INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Union pay rises exploit PM’s code

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 23-Aug-17

Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn says pay rates in a proposed new enterprise bargaining agreement in the building industry are "unsustainable" and will increase the cost of federally-funded construction projects. The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union’s in-principle agreement includes a pay rise of five per cent and higher penalty rates, with penalty rates of up to 300 per cent for working during Christmas and Easter. The new pay deal is aimed at compensating CFMEU members for the removal of union-friendly ­conditions from EBAs in order to comply with the Federal Government’s building code.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, PROBUILD PTY LTD, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, DE MARTIN AND GASPARINI PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

CFMEU loss as bench rules code-compliant deal OK

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 16-Aug-17

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that Lendlease Engineering’s enterprise bargaining agreement in New South Wales is valid. The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union had appealed against the FWC’s June 2017 decision to approve the EBA, which complies with the Federal Government’s building code. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has urged the CFMEU to negotiate code-compliant EBAs. Cash also wants union mergers to be subject to a public-interest test.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, UNITED VOICE, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY

PM bid to block super union

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Aug-17

The Fair Work Commission is expected to issue a ruling on the proposed merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia by the end of 2107. However, the Federal Government hopes to block the merger by seeking an amendment to the Fair Work (Registered Organisations Act) that would require the FWC to subject union mergers to a public-interest test. The CFMEU has criticised the move, but representatives of the mining and resources sector have lobbied the Government to block the merger.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES

Leyonhjelm attacks anti-corruption bill

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 7-Aug-17

Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm has concerns about the Federal Government’s proposed union anti-corruption legislation. The legislation, which has been drawn up in response to the royal commission into union corruption, is due to be tabled in the Senate in the week beginning 7 August 2017. Leyonhjelm is worried that people who have made what they believe to be legitimate payments to a union could find themselves coming under the legislation, and could end up going to jail. He wants it amended to protect such situations.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Unlawful strikes cost ‘woeful’ CFMEU $300,000

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 7 : 4-Aug-17

The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union has been ordered to pay $A300,000 in fines arising from unprotected strike action at three Queensland building sites in May 2011. The Federal Court described the CFMEU as a "recidivist" with a long history of failing to comply with workplace laws. The Communications, Electrical & Plumbing Union has been fined $A130,000 for participating in the unlawful strike action, and the court noted that it has a better record of complying with workplace laws than the CFMEU.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, COMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC, ENERGY, INFORMATION, POSTAL, PLUMBING AND ALLIED SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Steep fine for 7-Eleven boss over pay rort

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Original article by Sarah Danckert
The Age – Page: 11 : 25-Jul-17

A former Brisbane-based 7-Eleven franchisee has been fined $A168,000 by the Federal Court, following an investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman into wage underpayment. Jim Chien-Ching Chang was found to have underpaid eight employees by almost $A20,000, with one employee found to have been underpaid by almost $A14,000. The court heard that Chang had admitted to paying staff as little as $A13 an hour at all times of the day.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, JS TOP PTY LTD

Union claims not practical

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Original article by Estha Van Der Linden
The Advertiser – Page: 26 : 25-Jul-17

The Fair Work Commission has rejected claims by the union movement for paid leave for family and domestic violence, after some months of consideration. It has also rejected applications for changes to part-time and casual employment; both measures would have served as a deterrent to employment. The FWC is now considering an application to have paid leave for giving blood to be inserted in some awards, despite blood donation being a strictly voluntary act and something that employees can do in their own time.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, BUSINESS SA, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

ALP left seeks to lift taxes, boost the ‘right to strike’

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 20-Jul-17

Industrial relations and taxation will be on the agenda of the Australian Labor Party’s national conference in late July. The left faction of New South Wales Labor will push for the party to endorse a range of workplace reforms, including the right to strike, secondary boycotts and pattern bargaining. Other policies to be advocated by the left faction include the introduction of a universal basic wage­, an increased tax rate for high income earners and a national­ inheritance tax.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION

Union bid to penalise builders for IR deals

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 19-Jul-17

The Electrical Trades Union is seeking a trade-off with employers to ensure that their enterprise bargaining agreements comply with the Australian Government’s building code. Amongst other things, the ETU wants workers to receive double-time pay rates for working on a scheduled rostered day off and to receive a day in lieu. Existing EBAs provide for a day in lieu and standard pay rates for working on RDOs. EBAs will have to comply with the building code from September for companies to be eligible for federally-funded construction projects.

CORPORATES
ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, JOHN HOLLAND PTY LTD

A union merger that will cost us all

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Original article by
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 38 : 14-Jul-17

The proposed merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and two smaller unions will strengthen the union movement’s influence on the Australian economy. An enlarged CFMEU would have unprecedented control over the supply chain from "pit to port" across the nation’s resources sector. While the merger will be welcomed by the Australian Labor Party, a merger in the corporate sector that would result in a similar monopoly over labour supply would attract scrutiny from the competition regulator. Editorial.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, DE MARTIN AND GASPARINI PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CHEVRON CORPORATION