LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

ALP locks in shipping fleet

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Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Jan-19

The Maritime Union of Australia’s national secretary Paddy Crumlin says Labor is likely to pursue coastal shipping reforms if it wins the 2019 federal election. He expects Labor to mandate that cargo ships operating between the nation’s ports must be Australian-flagged, with local crews who are subject to Australian conditions of employment. Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable says that such restrictions would lead to higher costs for businesses and consumers.

CORPORATES
MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY

Fair Work warning over anti-CFMEU retweet

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 18-Jan-19

The Fair Work Commission has rejected an appeal by the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union over a ruling of senior deputy president Jonathan Hamberger. The CFMMEU claimed that Hamberger should have recused himself from a case involving three union officials after he shared a 2016 tweet from Employment Minister Michaelia Cash that attacked the CFMMEU and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. The FWC stated that Hamberger’s sharing of the tweet did not mean he was biased against the union’s officials, but it did state that his actions in sharing the tweet were inappropriate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

Unions draw strength from spectacular victory at coalmine

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-Jan-19

Wollongong Coal has agreed to a new pay deal to end a strike by labour hire workers at the Wongawilli Colliery in New South Wales. The hourly pay rate of CAS Mine Services employees at the mine will be increased by 12 per cent, and their weekly production bonus will be increased. They will also become permanent workers on fixed-term contracts, while CAS has agreed to negotiate a two-year enterprise agreement that includes two annual pay rises of two per cent. The deal has been welcomed by the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union.

CORPORATES
WOLLONGONG COAL LIMITED – ASX WLC, CAS MINE SERVICES PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU

No criminal charges for anyone implicated in leaking information in AWU raids case

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Original article by Matthew Doran
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 15-Jan-19

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions believes that there is little chance of securing any convictions over media leaks regarding raids on the offices of the Australian Workers’ Union in October 2017. An Australian Federal Police spokeswoman says that as there is no prospect of criminal charges, the investigation into the affair will be discontinued. The senior media adviser to former Employment Minister Michaelia Cash resigned over the leak, although Cash herself denied that her office had any knowledge of the leak.

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

Ports, mine targeted in CFMEU hit

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Jan-19

Hutchison Ports Australia will be subject to industrial action by the militant Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union. Work bans will commence on 17 January, in response to the stevedoring group’s push to reduce pay rates and leave entitlements under a new workplace agreement. Hutchison will apply for an order from the Fair Work Commission requiring the union to give five days’ notice prior to launching the industrial action. Meanwhile, CFMMEU members at the Wongawilli Colliery in New South Wales have voted to extend strike action for a second week.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, HUTCHISON PORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOLLONGONG COAL LIMITED – ASX WLC, JINDAL STEEL AND POWER LIMITED, CAS MINE SERVICES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Unions go to war over labour hire

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Jan-19

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union is seeking a 10 per cent pay rise for labour-hire workers at a New South Wales coal mine. The workers at Wongawilli Colliery, who are paid significantly less than workers at other mines in the region, will commence a seven-day strike. CAS Mine Services has warned that the proposed pay rise is not financially viable. The CFMMEU’s national president Tony Maher says the poor treatment of labour-hire workers will be a key issue at the upcoming federal election.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, CAS MINE SERVICES PTY LTD, WOLLONGONG COAL LIMITED – ASX WLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Labor slams attack on union super

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Original article by John Kehoe, Joanna Mather, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Jan-19

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen has criticised the Productivity Commission’s proposed changes to the default superannuation fund regime. He says restricting the default fund to a list of the 10-best performing funds is problematic, as returns can vary significantly over a period of time. The PC’s key recommendation is opposed by labour unions, while the Financial Services Council and the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia have also expressed reservations. However, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the proposal has merit and is worth considering.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL, THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION CUSTODIANS, SUPERANNUATION CONSUMERS’ CENTRE, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Unionist gets no joy over sacking

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 9-Jan-19

The full Federal Court has dismissed an application by former union organiser Nick Belan for a judicial review of the Fair Work Commission’s decision in his unfair dismissal case. The FWC had ruled in 2017 that the National Union of Workers had been justified in sacking Belan after he admitted to the trade union royal commission that he had used a union-issued credit card for personal expenses. Belan had contended that the transcript of his evidence before the royal commission was inadmissible in the FWC case.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION

Woolies wins on penalty rates deal

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 8-Jan-19

The Fair Work Commission has approved a new four-year enterprise agreement for more than 100,000 employees of supermarkets group Woolworths. Amongst other things, the new pay deal will reinstate full penalty rates and increase casual loadings to 25 per cent. The deal has been welcomed by the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association, although the rival Retail & Fast Food Workers Union had opposed some aspects of the new agreement.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, WOOLWORTHS SUPERMARKETS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Calls for Setka to be kicked out of ALP

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 4-Jan-19

Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union official John Setka will appear on court on 9 January after police were called to his home on 26 December. Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer says the police charges mean that Setka should be expelled from the Australian Labor Party and step down from his role at the CFMMEU. Setka in turn has asked the media to respect his family’s privacy following the domestic incident.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, MELBOURNE MAGISTRATES’ COURT