Lady, Guardian Funerals and Le Pine funeral services chains, and had been accused of forcing clients to buy memorial plaques directly from InvoCare rather than being allowed to supply their own. In fact a relevant clause had only been added to the contracts after 2011. InvoCare conceded that it likely contravened Australian Consumer Law, and a penalty of $A102,000 has been imposed

CORPORATES
INVOCARE LIMITED – ASX IVC, WHITE LADY FUNERALS, LE PINE FUNERAL SERVICES, GUARDIAN FUNERALS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION