LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

Rudd tells Shorten: expel CFMEU militants

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 24-Oct-17

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd says the Australian Labor Party should sever its ties with the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union due to its failure to comply with industrial laws. Rudd argues that Labor must reduce the influence of unions within the party as it is hindering the development of policies aimed at economic reform. The CFMEU has been fined millions of dollars in the last several years, including a recent fine of $A2.4m for unlawful industrial action at the Barangaroo project in Sydney. Rudd’s memoir will be published on 24 October.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUILDERS’ LABOURERS’ FEDERATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION

Shorten faces ‘donation’ probe

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 23-Oct-17

The Registered Organisations Commission is believed to be investigating a $A25,000 donation by the Australian Workers’ Union to the 2007 election campaign of current Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. He had been the head of the AWU at the time. The union also made large donations to the election campaigns of two other Labor candidates. The ROC recently began a separate probe into the AWU’s donation to activist group GetUp in 2006, whose board members at the time included Shorten. Labor MP Brendan O’Connor alleges that the ROC investigations are part of a smear campaign against Shorten.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Peak penalty for ‘nefarious’ building union

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 20-Oct-17

The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union has fined a total of $A306,000 over a confrontation between former Queensland CFMEU president David Hanna and site managers at a Brisbane construction project in 2015. This is the maximum penalty at present, but Federal Circuit Court judge Salvatore Vasta said the fine would have been much greater if industrial relations laws allowed it. He noted that the CFMEU habitually breaches industrial laws and existing penalties are not acting as a deterrent.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR

Cash plan to dam union ‘rivers of gold’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 19-Oct-17

The Federal Government’s Proper Use of Worker Benefits Bill will be put before parliament on 19 October. The bill is aimed at preventing worker entitlement funds – which boast assets of about $A2bn – from making payments to either unions or employers. Some 14 unions have received an average of $A25m annually from worker entitlement funds over the last five years. Meanwhile, a bill that would enable the Government to block mergers between unions has been put on hold, as some senate crossbenchers have concerns about it.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Unions must take the blame for our car crash

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

The attitude of car workers and their unions during the period from 2012 to 2014 was the main reason why Ford, Toyota and Holden ceased building cars in Australia. Car workers enjoyed generous pay conditions, while antiquated enterprise agreements allowed unions, rather than management, to control operation of the factory floor. Holden made it clear in 2013 that it would close down its operations if workers would not agree to labour agreements that were more in line with modern work practices, but this was ignored. The sustainability of the Holden and Toyota operations was not helped by new free trade agreements.

CORPORATES
FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GM HOLDEN LIMITED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

High-stakes hearing looms for Domino’s

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Original article by Adele Ferguson
The Age – Page: 21 : 11-Oct-17

A Fair Work Commission hearing is scheduled for 1 November on an application to terminate existing enterprise agreements for Domino’s Pizza Enterprises staff. The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association applied to terminate an enterprise agreement in July, although it is continuing to hold negotiations with the fast-food group. The Retail & Fast Food Workers Union is also seeking to have a Domino’s enterprise agreement terminated. Domino’s is also being investigated over allegations of wage fraud.

CORPORATES
DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Pizza Hut must pay weekend penalties

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Oct-17

The Fair Work Commission ruled on 29 September that the national workplace agreement between Pizza Hut and the Shop Distributive & Allied Employees Association be terminated. The termination was made at the request of the SDA, but both it and Pizza Hut were not aware of the decision when asked for comment. The decision means Pizza Hut workers revert to the relevant award. As a result, their normal hourly rates will be reduced, but they will now receive full weekend and evening penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, PIZZA HUT AUSTRALIA, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, ALLEGRO FUNDS PTY LTD, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION

Taxpayers cop up to $400,000 Hadgkiss bill

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Weekend Australian – Page: 5 : 30-Sep-17

Former Australian Building & Construction Commission head Nigel Hadgkiss has been found by the Federal Court to have breached the Fair Work Act by the Federal Court. He has been directed to pay a penalty of $A8,500 for the breach, with the sum to be paid to the Construction, Forestry Mining & Energy Union. Dave Noonan from the CFMEU said it would give the money to a refuge that helps women escaping domestic violence. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said taxpayers would be footing Hadgkiss’s legal bill for the case. The amount is expected to be between $A300,000 and $A400,000.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

Green foes hit ACTU chief’s bid for seat

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 28-Sep-17

Ged Kearney will step down as president of the ACTU in July 2018 to become the Australian Labor Party’s candidate for the lower house seat of Brunswick at the Victorian election. Labor holds the seat with a margin of 2.2 per cent, and incumbent Jane Garrett will seek to move to the upper house. However, the Greens are gaining support in Melbourne’s inner-city and are seen as a real threat in the seat of Brunswick. Kearney had been widely tipped to pursue a seat in federal parliament if she entered politics.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Union demands action over ‘rogue’ building watchdog

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 20-Sep-17

The Electrical Trades Union’s national secretary Allen Hicks has criticised the Australian Building & Construction Commission for pursuing costs against the union. The ETU challenged the validity of the national building code in court earlier in 2017, but subsequently abandoned the case. However, former ABCC head Nigel Hadgkiss sought a ruling against the union on costs. Hicks argues that Hadgkiss should have been aware that there was little chance of costs being awarded, and he wants the Federal Government to ensure that the ABCC is accountable for its expenditure on litigation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, SA POWER NETWORKS, ASHURST AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA