LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

Retailers seek minimum-wage freeze

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 14-Mar-18

National Retail Association CEO Dominique Lamb says the Fair Work Commission should leave the minimum wage unchanged in 2018, arguing that retailers cannot afford a rise in base wages given the current trading conditions. In contrast, the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry has proposed increasing the minimum wage by $A13.20 per week, while the ACTU has pushed for a rise of $A50 a week. Labor in turn has called for an above-inflation increase in the minimum wage.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL RETAIL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Unions in push for $50-a-week minimum pay rise

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Mar-18

Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox says the ACTU’s proposal for a 7.2 per cent increase in the minimum wage would result in fewer job opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed, while people on low incomes would have less job security. He has urged the Fair Work Commission to limit the 2018 increase in the minimum wage to 1.8 per cent, which equates to $A12.50 a week. The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry in turn supports a 1.9 per cent increase, or $A13.20 a week. The FWC approved a 3.3 per cent rise in the minimum wage in 2017.

CORPORATES
ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Union blitz on work laws

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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

Bosses fight CFMEU-MUA super union

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 9-Mar-18

The full bench of the Fair Work Commission will be asked to overturn the decision to approve a merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. The Australian Mines & Metals Association and Master Builders Australia will also seek a stay of the decision, which could give the Federal Government time to pass legislation to subject union mergers to a public interest test. Workplace Relations Minister Craig Laundy has urged the Opposition to support the bill.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Late push to stop creation of super-union

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Mar-18

The Australian Mines & Metals Association believes that the Federal Government can still legislate to block the merger of the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia. AMMA has suggested amending the Ensuring Integrity Bill so the Government’s public interest test for union mergers applies before a date for amalgamation has been set. In the bill’s present form, the public interest test applies before a merger date has been set, but the Fair Work Commission has already set this for 27 March. The bill has yet to be put before the Senate.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ONE NATION PARTY

Employers lash Coalition on union merger

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Mar-18

The merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia is slated to take effect on 27 March, after it was approved by the Fair Work Commission. The Australian Mines & Metals Association has urged the Federal Government to push for the Senate to block the merger prior to this date, although Workplace Relations Minister Craig Laundy argues that the Ensuring Integrity Bill is not retrospective so it would have no impact on the merger. The merged union will boast 144,000 members and $A310m worth of assets.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Mates rates

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Original article by Matt Johnston, James Dowling, James Campbell
Herald Sun – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Mar-18

Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade staff will shortly vote on a new enterprise bargaining agreement that features a pay rise of 19 per cent and a range of allowances. Amongst other things, MFB firefighters will be entitled to 65 days of annual leave each year, plus 99 days of personal and sick leave after being at the MFB for at least two years. MFB employees will also be entitled to four days of leave each time a family member becomes ill or injured. The EBA allows many existing MFB policies to be abolished unless the United Firefighters Union agrees to them following consultation.

CORPORATES
MELBOURNE METROPOLITAN FIRE BRIGADE, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Underpaid, overworked, fearing sack

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Original article by Adam Gartrell
The Age – Page: 8 : 2-Mar-18

Fifty-nine per cent of workers who took part in an ACTU survey stated that they are worried that they will lose their current job in the next couple of years. Over 70 per cent expressed the view that they felt as if they are working harder for less pay, while 80 per cent stated that getting a reasonable pay rise was difficult. ACTU Secretary Sally McManus, says the crux of the survey results is that workers want reasonable wage rises and more job security. The ACTU intends to use the results of the survey to back its case for an increase in the minimum wage.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Contempt case threatens super union

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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

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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