INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – GOVERNMENT POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Bosses fight CFMEU-MUA super union

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 9-Mar-18

The full bench of the Fair Work Commission will be asked to overturn the decision to approve a merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. The Australian Mines & Metals Association and Master Builders Australia will also seek a stay of the decision, which could give the Federal Government time to pass legislation to subject union mergers to a public interest test. Workplace Relations Minister Craig Laundy has urged the Opposition to support the bill.

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, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Late push to stop creation of super-union

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Mar-18

The Australian Mines & Metals Association believes that the Federal Government can still legislate to block the merger of the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. AMMA has suggested amending the Ensuring Integrity Bill so the Government’s public interest test for union mergers applies before a date for amalgamation has been set. In the bill’s present form, the public interest test applies before a merger date has been set, but the Fair Work Commission has already set this for 27 March. The bill has yet to be put before the Senate.

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

Backdown on radical wage plan

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 20-Feb-18

A future Labor government may require the Fair Work Commission to give greater consideration to the needs of people on low wages when deciding on increases in the minimum wage. At present the FWC is also required to take into account a range of economic factors, and Stephen Smith of the Australian Industry Group says the potential change outlined by the Opposition’s workplace relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor could result in many people on low wages losing their jobs. Labor had previously proposed setting the minimum wage at a proportion of the median wage.

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

Coalition bid to dry up ‘rivers of gold’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 12-Sep-17

The Federal Government is seeking to impose restrictions on payments made from employee entitlement funds. Under the Proper Use of Worker Benefits Bill, such funds would need to be registered with the Registered Organisations Commission, and to have one independent director, alongside employer and union-appointed directors. Funds would no longer be able to make payments to unions or employers’ groups, with the Australian Electoral Commission estimating that unions have received an average of $A25 million in payments from employee entitlement funds in the last five years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Labor to re-arm unions in inequality fightback

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 3-Aug-17

The Opposition’s industrial relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor has flagged a greater role for unions in enterprise agreement negotiations if the Australian Labor Party wins the next federal election. He has used a Sydney Institute speech to argue that employers now have too much bargaining power in wage negotiations, and noted that there has been a marked shift toward industrial award at the expense of collective agreements since 2008. He also questioned the effectiveness of the Fair Work Act and whether the Fair Work Commission’s powers are sufficient.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SYDNEY INSTITUTE, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Turnbull to mount fresh IR push in 2017

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Dec-16

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has advised that the Federal Government proposes further industrial relations reform in 2017, after the Senate passed a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. The Government intends to implement more of the recommendations made by the trade unions royal commission, as well as the Productivity Commission’s review of the industrial relations system. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Australian Labor Party will abolish the ABCC if it wins the next election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

First blood: strikes to roll under ABCC delay

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 2-Dec-16

Kane Constructions will be targeted by a series of rolling strikes by the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union because it has refused to sign a pattern enterprise bargaining agreement that does not comply with the new building code. It is estimated that about 30 clauses in the EBA may not comply with the code, which will apply to Kane as soon as it takes effect. In contrast, some 1,500 firms that have signed the EBA will not have to comply with the code until 2018. The protected strike action at 13 of Kane’s construction sites in Victoria will commence on 2 December 2016.

CORPORATES
KANE CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW

Delay taints PM’s ABCC victory

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 1-Dec-16

The Senate has voted 36-33 in favour of a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission, but existing enterprise bargaining agreements will not have to comply with the new building code until November 2018. The Federal Government agreed to a two-year transition period in order to secure the support of Senator Derryn Hinch, who says he had concerns about the retrospective nature of the code as originally proposed by the Government. Meanwhile, the Opposition’s employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor says the Australian Labor Party will abolish the ABCC if it wins the next federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, PROBUILD PTY LTD, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ONE NATION PARTY

Delay taints PM’s ABCC victory

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 1-Dec-16

The Senate has voted 36-33 in favour of a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission, but existing enterprise bargaining agreements will not have to comply with the new building code until November 2018. The Federal Government agreed to a two-year transition period in order to secure the support of Senator Derryn Hinch, who says he had concerns about the retrospective nature of the code as originally proposed by the Government. Meanwhile, the Opposition’s employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor says the Australian Labor Party will abolish the ABCC if it wins the next federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, PROBUILD PTY LTD, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ONE NATION PARTY

Turnbull seals ABCC return with water deal

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: Online : 30-Nov-16

The Senate seems set to pass the Federal Government’s bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. Senator Nick Xenophon will support the bill after the Government agreed to meet with state premiers regularly to increase water flows to the Murray-Darling river system. However, the Government has yielded to lobbying by organisations such as the Australian Industry Group and will introduce a two-year transition period for enterprise bargaining agreements to comply with the new building code.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, PROBUILD PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, KANE CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, CIMIC GROUP LIMITED – ASX CIM, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES