INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Unions push ALP for work reforms

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: 5 : 1-Jun-18

The state conference of the Australian Labor Party’s New South Wales branch will be presented with a number of union-backed motions concerning changes to workplace laws. The motions cover issues such as the right to strike, pattern bargaining, wage theft, ballots on protected industrial action, workers’ compensation and unions’ right of entry to workplaces. Unions and party branches are expected to test support for the reforms at the state conference ahead of Labor’s national conference.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION

Cash to fight subpoena over union raid tip-off

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 31-May-18

Shadow workplace relations minister Brendan O’Connor has repeated his call for Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash to resign over police raids on the offices of the Australian Workers’ Union in 2017. Cash has been issued with a subpoena to give evidence in the AWU’s legal action over the raids, which were undertaken as part of an investigation into the union’s political donations. Cash has described the subpoena as a "stunt" that is aimed at protecting Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who was the AWU’s national secretary when the donations were made.

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

Greens minimum wage cost comes in at $630m

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 5 : 30-May-18

The Australian Greens have proposed permanently setting the minimum wage at 60 per cent of the median wage. Greens MP Adam Bandt says this would increase the minimum wage to around $A757 per week, compared with $A695 at present. However, the policy would cost employers an additional $A630m a year. The ACTU has also advocated pegging the minimum wage to average earnings, while Labor considered but ultimately rejected such a proposal due to its likely impact on jobs.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Watchdog tests its extra bite on building union

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 8 : 30-May-18

The Australian Building & Construction Commission alleges that a blockade organised by three Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union representatives in May 2017 breached workplace laws. The ABCC’s legal action contends that the blockade of two Melbourne construction sites constituted a breach of the unlawful picketing provisions of the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Act. The union representatives claimed that they had prevented workers from accessing the site on a designated rostered day off.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Labor leader vows to end great divide, revive wages

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Original article by Samantha Hutchinson, John Ferguson, Ben Potter
The Australian – Page: 4 : 28-May-18

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told Victorian Labor’s state conference on 27 May that inequality is increasing in Australia. With federal Labor due to face five by-elections on 28 July, Shorten flagged plans to reduce national debt, cut income taxes, and boost education and health funding if Labor wins the next election. The previous day had seen Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews promised to impose jail terms on employers who underpay staff or whose employees are killed on the job.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

ALP seeks to shift the IR balance

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 21-May-18

Shadow workplace relations minister Brendan O’Connor has accused the Federal Government of politicising the Fair Work Commission by failing to appoint any members with a union background. He says Labor will increase union representation on the FWC if it wins the next election, noting that all 14 appointments since the Coalition won office in 2013 have been employer ­appointments. However, Workplace Minister Craig Laundy argues that Labor appointed most of the 39 members of the FWC, including president Iain Ross.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), ACTU, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL

Union vows to sue after blackmail case folds

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-May-18

Victoria’s Director of Public Prosecutions will not proceed with a blackmail case against Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union officials John Setka and Shaun Reardon. Setka has indicated that he may pursue legal action against federal and state police, as well as law firm Freehills. The case against Setka and Reardon had centred on allegations that their threat to blockade Boral trucks in 2013 constituted blackmail. The CFMEU was engaged in an industrial dispute with Boral supplier Grocon at the time. The charges against Setka and Reardon had been recommended by the trade union royal commission.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, GROCON PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, MELBOURNE MAGISTRATES’ COURT, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, VICTORIA POLICE, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS

Workplace ombudsman fights for second term, despite critics

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 16-May-18

The federal government has advertised the position of Fair Work Ombudsman, but incumbent Natalie James is keen to continue in the role. She says the FWO has secured record penalties during her initial five-year term, which expires in July. Labor’s Brendan O’Connor says the role of FWO should be given to someone whose priority is combatting the exploitation of workers, rather than an "anti-worker warrior". James was appointed by the former Labor government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED)

Lowest paid lose out to tax creep

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 16-May-18

The Australian Industry Group argues that many low-income workers would not benefit from the ACTU’s proposed 7.2 per cent increase in the minimum wage. Due to "bracket creep", a 2.1 per cent increase in the minimum wage would result in such workers being taxed at 32.5 per cent rather than 19 per cent. AiGroup says the Fair Work Commission should take into account the fact that employers would face increased costs under the ACTU’s proposal while there would be little gain for many workers. The AiGroup has called for a 1.8 per cent increase in the minimum wage.

CORPORATES
THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, GRATTAN INSTITUTE

Funding cut setback for enforcing wage laws

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 13 : 10-May-18

The May 2018 Budget has allocated $A110.009m in funding to the Fair Work Ombudsman in 2018-19, down from $A110.46m in 2017-18. However, the Registered Organisations Commission’s funding has been increased by $A8.1m. Labor’s workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor has criticised the Federal Government for providing additional funding for the "disgraced" ROC rather than addressing the issue of rampant wage theft. The University of Adelaide’s Professor Andrew Stewart has expressed similar concerns.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX