INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – LAW AND LEGISLATION – AUSTRALIA

Labour laws behind drop in global rank

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Original article by Rowan Callick
The Australian – Page: 20 : 5-Sep-14

The World Economic Forum has issued the 2014 version of its index of global competitiveness. Australia has lost one place to now be ranked 22nd, leap-frogged by Malaysia at number 20. The leaders are Switzerland, Singapore, US, Finland, Germany, Japan and Hong Kong. Australia is being held back chiefly by its low score of 4.3 points out of seven in the area of labour market flexibility. Meanwhile commercial lawyer Andrew Thomson warns that over-regulation in Australia is likely to erode much of the benefit gained from the new free trade agreement with Japan

CORPORATES
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ASAHI BREWERIES LIMITED, SCHWEPPES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED

DP World avoids WA port lockout

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Original article by Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 31-Jul-14

DP World has decided not to lock out more than 200 members of the Maritime Union of Australia, who will now be able to attend a stopwork meeting on 31 July 2014. The stevedoring group and the union are engaged in a dispute over the new enterprise bargaining agreement. The union intends to exert pressure on the company by announcing a four-hour stopwork and work bans. The two parties will meet again on 1 August

CORPORATES
DP WORLD AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FREMANTLE PORTS, PATRICK CORPORATION LIMITED, ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO, HUTCHISON WHAMPOA LIMITED, MERMAID MARINE AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX MRM, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TRANSPORT, K LINE (JAPAN) LIMITED

Public safety at risk over cardiac calls: Firefighters

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Original article by Nino Bucci
The Age – Page: 9 : 28-Jul-14

The Fair Work Commission is hearing a dispute between the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and the United Firefighters Union in Victoria. The latter had during the 2013-14 summer argued that its members were not properly prepared to attend to cardiac arrest calls during a record heatwave. The MBF had wanted to roster an additional 30 staff, as 300 such emergencies were forecast. Firefighters accompany Ambulance Victoria paramedics to all incidents where patients have stopped breathing

CORPORATES
UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, METROPOLITAN FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES BOARD, MELBOURNE METROPOLITAN FIRE BRIGADE, AMBULANCE VICTORIA FIRST AID, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Union rushes to enlist

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 4-Jul-14

Construction groups such as Lend Lease and Leighton Holdings off-shoot John Holland are warning subcontractors that they will have to comply with a new building and construction industry code. However the relevant legislation has not yet been passed by the senate, with the Federal Government needing the votes of the Palmer United Party and independents. The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union is busy signing up subcontractors to an enterprise agreement. It hopes that if sufficient numbers can be reached, it will be easier to convince senators to vote against the reinstatement of the Australian Building & Construction Commission, which would enforce the code

CORPORATES
LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, LEIGHTON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX LEI, JOHN HOLLAND PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES PTY LTD, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS