CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY – AUSTRALIA – REGULATION

First blood: strikes to roll under ABCC delay

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 2-Dec-16

Kane Constructions will be targeted by a series of rolling strikes by the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union because it has refused to sign a pattern enterprise bargaining agreement that does not comply with the new building code. It is estimated that about 30 clauses in the EBA may not comply with the code, which will apply to Kane as soon as it takes effect. In contrast, some 1,500 firms that have signed the EBA will not have to comply with the code until 2018. The protected strike action at 13 of Kane’s construction sites in Victoria will commence on 2 December 2016.

CORPORATES
KANE CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW

Delay taints PM’s ABCC victory

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 1-Dec-16

The Senate has voted 36-33 in favour of a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission, but existing enterprise bargaining agreements will not have to comply with the new building code until November 2018. The Federal Government agreed to a two-year transition period in order to secure the support of Senator Derryn Hinch, who says he had concerns about the retrospective nature of the code as originally proposed by the Government. Meanwhile, the Opposition’s employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor says the Australian Labor Party will abolish the ABCC if it wins the next federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, PROBUILD PTY LTD, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ONE NATION PARTY

Delay taints PM’s ABCC victory

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 1-Dec-16

The Senate has voted 36-33 in favour of a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission, but existing enterprise bargaining agreements will not have to comply with the new building code until November 2018. The Federal Government agreed to a two-year transition period in order to secure the support of Senator Derryn Hinch, who says he had concerns about the retrospective nature of the code as originally proposed by the Government. Meanwhile, the Opposition’s employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor says the Australian Labor Party will abolish the ABCC if it wins the next federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, PROBUILD PTY LTD, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ONE NATION PARTY

Turnbull seals ABCC return with water deal

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: Online : 30-Nov-16

The Senate seems set to pass the Federal Government’s bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. Senator Nick Xenophon will support the bill after the Government agreed to meet with state premiers regularly to increase water flows to the Murray-Darling river system. However, the Government has yielded to lobbying by organisations such as the Australian Industry Group and will introduce a two-year transition period for enterprise bargaining agreements to comply with the new building code.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, PROBUILD PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, KANE CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, CIMIC GROUP LIMITED – ASX CIM, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES

Unions run riot to kill workplace relations deal

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Nov-16

The Federal Government is said to be close to securing a deal with Nick Xenophon regarding water reform in return for his support for its bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. However, the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union is launching a series of rolling stoppages at building sites in a campaign against the ABCC bill. The protected industrial ­action is aimed at putting pressure on construction firms to endorse enterprise bargaining agreements that do not comply with the new building code.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, KANE CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, CIMIC GROUP LIMITED – ASX CIM, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Turnbull in race to save IR agenda

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Nov-16

The Australian Government has agreed to introduce a proposed "security of payments" regime for subcontractors in order to gain Senate crossbenchers’ support for a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. However, the increased protection for subcontractors will be conditional on the passage of the ABCC bill through the upper house. Meanwhile, Senator Nick Xenophon will continue to push for increased water flows in the Murray-Darling river system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND MINES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ABCC set for action on site by year’s end

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Nov-16

The Federal Government may wait until the final week of parliament to pursue its bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. It is optimistic that the majority of Senate cross-benchers will support the ABCC bill, after all but one voted for the bill to establish a registered organisations commission. The Government is holding talks with the Nick Xenophon Team regarding amendments to the ABCC bill to provide subcontractors with security of payment in the proposed building code.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ONE NATION PTY LTD, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

ABCC could lead to rise in wages

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 18-Nov-16

Alice DeBoos, a partner at law firm K&L Gates, warns that wages in the construction sector could increase due to the Federal Government’s proposed building code. She says enterprise bargaining agreements that have been made since April 2014 will need to be renegotiated in order to comply with the code, and unions will seek a trade-off in return for scrapping non-compliant clauses. Senator Nick Xenophon and the Australian Industry Group have also expressed concern about the retrospective nature of the code.

CORPORATES
K&L GATES LLP, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Employers fear deals at risk with federal code

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 17-Nov-16

The Federal Government’s proposed building code will apply retrospectively to enterprise agreements signed since April 2014. Employers want the code to apply only to agreements struck after the code takes effect. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has stressed that anxiety about the code is not warranted as it would apply only to new government contracts. The code will be introduced if the Australian Building & Construction Commission legislation is passed by Parliament.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

PM offers changes to secure IR bills

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 5 : 17-Nov-16

The Australian Government is willing to make amendments to its industrial relations bills in order to gain the Senate’s support when Parliament resumes. The Government will push ahead with the bill to establish a Registered Organisations Commission on 21 November 2016, and the proposed amendments are believed to include protection for whistleblowers and a stricter audit regime. The bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission will be debated on 22 November. The bills will require the support of at least eight cross-benchers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY