INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Foodora warned over sham contracts

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Apr-18

The contracts that food delivery company Foodora has with its delivery riders would not stand up under legal challenge, according to a leaked email. A Foodora executive who is a former lawyer stated in a March email that its contracts contain phrases that blur the lines between employee and contractor arrangements, and that if just one was successfully challenged it could have a devastating "domino" impact on Foodora. Commenting on the leaked email, Transport Workers’ Union national secretary Tony Sheldon says Foodora has been "caught out".

CORPORATES
FOODORA, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

CFMEU boss wants Shorten to restore rights of workers

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 20-Apr-18

John Setka says that Labor has been criticised in the past for being a party that does not really stand for anything. However, the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union’s Victorian secretary says this seems to have changed under Bill Shorten. Setka says he is happy to endorse Shorten as an alternative prime minister, despite the fact that he used to represent the Australian Workers’ Union, with which Setka’s union has traditionally been at odds. Setka hopes Shorten takes action to restore the rights of workers if Labor wins the next federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION

Pay boost could create 57,000 jobs

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 23 : 19-Apr-18

Economic modelling undertaken by the ACTU suggests that increasing the minimum wage by $A50 a week would result in up to 57,000 jobs being created in the first year, and 30,000 in the following year. The ACTU’s modelling, which was included in its submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual review of the minimum wage, is based on the assumption that much of the increase would be returned to the economy the in form of higher consumer spending. Independent economist Saul Eslake and the Australian Industry Group have questioned the ACTU’s modelling.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA

Howard in warning on mega-union

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 6-Apr-18

Former prime minister John Howard says the Federal Government should press ahead with its Ensuring Integrity Bill, which would subject union mergers to a public interest test. The bill was recently shelved after it was not passed by Parliament prior to the formal completion of the merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. Howard is concerned that the merger will lead to an "ultra-­concentration" of union power. Chris Corrigan, the former CEO of stevedoring firm Patrick Corporation, has expressed similar concerns.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, PATRICK CORPORATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS

Rip appears in union fabric as turf war looms

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 4-Apr-18

Geofabrics alleges that the Queensland division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union breached right-of-entry laws when four officials attempted to gain access to its factory in Ormeau. The industrial textile manufacturer’s staff are represented by the Textile Clothing & Footwear Union of Australia, which recently merged with the CFMEU. TCFUA secretary Michele O’Neil is said to be "aghast" at the CFMEU’s actions. The case will be heard by the Fair Work Commission and Queensland’s industrial relations commission.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR UNION OF AUSTRALIA, GEOFABRICS AUSTRALASIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, QUEENSLAND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION, QUEENSLAND COUNCIL OF UNIONS, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Not too late to unwind CFMMEU

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 28-Mar-18

The full bench of the Fair Work Commission will hear an appeal against the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union’s merger with the Maritime Union of Australia on 9 April. The merger formally took effect on 28 March, but the Australian Mines & Metals Association and Master Builders Australia believe that it can be overturned on legal grounds. The appeal will be based on the argument that a contempt court action against the MUA constitutes criminal proceedings, which would make the merger unlawful.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Union merger test abandoned

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 27-Mar-18

The Federal Government will not seek to block a merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. The Government has shelved plans to introduce a public interest test for union mergers after failing to secure sufficient support for the bill among crossbenchers. Australian Mines & Metals Association CEO Steve Knott and Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn have expressed disappointment with the decision.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

Viterra axes pay by 24pc after union snubs hearing

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 23-Mar-18

The Fair Work Commission has agreed to a request by grain company Viterra to terminate an enterprise agreement covering workers at its Port Lincoln terminal in South Australia. Its request followed three years of unsuccessful negotiation with the Australian Workers’ Union. As a result of the FWC’s decision, the workers in question will now come under the relevant industry award. Their pay will be cut by as much as 24 per cent, while they will no longer be entitled to generous redundancy entitlements.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, VITERRA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES

New Senate push to kill union merger

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 21-Mar-18

The Federal Government hopes to secure the support of Senate crossbenchers for legislation to block a merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. The Nick Xenophon Team has signalled that it is open to negotiations regarding amendments to the Ensuring Integrity Bill, while the Liberal Democratic Party’s David Leyonhjelm say he is holding talks with the Government. The CFMEU-MUA merger will proceed on 27 March unless the bill is amended.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

ACTU in big push to fix insecure work

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 21-Mar-18

ACTU secretary Sally McManus will use a National Press Club speech on 21 March to advocate major changes to workplace laws. She will stress the need for reforms that provide Australians with increased job security, particularly for people who work for labour hire companies. Amongst other things, McManus will call for the creation of a national labour hire licensing system, allow casual workers to become permanent employees after six months of continuous service and increase the workplace rights of people who are classified as independent contractors.

CORPORATES
ACTU, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UBER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOODORA