INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Unions might take to Streets – and find a dead end

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Original article by Niki Savva
The Australian – Page: 14 : 26-Oct-17

Production of Streets ice creams in Australia may be at risk if Unilever fails in its bid to have an enterprise agreement terminated. It has told the Fair Work Commission that the Streets factory in the Sydney suburb of Minto has significantly higher operating costs than most of its plants worldwide. Minto employees are also paid 25 per cent more than the average wage in Australia. ACTU secretary Sally McManus has proposed a boycott of Streets products, but Unilever Australia CEO Clive Stiff has warned that it could prompt Unilever to cease local manufacturing. He adds that Peters would almost certainly do so as well.

CORPORATES
UNILEVER AUSTRALIA LIMITED, UNILEVER PLC, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, GM HOLDEN LIMITED, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Cash plan to dam union ‘rivers of gold’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 19-Oct-17

The Federal Government’s Proper Use of Worker Benefits Bill will be put before parliament on 19 October. The bill is aimed at preventing worker entitlement funds – which boast assets of about $A2bn – from making payments to either unions or employers. Some 14 unions have received an average of $A25m annually from worker entitlement funds over the last five years. Meanwhile, a bill that would enable the Government to block mergers between unions has been put on hold, as some senate crossbenchers have concerns about it.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Unions must take the blame for our car crash

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Original article by Robert Gottliebsen
The Australian – Page: 23 : 17-Oct-17

The attitude of car workers and their unions during the period from 2012 to 2014 was the main reason why Ford, Toyota and Holden ceased building cars in Australia. Car workers enjoyed generous pay conditions, while antiquated enterprise agreements allowed unions, rather than management, to control operation of the factory floor. Holden made it clear in 2013 that it would close down its operations if workers would not agree to labour agreements that were more in line with modern work practices, but this was ignored. The sustainability of the Holden and Toyota operations was not helped by new free trade agreements.

CORPORATES
FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GM HOLDEN LIMITED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Rained-off but staff get overtime

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 7 : 17-Oct-17

The full bench of the Fair Work Commission has dismissed an appeal against an earlier ruling concerning workers on the $A50 billion Ichthys LNG project. The Commission had then ruled that workers were entitled to remain on site during bad weather and still be allowed to receive overtime pay as part of their normal pay cycle. Kentz and UGL Operations & Maintenance had appealed the initial ruling.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, KENTZ (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, UGL LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION

High-stakes hearing looms for Domino’s

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Original article by Adele Ferguson
The Age – Page: 21 : 11-Oct-17

A Fair Work Commission hearing is scheduled for 1 November on an application to terminate existing enterprise agreements for Domino’s Pizza Enterprises staff. The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association applied to terminate an enterprise agreement in July, although it is continuing to hold negotiations with the fast-food group. The Retail & Fast Food Workers Union is also seeking to have a Domino’s enterprise agreement terminated. Domino’s is also being investigated over allegations of wage fraud.

CORPORATES
DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Enterprise deals unworkable, bosses warn

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Sep-17

Australian Industry Group CEO lnnes Willox has called for changes to the way the "better-off-overall test" is applied in approving enterprise bargaining agreements. He argues that applying the test equally to all workers at a company has become unworkable in the wake of the Fair Work Commission’s decision to strike down an EBA at Coles in 2016. Willox favours a recommendation of the Productivity Commission that the test be applied to different classes of employees.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Union demands action over ‘rogue’ building watchdog

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Sep-17

The Electrical Trades Union’s national secretary Allen Hicks has criticised the Australian Building & Construction Commission for pursuing costs against the union. The ETU challenged the validity of the national building code in court earlier in 2017, but subsequently abandoned the case. However, former ABCC head Nigel Hadgkiss sought a ruling against the union on costs. Hicks argues that Hadgkiss should have been aware that there was little chance of costs being awarded, and he wants the Federal Government to ensure that the ABCC is accountable for its expenditure on litigation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SA POWER NETWORKS, ASHURST AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Minimum-wage sting in Coles penalties deal

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Sep-17

A draft enterprise agreement between Coles and the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ ­Association is intended to guarantee that all employees will be paid more than the award rate for the retail industry. If the deal is approved, permanent ­employees who work at night and on weekends will receive award-level penalty rates, as well as the full $A22.10-per-week increase in the minimum wage. However, employees who work solely on weekdays and are now paid above-award rates will receive only 50 per cent of the minimum wage rise.

CORPORATES
COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Fuel industry on notice over underpayment

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 15 : 14-Sep-17

Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James has signalled that petrol retailers will attract further scrutiny over wage exploitation concerns. James will single out Caltex Australia in a speech on 14 September, noting that unlike 7-Eleven it has not worked with the FWO in establishing a compensation fund for underpaid employees. James adds that the FWO will issue a compliance report on Caltex in coming months, and notes that Fair Work inspectors have found similar issues to those that emerged at 7-Eleven.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD

No pay for workers’ blood donations

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 7 : 7-Sep-17

The Fair Work Commission has rejected a union’s push for employees to be given two hours of paid leave to donate blood up to four times a year. In ruling against the application by the shop assistants’ union, the FWC took into account factors such as the likely impact on productivity and the fact that donating blood is voluntary and can usually be done outside of working hours.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICE, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP