INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Survivor firms can pay $30 rise: ACTU

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 11-Jun-20

The Fair Work Commission will shortly hand down its decision on a minimum wage increase. The ACTU is pushing for a four per cent increase in the minimum wage, which equates to $30 a week. Trevor Clarke of the ACTU has told the FWC that businesses which are still operating as the economy emerges from the pandemic have the capacity to absorb this increase, as the demise of rivals means they have less competition. Employer groups contend that the economy is yet to feel the full impact of the coronavirus.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

BOOT test a hurdle for IR reform: Scott

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 10-Jun-20

Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott says that Australia’s first recession in three decades requires a new approach to industrial relations. He says the ‘better off overall test’ in the Fair Work Act in particular is a hindrance to finalising enterprise bargaining agreements. He argues that employees and businesses alike benefit from EBAs if they are structured in the right way. Wesfarmers’ trading update shows that Bunnings has recorded sales growth of 11.3 per cent so far in 2019-20, while Kmart’s sales are up 6.1 per cent.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED

CFMEU deal a threat to post-virus recovery

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 3-Jun-20

More than 100 subcontractors have signed up to the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union’s new pattern agreement in New South Wales. Master Builders Australia’s NSW executive director Brian Seidler claims that subcontractors agreed to the deal under duress, and he has warned that it will result in a big rise in labour costs. The pattern agreement includes a pay rise of five per cent and a rostered day off every second Monday. The CFMMEU’s NSW secretary Darren Greenfield argues that construction industry workers deserve the pay rise as they kept working during the coronavirus lockdown.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Unions reject calls to halt wage increase

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 6 : 1-Jun-20

The Australian Industry Group is against any increase in the minimum wage in 2020, with CEO Innes Willox noting it is the first time in 30 years that it has completely opposed a rise. Willox says increasing the minimum wage is not in anyone’s interest, and if the Fair Work Commission does decide to do so it should be delayed until January 2021. Unions are seeking a $30-per-week increase in the minimum wage, while the Shop, Distributive & ­Allied Employees’ Association states that there should be a freeze on planned cuts to penalty rates if the FWC does not award an increase in the minimum wage.

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

Retail union stands firm over BOOT

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 29-May-20

The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association has expressed support for an overhaul of the enterprise bargaining system. However, national secretary Gerard Dwyer says the union is of the view that the ‘better off overall test’ is not the primary cause of delays in negotiating and implementing workplace agreements. Employers’ group contend that the BOOT is a key problem that needs to be addressed. The proportion of private sector employees who are covered by enterprise agreements has fallen from 22 per cent in 2013 to just 12.8 per cent.

CORPORATES
SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

PM touts a new era of state unity

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 26-May-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will use a National Press Club speech on 26 May to outline the key principles of the federal government’s JobMaker economic plan for the post-coronavirus environment. Amongst other things, Morrison will call for greater co-operation between unions and business as part of a push to overhaul the industrial relations system. He will also stress the need for changes to the jobs training sector, arguing that the current system for allocating skills funding to the states and territories is not working.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

Zahra calls for overhaul of retail awards

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 15 : 25-May-20

Retail sector employees are covered by 122 separate industry awards, and Australian Retailers Association CEO says this should be reduced as part of the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic. Zahra has also urged greater flexibility with regard to stores’ trading hours and penalty rates in the sector. He argues that the complexity of the awards system is contributing to the growing problem of wage underpayments in the retail sector. Zahra warns that retail sales could fall sharply when the JobKeeper scheme is phased out in September.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

Casual benefits ruling raises JobKeeper risk

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 22-May-20

Employers may face claims for up to $8bn in back pay following the Federal Court’s ruling that casual workers who have ‘regular and predictable shifts’ are entitled to paid leave and a 25 per cent loading. Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has flagged government action in response to the ruling, saying one option may be to give more casual workers the right to request that their jobs become permanent. Council of Small Business Organisations CEO Peter Strong says the ruling will deter small businesses from hiring casual workers, while Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox warns of the potential for large-scale job losses when the JobKeeper scheme ends in September.

CORPORATES
FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Time ripe for urgent IR repairs: employers

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 19-May-20

The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry has proposed five changes to the industrial relations system to create jobs and boost productivity in the post-coronavirus work environment. Amongst other things, ACCI CEO James Pearson has called for employee stand-down provisions to be extended until March 2021, while companies should be permitted to stagger the times at which employees start and finish work without incurring overtime payments. Pearson has outlined his suggestions in a letter to Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, ACTU

PM’s post-pandemic powerplay

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-May-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stressed the need for greater workplace flexibility in the post-coronavirus environment, in order to boost the economy and get people back to work. He says that employers, workers, unions and government must co-operate in delivering the reforms that are needed in the wake of the pandemic. Morrison is optimistic that the union movement will continue to work constructively with the government, although he does not have similar expectations from Labor. Morrison adds that the immediate priority is to ensure that Australia does not face a second wave of coronavirus infections as lockdown restrictions are eased.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY