LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

Call to freeze wages for low-paid

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 14-Mar-19

Restaurant & Catering Australia CEO Juliana Payne has warned that the ACTU’s push to increase the minimum wage to 60 per cent of median earnings will result in job cuts. She says there should be no increase in the minimum wage in 2019 due to the above-inflation increases of recent years, and notes that the sector cannot pass on the cost of wage rises to customers. Meanwhile, the Australian Retailers ­Association supports a 1.8 per cent increase in the minimum wage, although a survey has found that about 50 per cent of its members favour leaving it unchanged in 2019.

CORPORATES
RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

ACTU wants living wage in two years

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman, Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Mar-19

The ACTU will seek a six per cent increase in the minimum wage in 2019, followed by a 5.5 per cent rise in 2020. This equates to an increase of about $72.80 a week over two years, to almost $42,000 a year. ACTU secretary Sally McManus says the current minimum wage condemns many people to living below the poverty line. The Fair Work Commission rejected the ACTU’s push for a 7.2 per cent rise in the minimum wage in 2018, warning that such a large increase would result in many low-income workers losing their jobs or having their hours of work reduced.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Labor, ACTU hose down wage fears

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 8-Mar-19

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has committed to ensuring that the minimum wage is increased to become a living wage if Labor wins the federal election. Shorten and ACTU secretary Sally McManus have both expressed support for the Fair Work Commission continuing to have responsibility for setting a living wage, as well as the timeframe for transitioning from the minimum wage. Prime Minister Scott Morrison contends that economic growth rather than increased taxes is the best way to lift wages.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Shorten talks up living wage bid

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 7-Mar-19

Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO James Pearson has warned that a significant increase in minimum wage would result in job losses, a reduction in hours of work for many people and business failures. He was responding to comments by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who has told a business summit that the minimum wage is too low and is no longer a living wage. ACTU secretary Sally McManus has again reiterated the need for a living wage.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Treasurer’s super war on activists

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 4-Mar-19

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg wants to ensure that union-appointed trustees of industry superannuation funds do not seek to pursue political objectives at the expense of members’ interests. Industry funds currently manage $631 billion worth of assets, with this figure tipped to increase to over $1 trillion by 2024; boards of industry funds are equally represented by trustees from employers and unions. Frydenberg’s concerns have been sparked by union calls for funds to pressure BHP and BlueScope Steel to reverse a decision not to renew a contract for Australian-crewed ships that carry iron ore.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, ACTU, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, UNITED VOICE, AUSTRALIAN SERVICES UNION

Permaflexi plan a ruse to reduce pay, unions war

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 12 : 1-Mar-19

Health Services Union secretary Lloyd Williams has criticised a push by employers for the Fair Work Commission to recognise a new category of employment. So-called ‘permaflexi’ workers would be paid a 10 per cent loading in exchange for flexible rostering, while they would also receive sick leave and annual leave entitlements. The NSW Business Chamber’s application states that workers who are hired under a "flexible ongoing employment" arrangement would have a minimum of 1-3 hours’ work per week.

CORPORATES
HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER LIMITED, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN SERVICES UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Taxpayers’ $830k legal bill for ROC hearings

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 21-Feb-19

Mark Bielecki, the head of the Registered Organisations Commission, has told a Senate estimates hearing that the legal costs arising from raids on Australian Workers’ Union offices have topped $550,000. This is in addition to the $288,000 that Small Business Minister Michaelia Cash has spent on legal representation. Cash came under scrutiny by Labor members of the committee over the evidence she gave to the Australian Federal Police after details of the raids were leaked to the media.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Union warns of action as deal rejected again

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Original article by Sian Powell
The Australian – Page: 31 : 20-Feb-19

Some 67 per cent of Victoria University’s employees have voted against an offer of a two per cent pay rise over five years. It follows a previous ballot in 2018 when 77 per cent of staff voted against the university’s pay deal. The National Tertiary Education Union has urged the university to put forward a new offer, flagging the possibility of industrial action if it fails to do so. The union argues that Victoria University’s block teaching program has increased staff workloads by up to 18 per cent.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL TERTIARY EDUCATION INDUSTRY UNION

South32-run Port Kembla locks out union over rolling stoppages

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 19-Feb-19

Members of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union were denied access to the Port Kembla Coal Terminal on 18 February, amid growing tensions over negotiations for a new enterprise bargaining agreement. The lockout will remain in force until 27 February, and coal will be loaded onto ships using contractors. South32, which partly owns the coal terminal, is currently engaged in conciliation talks regarding a separate EBA for workers at its New South Wales mines.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, PORT KEMBLA COAL TERMINAL LIMITED, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Police wanted to prosecute at least one over AWU leak

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 19-Feb-19

The Australian Federal Police have disclosed that there seemed to be enough evidence to justify charging at least one person for leaking details of raids on the offices of the Australian Workers’ Union in October 2017. However, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions ruled against any prosecutions. The AFP’s Deputy Commissioner Leanne Close has also revealed that former industrial relations minister Michaelia Cash and former justice minister Michael Keenan declined to provide witness statements on two separate occasions, and had instead submitted written letters to the AFP.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY