LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

Union pay rises exploit PM’s code

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 23-Aug-17

Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn says pay rates in a proposed new enterprise bargaining agreement in the building industry are "unsustainable" and will increase the cost of federally-funded construction projects. The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union’s in-principle agreement includes a pay rise of five per cent and higher penalty rates, with penalty rates of up to 300 per cent for working during Christmas and Easter. The new pay deal is aimed at compensating CFMEU members for the removal of union-friendly ­conditions from EBAs in order to comply with the Federal Government’s building code.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, PROBUILD PTY LTD, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, DE MARTIN AND GASPARINI PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

‘Orwellian merger test an affront to democracy’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 18-Aug-17

The Federal Government’s proposal to subject trade union mergers to a public interest test has been criticised by ACTU secretary Sally McManus. Factors such as a union’s history of compliance with workplace laws and the merger’s effect on businesses would be taken into account when deciding whether to approve it. McManus claims that the bill breaches the International Labour Organization’s conventions on freedom of association, and that the Government is using the bill as a distraction.

CORPORATES
ACTU, INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Probe for Shorten over AWU’s GetUp! donation

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Original article by Brad Norington
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 16-Aug-17

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has formally referred a union donation to activist group GetUp to the Registered Organisations Commission. The Australian Workers’ Union made the donation of about $A100,000 in 2005, when current Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was the union’s national secretary. A spokesman for Shorten has indicated that the donation had been approved by the AWU’s national executive. However, some members of the national executive at the time say they have no recollection of the donation being formally approved.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, GETUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

CFMEU loss as bench rules code-compliant deal OK

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 16-Aug-17

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that Lendlease Engineering’s enterprise bargaining agreement in New South Wales is valid. The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union had appealed against the FWC’s June 2017 decision to approve the EBA, which complies with the Federal Government’s building code. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has urged the CFMEU to negotiate code-compliant EBAs. Cash also wants union mergers to be subject to a public-interest test.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL UNION OF WORKERS, UNITED VOICE, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY

CFMEU’s Setka to fight charge

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Original article by Pia Akerman
The Australian – Page: 3 : 15-Aug-17

The Supreme Court of Victoria has ruled that criminal charges of blackmail laid against two Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union officials should proceed. The CFMEU had sought to have the charges deemed invalid on the grounds that the alleged blackmail occurred during an industrial dispute. The charges against CFMEU Victorian secretary John Setka and his deputy Shaun Reardon relate to allegations of blackmail against two Boral executives in 2013. The CFMEU is expected to appeal against the court’s ruling.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, GROCON PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION

PM bid to block super union

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Aug-17

The Fair Work Commission is expected to issue a ruling on the proposed merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia by the end of 2107. However, the Federal Government hopes to block the merger by seeking an amendment to the Fair Work (Registered Organisations Act) that would require the FWC to subject union mergers to a public-interest test. The CFMEU has criticised the move, but representatives of the mining and resources sector have lobbied the Government to block the merger.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES

Bluescope wins labour dispute

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 23 : 10-Aug-17

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that it was appropriate for Bluescope Steel to hire contract labour to cope with a seasonal rise in demand at its steel mill in Victoria, rather than employing permanent employees for just eight weeks. The steel-maker had contended that its enterprise agreement allowed it to hire temporary workers without obtaining the consent of unions, an argument which had been rejected by the Australian Workers’ Union. BlueScope also argued that overtime restrictions prevented it from using existing staff, which the AWU also disputed.

CORPORATES
BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES

Unlawful strikes cost ‘woeful’ CFMEU $300,000

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 7 : 4-Aug-17

The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union has been ordered to pay $A300,000 in fines arising from unprotected strike action at three Queensland building sites in May 2011. The Federal Court described the CFMEU as a "recidivist" with a long history of failing to comply with workplace laws. The Communications, Electrical & Plumbing Union has been fined $A130,000 for participating in the unlawful strike action, and the court noted that it has a better record of complying with workplace laws than the CFMEU.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, COMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC, ENERGY, INFORMATION, POSTAL, PLUMBING AND ALLIED SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Labor to re-arm unions in inequality fightback

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 3-Aug-17

The Opposition’s industrial relations spokesman Brendan O’Connor has flagged a greater role for unions in enterprise agreement negotiations if the Australian Labor Party wins the next federal election. He has used a Sydney Institute speech to argue that employers now have too much bargaining power in wage negotiations, and noted that there has been a marked shift toward industrial award at the expense of collective agreements since 2008. He also questioned the effectiveness of the Fair Work Act and whether the Fair Work Commission’s powers are sufficient.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SYDNEY INSTITUTE, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

ANZ restructure raises union fears of significant job losses

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman, James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 1-Aug-17

ANZ Bank CEO Shayne Elliott will emphasis on 1 August 2017 via a video to all staff that its Australasian focus is on retail customers and on corporate customers in Asia. The video will follow on from a message sent by Elliott on the previous day in which he called for changes to ANZ’s work practices and flexibility. Julia Angrisano of the Finance Sector Union says it is concerned that what appears to be a major reorganisation by ANZ will lead to job cuts at the bank.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, FINANCE SECTOR UNION, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, ST GEORGE BANK LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG