LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

Shorten ally has unofficial role in HSU

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 1-Dec-17

The Health Workers Union had sought to seek costs against former official Sel Sanli after he abandoned unfair dismissal proceedings against it. Sanli claimed HWU boss Diana Asmar sacked him because he refused to support the election of her husband David to an important role within Victorian Labor, of which he was a delegate. Sanli abandoned his claim after the HSU released phone records of him talking to escort workers and viewing pornography. However, the Fair Work Commission has dismissed the HWU’s cost claim, while finding that Sanli’s claims about his sacking were justified. It concluded David Asmar had a major influence on the HSU, despite not working for it.

CORPORATES
HEALTH WORKERS UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Port operator to sue MUA over illegal picket line

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 30-Nov-17

Victoria International Container Terminals is planning legal action against the Maritime Union of Australia over what it claims is an illegal picket at Melbourne’s Webb Dock terminal. The picket has been in place since 27 November, and is aimed at pressuring VICT to re-deploy a stevedore who was denied a security clearance that would allow him to work in the dock’s restricted zone. VICT contends the MUA’s action puts at risk business growth in the order of $A100 million.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINALS, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN MARITIME OFFICERS’ UNION, CONTAINER TRANSPORT ALLIANCE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, DP WORLD AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PATRICK CORPORATION LIMITED

Woolworths facing union boycott threat

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 29-Nov-17

The New South Wales branch of the National Union of Workers has called on consumers to boycott Woolworths in the lead-up to Christmas. This follows the supermarket chain’s decision to stand down union delegates in early November over alleged breaches of safety rules. The delegates, who work at its Minchinbury warehouse, were stood down after allegedly telling other workers to take off their protective vests, in protest at the alleged bullying of staff there by a manager. A Woolworths spokesperson says it hopes to conclude an investigation into the matter in the week ending 2 December.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, UNILEVER AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CARLTON AND UNITED BREWERIES

Business alarm as vote brings on merger of militant super union

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: Online : 28-Nov-17

Members of the Maritime Union of Australia have voted in favour of a merger with the Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union. It is expected the two unions will ask the Fair Work Commission in January 2018 to approve their alliance, which would create a union with 144,000 members. However, employer groups have indicated they will go to the High Court if necessary in an attempt to block the FWC from approving the merger. Fifty per cent of MUA members took part in the vote, with 87 per cent of votes supporting the merger.

CORPORATES
MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS’ ASSOCIATION

Workers agree to pay freeze in deal to end ice cream boycott

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Nov-17

Workers at Streets’ Minto ice cream factory in Sydney have agreed to an in-principle settlement of their long-running dispute over pay and conditions. Features of the new agreement between Unilever and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union include a pay freeze for the next 12 months, changes to rosters, and a reduction in work breaks from 30 minutes to 20 minutes. As a result of the in-principle agreement, unions have agreed to withdraw their campaign for a consumer boycott of Streets’ brands.

CORPORATES
UNILEVER AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, ACTU

Union boss ousted over $98,000 in super board fees

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 22-Nov-17

Richard Duffy, the secretary of the Australian Services Union’s Victorian division, has been dismissed by its committee of management. This followed an external investigation that found he had retained $A98,000 in fees paid to him for sitting on the board of Vision Super since 2014 without appropriate authorisation. The investigation also found he had engaged Advanced People Property Management Solutions to undertake maintenance work at the ASU’s offices, for which it was paid $A48,000, without disclosing to the ASU that it was owned by a relative of former ASU secretary Brian Parkinson.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SERVICES UNION, VISION SUPER PTY LTD, ADVANCED PEOPLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Jackson faces 166 charges of graft

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Original article by Pia Akerman
The Australian – Page: 3 : 21-Nov-17

Former Health Services Union national secretary Kathy Jackson is to stand trial over claims she defrauded and stole just under $A500,000 in union funds from the HSU. Jackson is facing a total of 166 charges, relating to the years between 2003 and 2011. She could face a maximum jail term of 10 years if found guilty. A date for her trial is yet to be set, with it being possible that she might not go to trial until early 2019.

CORPORATES
HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, COUNTY COURT OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Superannuation funds should not be secret societies

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Original article by Robert Gottliebsen
The Australian – Page: 23 : 20-Nov-17

All Australians would hopefully agree with the notion that money within a superannuation fund belongs to its members, not to a union or an employer. They would also agree that fund trustees are responsible to their members and not to unions or employer groups, and that any payments made by funds to unions or employer groups be disclosed, along with the reasons for the payments. Legislation to enforce these notions is currently before federal parliament, and it is concerning to hear that unions and employer groups are protesting against its passage.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Coalition rejects ACTU push to delay IR agenda

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 10-Nov-17

ACTU president Ged Kearney says the Federal Government does not have a mandate for industrial relations reform while doubts remain about the eligibility of some MPs to be in parliament. Five bills relating to unions are currently before the Senate, but Kearney argues that they should be shelved until the dual citizenship crisis is resolved. Unions have raised the prospect of a legal challenge if any of the bills are passed.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Abuse ruling faces challenge from South32

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 9-Nov-17

South32 will appeal against the Fair Work Commission’s ruling that the sacking of a Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union official constituted unfair dismissal. South32 was ordered to reinstate Matthew Gosek after the FWC found that the offensive language which prompted Gosek’s dismissal is widely used in society. However, Macquarie Group director Patricia Cross has described the ruling as "shameful". The issue of offensive language in the workplace has also come under scrutiny in the case against Westpac over the alleged manipulation of the bank bill swap rate.

CORPORATES
SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD, DIVERSITY COUNCIL AUSTRALIA LIMITED