INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Labor, ACTU hose down wage fears

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 8-Mar-19

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has committed to ensuring that the minimum wage is increased to become a living wage if Labor wins the federal election. Shorten and ACTU secretary Sally McManus have both expressed support for the Fair Work Commission continuing to have responsibility for setting a living wage, as well as the timeframe for transitioning from the minimum wage. Prime Minister Scott Morrison contends that economic growth rather than increased taxes is the best way to lift wages.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Jail for employers exploiting workers

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 7-Mar-19

The federal goverment has expressed in-principle support for the 22 recommendations made in the report of the Migrant Workers’ Taskforce. The report found that many migrant workers are victims of wage exploitation, and recommended harsher penalties for underpayment. The government is set to announce criminal sanctions for "clear, deliberate and systemic" underpayment of works, despite opposition from employers’ groups. It also intends to establish a national labour-hire registration scheme covering industries where wage exploitation is widespread.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Permaflexi plan a ruse to reduce pay, unions war

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 12 : 1-Mar-19

Health Services Union secretary Lloyd Williams has criticised a push by employers for the Fair Work Commission to recognise a new category of employment. So-called ‘permaflexi’ workers would be paid a 10 per cent loading in exchange for flexible rostering, while they would also receive sick leave and annual leave entitlements. The NSW Business Chamber’s application states that workers who are hired under a "flexible ongoing employment" arrangement would have a minimum of 1-3 hours’ work per week.

CORPORATES
HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER LIMITED, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN SERVICES UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Taxpayers’ $830k legal bill for ROC hearings

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

Mark Bielecki, the head of the Registered Organisations Commission, has told a Senate estimates hearing that the legal costs arising from raids on Australian Workers’ Union offices have topped $550,000. This is in addition to the $288,000 that Small Business Minister Michaelia Cash has spent on legal representation. Cash came under scrutiny by Labor members of the committee over the evidence she gave to the Australian Federal Police after details of the raids were leaked to the media.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

South32-run Port Kembla locks out union over rolling stoppages

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 19-Feb-19

Members of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union were denied access to the Port Kembla Coal Terminal on 18 February, amid growing tensions over negotiations for a new enterprise bargaining agreement. The lockout will remain in force until 27 February, and coal will be loaded onto ships using contractors. South32, which partly owns the coal terminal, is currently engaged in conciliation talks regarding a separate EBA for workers at its New South Wales mines.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, PORT KEMBLA COAL TERMINAL LIMITED, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

South32 warns of strike risk if ALP wins poll

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 18-Feb-19

South32 CEO Graham Kerr is concerned that Labor’s workplace reform agenda could lead to increased industrial action, particularly in the resources sector. He says the outcome of the upcoming federal election could affect business confidence for at least 12 months. Kerr notes that stability of supply is a major priority for buyers of Australia’s metallurgical coal buyers. He adds that if supply is disrupted they will source coal elsewhere, and it is very hard to regain a customer’s trust once it has been lost. Employers’ groups are also concerned about any move to reinstate industry-wide bargaining.

CORPORATES
SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, TAHMOOR COAL PTY LTD, CENTENNIAL COAL COMPANY LIMITED, WOLLONGONG COAL LIMITED – ASX WLC, PEABODY ENERGY AUSTRALIA COAL PTY LTD, PORT KEMBLA COAL TERMINAL LIMITED

Leak came from union watchdog

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Original article by Patrick Durkin, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 15-Feb-19

Senator Michaelia Cash is due to give evidence in the Federal Court on 15 February in a case brought by the Australian Workers’ Union. She is expected to be asked to respond to allegations by her former chief-of-staff Ben Davies that he was tipped off about an Australian Federal Police raid on AWU offices by former Registered Organisations Commission media adviser Mark Lee. The AWU contends that a ROC investigation into donations made by it to GetUp and Labor leader Bill Shorten is "politically motivated" and legally invalid.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Small business faces $8bn holiday pay hit

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Original article by Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Feb-19

Labor’s motion to disallow the Fair Work Amendment (Casual Loading Offset) Regulations is expected to be debated by the Senate on 2 April. The Coalition moved to clarify the status of casual workers via regulation in late 2018 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. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox has urged parliament to reject the disallowance motion, warning that it would threaten the viability of many small businesses.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WORKPAC PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, ACTU, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Pizza Hut ushers in penalty rates after Fair Work ruling

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 1-Feb-19

Pizza Hut Australia employees will be moved to the industry award after the Fair Work Commission agreed to terminate an enterprise agreement that had expired in 2012. The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association had applied to have the agreement terminated in 2017, after Pizza Hut failed to increase its pay rates in line with a 3.3 per cent rise in the minimum wage in 2016. Under the expired workplace agreement, penalty rates had been traded off for a seven per cent increase in base hourly wage rates.

CORPORATES
PIZZA HUT AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP

Merivale reviewing viability due to EBA determination on wages

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 22-Jan-19

Employees of hospitality group Merivale will be shifted to the industry award after the Fair Work Commission terminated an enterprise agreement that had been struck in 2007. Merivale’s submission to the FWC had warned that some of its business practices may not be viable under the industry award, and that some employees may need to be reclassified as a result of the ruling. About 71 per cent of Merivale’s employees are casuals, who did not receive penalty rates and overtime pay under the enterprise agreement.

CORPORATES
MERIVALE GROUP, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, UNITED VOICE