INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – VICTORIA

CFA launched bid to shut down trial

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 13-Oct-16

Victoria’s Country Fire Authority wants to halt a case in the Supreme Court. The case was launched by the Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria, which argued that the CFA’s proposed enterprise agreement with the United Firefighters Union had a number of deficiencies. The CFA says the passage of the Federal Government’s CFA legislation makes the case irrelevant.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES VICTORIA, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA

Union leader denies threats of violence

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Original article by Patrick Durkin, Aaron Patrick, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 1-Sep-16

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews triggered a political crisis when he decided to give the union more influence over the Country Fire Authority. The Volunteer Firefighters Association Victoria took the matter to the Supreme Court. Jane Garrett resigned as Emergency Services Minister in June 2016 as she did not agree with Andrews’ tactics. She was allegedly bullied by United Firefighters Union leader Peter Marshall who was reported as telling Garrett "I am coming to get you" and "you’re all f—ing dead".

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION VICTORIA, VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMISSION, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Power ‘at risk’ over CFMEU dispute

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 3 : 12-Jul-16

The Fair Work Commission has ruled in AGL Energy’s favour in a dispute with the Construction, Forestry, Energy & Mining Union. An interim order requires workers at AGL’s Loy Yang A power station in Victoria to resume normal working hours. AGL had alleged that the CFMEU’s ban on working overtime constituted unprotected industrial action. The dispute centres on the CFMEU’s wage claim, which would result in Loy Yang workers being paid an average of $A180,000 per year for a four-day working week.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LOY YANG A

CFA deal pushed back until after poll result

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Original article by Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 23-Jun-16

The board of Victoria’s Country Fire Authority (CFA) has decided to delay the implementation of the United Firefighters Union’s enterprise agreement until 8 July 2016. The State Government insists that the CFA board must accept the agreement. Volunteer firefighters have raised objections to a number of provisions in the agreement. Federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said the Coalition will prevent the implementation of the deal if it is re-elected.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Vic Premier slams PM over firefighters

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Original article by Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Jun-16

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for politicising the dispute over a proposed enterprise bargaining agreement for the Country Fire Authority. Turnbull has promised to introduce changes to the Fair Work Act in response to the dispute, but Andrews has questioned whether he is fully informed of the Fair Work Commission’s recommendations concerning the EBA. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has ruled out any intervention, stressing that it is a state issue.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, VICTORIA. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

CFA fury as union wins demands

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Original article by Rick Wallace
The Australian – Page: 4 : 3-Jun-16

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has described the Fair Work Commission’s recommendations on unionisation of the Country Fire Authority as "fair and balanced". However, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says the recommendations are biased, adding that Andrews should support the state’s volunteer firefighters in their stance against the United Firefighters’ Union’s enterprise bargaining agreement. It is estimated that only 1,000 of the CFA’s 60,000-plus members are also members of the UFU.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, MELBOURNE METROPOLITAN FIRE BRIGADE

‘Vigilante’ building workers face $10,800 fines

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 24-Feb-16

Fair Work Building & Construction (FWBC) intends to prosecute 52 construction workers at the Longford gas processing plant in Gippsland over unlawful industrial action in February 2015. The Australian Workers’ Union argues that the stop-work action was to protest against the dismissal of a probationary employee. The union’s Victorian secretary, Ben Davis, has criticised FWBC director Nigel Hadgkiss for describing the actions of the workers as "vigilantism".

CORPORATES
FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FOREST MEIERS CONSTRUCTION PTY LTD

Union goes power crazy

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Original article by Stephen Drill
Herald Sun – Page: 5 : 22-Jan-16

The 600 workers at AGL Energy’s Loy Yang power station and coal mine in Victoria are seeking a pay rise of 20 per cent over four years. The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union’s log of claims includes paying employees for the time it takes to walk from the car park to their workstations. It is estimated that the proposed wage rise would increase the average worker’s salary to $A180,000 a year for a four-day working week.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA