LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

AWU misused strike rights for ACTU protests

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 31-Oct-18

The Australian Workers’ Union served Alcoa with a notice of indefinite work stoppages at its Western Australia refineries earlier in October. The industrial action was slated to commence the day before the ACTU began a series of national protests. AWU delegate Stuart Allen has told the Fair Work Commission that the timing was "good luck", but it has emerged that he send text messages to union members stating that the protected industrial action was in support of the ACTU campaign. The FWC ruled that the AWU’s representatives were not genuinely trying to collectively bargain.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, ALCOA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

Industry staff tapped to opt out of new deal

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Original article by Sally Whyte
The Canberra Times – Page: 16 : 26-Oct-18

The federal Department of Industry, Innovation & Science may use a clause in the Public Service Act that allows departmental secretaries to make determinations about pay and conditions, so long as there is no loss to the benefits of staff. Civil servants are being asked to vote on whether they want the Department to make such a determination, which would see the terms of their current enterprise agreement maintained, or to enter into a new bargaining process with the Community & Public Sector Union. The CPSU wants staff to vote against the determination proposal.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION

Maximum penalty call over blockade

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Original article by Charlie Peel
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-Oct-18

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union faces a fine of up to $33,000 for each break of workplace laws arising from the blockading of Brisbane building sites in 2012. CFMMEU official Michael Ravbar in turn could be fined up to $6,600 for each breach. The Australian Building & Construction Commission has urged the Federal Court to impose the maximum penalty on Ravbar, while it is also seeking to have him banned from entering workplaces.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSAL CRANES PTY LTD

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews led union protest that closed Melbourne city streets

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Original article by Christiane Barro, AAP
The New Daily – Page: Online : 24-Oct-18

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews led a "Change the Rules" protest rally organised by the ACTU to demand higher wages that closed Melbourne city streets on Tuesday. The ACTU estimated more than 170,000 protesters joined the rally in Melbourne with other rallies being held in Sydney, Darwin and several regional cities around Australia. Protesters claimed Australian IR laws are "terribly broken" and that the laws mean workers are "Open to slave labour" and "They’re stealing our wages". ACTU Secretary Sally McManus claimed "Our standard of living is going backwards. That should not be happening. A small disruption for a couple of hours is worth it." McManus also said that the minimum wage of $37,000 per annum is "Not enough to support yourself". The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry disagreed with the ACTU and warned that the march was "really about putting power in the hands of big unions and disempowering employees".

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Industrial ‘anarchy’: MP warns

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Age – Page: 1 : 23-Oct-18

Employer groups estimate that the ACTU’s "Change the Rules" rallies will cost $250 million in lost productivity. Meanwhile, Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer claims that the ACTU is inciting union members to break the law, and that Australia faces a "bleak future" if a Labor government changes industrial relations laws to please the ACTU. The peak union body contends that the rallies should be viewed as political protests rather than industrial action.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Counting the costs of ACTU’s campaign

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Original article by Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian – Page: 2 : 22-Oct-18

Masters Builders Australia estimates that a six-day campaign of industrial action by unions will have a direct and indirect cost to the national economy of up to $250m. Unions forecast that rallies to be held in Sydney and Melbourne will be attended by up to 150,000 workers in each city, and the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry warns that this could result in the loss of some 450,000 working hours and 50,000 working days. Rallies will be held in Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin and six regional cities on 23 October, as part of the ACTU’s "Change The Rules" campaign.

CORPORATES
MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, PATRICK STEVEDORES HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Ex-union boss backs govt on casual pay

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Original article by Dana McCauley, Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 24 : 19-Oct-18

Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer will make an application to join the Commonwealth as a party to a Federal Court test case on the paid leave entitlements of casual workers. The WorkPac case has prompted concern that casual employees would be entitled to both a casual loading and paid leave. The ACTU has warned that the test case presents a risk to the job security of every permanent employee, but the peak union body’s former president Martin Ferguson says that allowing casuals to "double dip" is contrary to long-established industrial relations rules.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, WORKPAC PTY LTD, ACTU, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Companies told they need to report protesting workers within 24 hours

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 8 : 18-Oct-18

With unions set to commence a month of rallies on 18 October, Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O’Dwyer has warned that it is a prelude to the workplace turmoil that can be expected if Labor wins the next federal election. Meanwhile, the Australian Building & Construction Commission has told employers that they are required to advise it of any workers who participate in the rallies without authorisation within 24 hours. The ABCC has again stressed that employees could be prosecuted, prompting the construction union to accuse it of attempting to intimidate workers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN

Union threat to sue Ombudsman

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 17-Oct-18

The Fair Work Ombudsman recently warned that workers who attend union-organised protest rallies in coming weeks without written approval from their employer risk being prosecuted for unprotected industrial action. However, ACTU secretary Sally McManus argues that the right to attend lawful political protests is protected by the Fair Work Act, and she has accused the FWO of misrepresenting the rights of workers. Unions have also warned of potential legal action if the FWO and employers do not retract their warnings to workers about attending the rallies.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, ACTU, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

ALP looks to loosen reins on strike action

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 16-Oct-18

Labor is understood to be planning changes to the Fair Work Act to make it easier for workers and unions to undertake sector-wide pay claims. However, to ease employers’ concerns over the prospect of allowing industry-wide industrial action, Labor is believed to be considering giving the Fair Work Commission more powers to stop or cease industrial action where a number of companies are being targeted. University of Adelaide law professor Andrew Stewart says it would seem reasonable to allow industry-wide bargaining in sectors where enterprise bargaining is not easy to access.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE, ACTU