INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – LAW AND LEGISLATION – AUSTRALIA

Unions ‘new capitalists’: Kennett

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 11-May-18

About 100,000 unionists attended a rally in Melbourne’s CBD on 9 May, as part of the ACTU’s campaign for industrial relations reform. However, former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett says there is little support among the general public for workplace reform, adding that the ACTU’s campaign is undermined by the fact that many union members earn more than $A100,000 a year. CFMEU official David Noonan argues that large amounts of overtime in the construction industry boosts incomes in the sector, while building workers lack secure employment.

CORPORATES
ACTU, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA

ACTU calls for boost to Fair Work’s powers

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 27-Apr-18

ACTU secretary Sally McManus says the Fair Work Commission should be able to order the compulsory arbitration of industrial disputes, as part of a broader increase in its powers. McManus argues that the FWC has become ineffective and there is a need to strengthen its powers to address issues such as wage theft, increases in the minimum wage and changes to industry award conditions such as the addition of paid domestic violence leave.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

ACTU’s new bargaining bid risks industrial chaos

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 13-Apr-18

The Federal Government and business leaders have criticised the ACTU’s push for changes to the Fair Work Act to allow employees and employers to negotiate wages and conditions at the industry level rather than the enterprise level. The ACTU’s six-point plan also includes the right to take protected industrial action at industry level. Workplace Relations Minister Craig Laundy warns that the proposals would see industrial action rise to the levels of the 1970s, while Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox says militant unions would be the sole beneficiaries of any such reforms.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

ACTU bid for 1970s-style IR

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 12-Apr-18

ACTU secretary Sally has proposed changing the Fair Work Act to allow employees and employers to negotiate wages and conditions at the industry level rather than the enterprise level. She argues that the imbalance which gives employers greater bargaining power under existing provisions of the Act needs to be addressed. McManus has also called for amendments to allow unions and workers to take protected industrial action in support of sector-wide wage claims. The ACTU’s "wages blueprint" also includes scrapping penalty rate cuts and increasing the minimum wage.

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

ACTU demands changes to lift workers’ power

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 22-Mar-18

The Australian Industry Group has warned that a push by ACTU secretary Sally McManus for major changes to the industrial relations regime would result in job losses and reduced employment opportunities for young people. McManus has used a National Press Club speech to argue that restrictions on enterprise bargaining are hindering wages growth, and she has called for workers to be given the same bargaining rights as CEOs and multinational corporations. McManus has also claimed that the Fair Work Commission is no longer independent and the Fair Work Ombudsman has been politicised.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Uber, Airbnb, Deliveroo urge labour law shake-up

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Patrick Durkin, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 20-Mar-18

The Senate inquiry into the future of work has received more than 140 submissions, with sharing-economy businesses arguing that existing workplace laws are outdated. Deliveroo has used its submission to propose the creation of a new category of employment for people who work in the "gig economy", noting that regulations governing casual employees are not compatible with its business model. Meanwhile, Google has stressed the need to retrain up to 3.5 million workers whose jobs may be at risk due to digital disruption.

CORPORATES
DELIVEROO, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, UBER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AIRBNB AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, CENTRE FOR FUTURE WORK, FOODORA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, ATLASSIAN CORPORATION PLC

Union blitz on work laws

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ben Schneiders
The Sunday Age – Page: 4 : 11-Mar-18

The ACTU will launch an eight-week advertising campaign on 11 March, aimed at getting Australia’s workplace laws changed through the election of a federal Labor government. The ACTU’s advertisements hit out at big business, and depict workers complaining about lack of work security and struggling to pay their bills. Employer groups contend that current workplace laws give too much power to unions as it is. The ACTU’s campaign is its biggest since its anti-Work Choices campaign against the Howard government between 2005 and 2007, on which it spent $A14.4 million.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Watchdog vows to take stick to CFMEU officials over fines

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 5-Mar-18

The new head of the Australian Building & Construction Commission, Stephen McBurney, notes that 37 of the 41 investigations that are currently underway involve the militant Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union. McBurney says he is open to talks with CFMEU officials about complying with industrial relations laws, arguing that the ABCC budget would be better spent on education and prevention instead of legal action. However, he adds that the ABCC will seek to make union officials personally liable for fines in the wake of a court ruling which prohibits the CFMEU for paying fines on their behalf.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN CRIME COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL CRIME AUTHORITY, VICTORIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EXAMINER

Contempt case threatens super union

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 28-Feb-18

Victorian International Container Terminals’ contempt of court lawsuit against the Maritime Union of Australia could prevent its proposed merger with the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union. The Fair Work Commission, which is shortly slated to issue a ruling on the merger, has received a submission which argues that contempt charge constitutes criminal proceedings under the Fair Work Act. The Registered Organisations Act in turn states that a union merger cannot by approved if there is outstanding criminal proceedings. The unions contend that the contempt charge is civil rather than criminal.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIAN INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Contempt case threatens super union

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 28-Feb-18

Victorian International Container Terminals’ contempt of court lawsuit against the Maritime Union of Australia could prevent its proposed merger with the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union. The Fair Work Commission, which is shortly slated to issue a ruling on the merger, has received a submission which argues that contempt charge constitutes criminal proceedings under the Fair Work Act. The Registered Organisations Act in turn states that a union merger cannot by approved if there is outstanding criminal proceedings. The unions contend that the contempt charge is civil rather than criminal.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIAN INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED