INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Workers agree to pay freeze in deal to end ice cream boycott

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Nov-17

Workers at Streets’ Minto ice cream factory in Sydney have agreed to an in-principle settlement of their long-running dispute over pay and conditions. Features of the new agreement between Unilever and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union include a pay freeze for the next 12 months, changes to rosters, and a reduction in work breaks from 30 minutes to 20 minutes. As a result of the in-principle agreement, unions have agreed to withdraw their campaign for a consumer boycott of Streets’ brands.

CORPORATES
UNILEVER AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, ACTU

Sexting with manager not harassment but baker loses job

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 23-Nov-17

The Fair Work Commission has dismissed an unfair dismissal claim made against Coles by one of its bakers. The supermarket operator had sacked Jay Higgins after his manager had complained about sexually explicit pictures that Higgins had sent to him. Coles dismissed him on the grounds of sexual harassment and serious misconduct. The Commission found that sending the pictures did not amount to sexual harassment, but that Higgins had breached Coles’ codes of conduct in regard to respect and dignity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Federal Court targets sham EBAs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 14-Nov-17

One Key Resources’ enterprise bargaining agreement has been deemed to be invalid in a landmark ruling of the Federal Court. The labour hire firm supplies workers for black coal mining companies such as BHP Billiton and Glencore. Just three employees voted on its proposed EBA, which included pay rates that were only $A1 per week higher than the minimum rate in the industry award and which was subsequently approved by the Fair Work Commission in 2015. One Key Resources then ramped up its workforce and boasted more than 1,100 casual employees by early 2017.

CORPORATES
ONE KEY RESOURCES PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, GLENCORE PLC, AUSTRALIAN RUGBY FOOTBALL LEAGUE, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Abuse ruling faces challenge from South32

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 9-Nov-17

South32 will appeal against the Fair Work Commission’s ruling that the sacking of a Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union official constituted unfair dismissal. South32 was ordered to reinstate Matthew Gosek after the FWC found that the offensive language which prompted Gosek’s dismissal is widely used in society. However, Macquarie Group director Patricia Cross has described the ruling as "shameful". The issue of offensive language in the workplace has also come under scrutiny in the case against Westpac over the alleged manipulation of the bank bill swap rate.

CORPORATES
SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD, DIVERSITY COUNCIL AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Swearing ruling lowers bar on behaviour

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Nov-17

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union official Brad Upton is not a "fit and proper" person to hold a workplace right-of-entry permit. The ruling concerns his use of offensive language while addressing workers at the Gorgon LNG project. Meanwhile, the FWC has issued a separate ruling in which South32 was ordered to reinstate a CFMEU official for using similar language and making physical threats against eight workers.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, K&L GATES LLP, CLAYTON UTZ, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

Minister rebuffs ACTU pay push

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 3-Nov-17

The ACTU is seeking to have the minimum wage increased to 60 per cent of the median wage. This would equate to an $A80-per-week rise in the minimum wage, which ACTU secretary Sally McManus says should be phased in as quickly as possible. However, employers’ groups warn that a sharp rise in the minimum wage would deter businesses from taking on more staff, while Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has ruled out any changes to the existing minimum wage regime.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

CFMEU agrees to 35pc cut to Griffin Coal pay

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 3-Nov-17

Workers at Griffin Coal’s Collie mine in Western Australia face reduced working hours and pay rates under a proposed enterprise agreement. The new pay deal, which would cut hourly pay rates by 25 per cent and annual earnings by 35 per cent, has the support of the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union. State secretary Gary Wood says both unions and Griffin have accepted compromises to secure the pay deal, amid uncertainty regarding future bank financing for the mine.

CORPORATES
THE GRIFFIN COAL MINING COMPANY PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LANCO RESOURCES, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, ICIC BANK

Minimum wage must go: unions

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 1 : 2-Nov-17

The ACTU will push for the minimum wage to be replaced by a "living wage", which would be set at 60 per cent of the median wage. ACTU secretary Sally McManus argues that three million Australians are living below the poverty line due to the minimum wage system, and notes that the Fair Work Commission had conceded that the 3.3 per cent increase in the minimum wage in 2017 will still leave many workers in poverty. She adds that a living wage should be high enough to ensure that families can pay for necessities as well as any unexpected expenses.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Domino’s faces $35m higher wage bill

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 2-Nov-17

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises will have to provide its 22,000-strong workforce with penalty rates after the Fair Work Commission terminated more than 20 enterprise agreements. The Retail & Fast Food Workers Union has estimated that Domino’s was saving between $A35m and $A50m a year by continuing to employ staff under the agreements, which had expired in 2005 and 2009. The FWC has given Domino’s until late January to shift employees to the industry award, but the fast-food chained has advised that it will introduce penalty rates in December.

CORPORATES
DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Unions to take attack on Cash to marginals

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 31-Oct-17

ACTU secretary Sally McManus says growth in wages has reached a record low since Michaelia Cash became the Employment Minister. The union movement intends to highlight Cash’s ministerial record in an advertising campaign that will focus on Coalition-held marginal seats in Western Australia. Cash has continued to attract scrutiny after her office leaked details of a police raid on Australian Workers’ Union offices.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY