INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Employers drop bid for new permaflexi work category

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 18-Dec-19

The NSW Business Chamber and its legal arm, Australian Business Industrial, have abandoned a push for the Fair Work Commission to recognise a new category of employment. So-called ‘permaflexi’ workers would have been paid a 10 per cent loading in exchange for flexible rostering. The proposal was put forward in response to the Workpac case, in which the Federal Court ruled that casual workers are entitled to annual leave in addition to a casual loading. The permaflexi proposal may be revived if the federal government does not take legislative action in response to the Workpac case.

CORPORATES
NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER LIMITED

Christmas pain as Jetstar faces further strikes

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 16-Dec-19

The Transport Workers’ Union’s national secretary Michael Kaine says passengers of budget airline Jetstar can expect further industrial action in the lead-up to Christmas. Jetstar pilots walked off the job on the weekend of 14-15 December, resulting in nearly 100 flights being cancelled. Jetstar is offering an annual pay rise of three per cent, but CEO Gareth Evans says the wage claim equates to an increase of 15 per cent. Jetstar’s ground crew and baggage handlers will impose work stoppages on 19 December.

CORPORATES
JETSTAR AIRLINES PTY LTD, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF AIR PILOTS

Labor MP pushes industry bargaining to fix IR system

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 10-Dec-19

Labor senator Tim Ayres says Australia’s long period of sustained economic growth has led to complacency with regard to industrial relations. He argues that factors such as low wages growth and the decline in enterprise bargaining means Labor needs to rethink its policy on IR. Ayres adds that Labor should consider the sector-wide bargaining model of Scandinavian countries. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten had flagged a shift to sector-wide bargaining, although employer groups warned that it would lead to the levels of industrial unrest of the 1970s.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED WORKERS UNION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Hanson blindside kills anti-thug law

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Nov-19

The federal government will put its Ensuring Integrity Bill before the Senate again in 2020 after a vote was tied at 34 votes apiece on 28 November. The bill was defeated after One Nation joined with Labor and the Greens to vote against it, even though the government had agreed to the minor party’s proposed amendments. Independent senator Jacqui Lambie also voted against the bill. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has described the bill’s defea­t as a "win for workers", but Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox says it is a "win for union thug­gery".

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, ACTU, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED)

Porter rejects Lambie’s call to alter union bill

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 28-Nov-19

The federal government remains hopeful that One Nation will support its Ensuring Integrity Bill, with the minor party’s two votes being crucial to its passage through the Senate. Meanwhile, independent senator Jacqui Lambie has proposed a number of last-minute amendments to the bill in return for her support; they include a provision that unprotected industrial action cannot be used as grounds for disqualifying a union official. Attorney-General Christian Porter has ruled out supporting the amendments, arguing that they are unworkable.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, CENTRE ALLIANCE, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

No way to Wiggle out of sacking

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 3 : 25-Nov-19

The Fair Work Commission has thrown out an unfair dismissal claim by a Toyota dealership employee who took personal leave under false pretences. Sean Mamo had requested leave to care for his son, but his employer became aware that Mamo had in fact used the paid day off to take his son out, after photos of them at a Wiggles concert were posted on social media. FWC deputy president Alan Colman said the fact that Mamo claimed a payment to which he was not entitled was sufficient grounds for his dismissal.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Hanson not sold on union bill

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 25-Nov-19

Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick has indicated that he will support the federal government’s Ensuring Integrity Bill. He says unions are "very useful organisations" that stand up for workers’ rights, but stresses that they are not above the law. The bill now only requires the support of One Nation or independent senator Jacqui Lambie. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says her party will consider the government’s final amendments to the bill and consult with unions before deciding its stance.

CORPORATES
CENTRE ALLIANCE, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SKILLS, SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, ACTU

Online journos second-class no longer after win

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 22-Nov-19

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that journalists who work for online-only news publications are covered by the media industry award. The FWC found that minimum employment conditions of these journalists are ‘significantly inferior’ to those of their print peers. Daily Mail Australia has warned that extending the coverage of the Journalists Published Media Award to digital media workers will result in higher wage costs, and its existing operating model may need to be revised if it has to pay weekend penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA, GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, RURAL PRESS LIMITED, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE

One Nation bill changes get nod

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 21-Nov-19

Attorney-General Christian Porter says the federal government is open to One Nation’s proposed amendments to the Ensuring Integrity Bill. One Nation wants to increase the threshold for banning union officials under Centre Alliance’s proposed demerits points system. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson argues that sanctions such as the deregistration of a union should not apply for minor breaches of workplace laws. One Nation’s two votes in the Senate would give the government sufficient numbers to pass the bill before parliament rises for the year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, ONE NATION PARTY, CENTRE ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU

Unpaid wages bill at $1.4bn annually

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Original article by Andrew White, Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 20-Nov-19

More than $500m worth of wage underpayments have been disclosed to date; however, modelling by accounting firm PwC suggests that in total, Australian workers may be underpaid by up to $1.35bn a year. The modelling, which is based on data from the Fair Work Ombudsman, shows that up to 13 per cent of all workers may be underpaid, with construction workers found to be most at risk of being underpaid. The federal government is considering the introduction of criminal penalties for wage theft, as well as an increase in civil penalties.

CORPORATES
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, SUPER RETAIL GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUL, MICHAEL HILL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX MHJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT