LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

Swearing ruling lowers bar on behaviour

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Nov-17

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union official Brad Upton is not a "fit and proper" person to hold a workplace right-of-entry permit. The ruling concerns his use of offensive language while addressing workers at the Gorgon LNG project. Meanwhile, the FWC has issued a separate ruling in which South32 was ordered to reinstate a CFMEU official for using similar language and making physical threats against eight workers.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, K&L GATES LLP, CLAYTON UTZ, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

Coalmine is not a convent when talking abuse

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 7-Nov-17

The Fair Work Commission has upheld an unfair dismissal claim against mining company South32. The company had dismissed Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union delegate Matthew Gosek as a result of his use of abusive language and physical threats against eight co-workers. In upholding Gosek’s challenge against his dismissal, FWC Commissioner Bernie Riordan noted Gosek had been affected by a combination of alcohol and anti-depressants at the time, and that bad language was commonplace in the workplace. Industrial relations lawyer Stuart Wood says the FWC’s decision could be seen as condoning union bullying.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION,SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32,ILLAWARRA COAL PTY LTD,GLENCORE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD,CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Four super funds paid millions to CFMEU

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 6-Nov-17

Four industry superannuation funds made total payments of over $A12 million to the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union between 2007 and 2016, according to the Australian Electoral Commission. The union-backed funds, which include Cbus and FirstSuper, state the payments covered sponsorship arrangements and fees for union officials for sitting on their boards, but Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer is concerned that the AEC figures do not reflect the full scope of fund payments to unions.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, FIRST SUPER PTY LTD, BUSS (QUEENSLAND) PTY LTD, MINE WEALTH AND WELLBEING

Minister rebuffs ACTU pay push

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 3-Nov-17

The ACTU is seeking to have the minimum wage increased to 60 per cent of the median wage. This would equate to an $A80-per-week rise in the minimum wage, which ACTU secretary Sally McManus says should be phased in as quickly as possible. However, employers’ groups warn that a sharp rise in the minimum wage would deter businesses from taking on more staff, while Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has ruled out any changes to the existing minimum wage regime.

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

CFMEU agrees to 35pc cut to Griffin Coal pay

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

Workers at Griffin Coal’s Collie mine in Western Australia face reduced working hours and pay rates under a proposed enterprise agreement. The new pay deal, which would cut hourly pay rates by 25 per cent and annual earnings by 35 per cent, has the support of the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union. State secretary Gary Wood says both unions and Griffin have accepted compromises to secure the pay deal, amid uncertainty regarding future bank financing for the mine.

CORPORATES
THE GRIFFIN COAL MINING COMPANY PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LANCO RESOURCES, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, ICIC BANK

Minimum wage must go: unions

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 1 : 2-Nov-17

The ACTU will push for the minimum wage to be replaced by a "living wage", which would be set at 60 per cent of the median wage. ACTU secretary Sally McManus argues that three million Australians are living below the poverty line due to the minimum wage system, and notes that the Fair Work Commission had conceded that the 3.3 per cent increase in the minimum wage in 2017 will still leave many workers in poverty. She adds that a living wage should be high enough to ensure that families can pay for necessities as well as any unexpected expenses.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Unions to take attack on Cash to marginals

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 31-Oct-17

ACTU secretary Sally McManus says growth in wages has reached a record low since Michaelia Cash became the Employment Minister. The union movement intends to highlight Cash’s ministerial record in an advertising campaign that will focus on Coalition-held marginal seats in Western Australia. Cash has continued to attract scrutiny after her office leaked details of a police raid on Australian Workers’ Union offices.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Unions blasted for ‘owning Labor lock, stock and barrel’

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Original article by Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 2 : 27-Oct-17

Liberal-National Party leader Tim Nicholls says documents obtained under Right to Information law demonstrate the links between the Queensland Government and unions. He has accused the state branch of the Australian Labor Party of being "owned" by unions in the wake of revelations that Energy Minister Mark Bailey communicated with Electrical Trades Union official Peter Simpson via a personal email account during the union’s wage negotiations with a state-owned energy utility.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF ENERGY AND WATER SUPPLY, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Cash staves off calls to quit, calls in cops

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 27-Oct-17

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash continues to attract scrutiny over allegations that her office leaked details of a police raid on the offices of the Australian Workers’ Union. She has suggested that the Australian Federal Police should investigate the source of the leak, and raised the possibility that it may have been the Registered Organisations Commission. Meanwhile, the Opposition has accused Cash of misleading Parliament after stating that her office was not the source of the leak. Her media adviser subsequently resigned after admitting that he had given the media advance notice of the raids.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN

Unions might take to Streets – and find a dead end

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Original article by Niki Savva
The Australian – Page: 14 : 26-Oct-17

Production of Streets ice creams in Australia may be at risk if Unilever fails in its bid to have an enterprise agreement terminated. It has told the Fair Work Commission that the Streets factory in the Sydney suburb of Minto has significantly higher operating costs than most of its plants worldwide. Minto employees are also paid 25 per cent more than the average wage in Australia. ACTU secretary Sally McManus has proposed a boycott of Streets products, but Unilever Australia CEO Clive Stiff has warned that it could prompt Unilever to cease local manufacturing. He adds that Peters would almost certainly do so as well.

CORPORATES
UNILEVER AUSTRALIA LIMITED, UNILEVER PLC, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, GM HOLDEN LIMITED, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET