LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

ABCC could lead to rise in wages

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 18-Nov-16

Alice DeBoos, a partner at law firm K&L Gates, warns that wages in the construction sector could increase due to the Federal Government’s proposed building code. She says enterprise bargaining agreements that have been made since April 2014 will need to be renegotiated in order to comply with the code, and unions will seek a trade-off in return for scrapping non-compliant clauses. Senator Nick Xenophon and the Australian Industry Group have also expressed concern about the retrospective nature of the code.

CORPORATES
K&L GATES LLP, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Public service union wins ABC staff pay rise

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 28-Oct-16

The Community & Public Sector Union’s national secretary, Nadine Flood, has welcomed a new enterprise agreement for ABC employees. She notes that while not all of the union’s demands have been met, the new pay deal is much better than the initial offer from the public broadcaster’s management. The ABC put the pay deal directly to staff after negotiations with the union broke down. Amongst other things, ABC staff will receive an annual two per cent pay rise over three years, domestic violence leave and a two-week increase in paid parental leave.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION

Hanson to back building watchdog

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Original article by Ean Higgins
The Australian – Page: 4 : 25-Oct-16

One Nation’s caucus will decide whether to support legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission on 7 November 2016. Party leader Pauline Hanson has given indications that One Nation is likely to back the legislation, which has already been passed by the lower house. Hanson says many business owners have expressed concern about the bullying tactics used by unions. Hanson also supports allowing the Adler shotgun to be legally imported.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

ABCC bill could shut out companies

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Oct-16

The Federal Government will not back down on its plan to make a national building code retrospective as part of its legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. The code will apply to all enterprise agreements that have been made since 2014, and compliance with the code will be a condition of being granted federal construction contracts. However, some pattern bargaining agreements struck by the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Electrical Trades Union in Victoria and Queensland would not comply with the proposed code.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

BHP says black lung levy not needed

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Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 13-Oct-16

The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union has proposed compensating Queensland coal miners who have contracted black lung disease via a levy on coal output. However, BHP Billiton argues that the state’s workers’ compensation scheme is sufficient and the he levy of $A0.10 per tonne is unnecessary. Three of the resources group’s employees have contracted black lung disease, and 16 cases have been confirmed across the state’s coal mining sector since 2015.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND MINES

Unions want four-year wage targets

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 11-Oct-16

United Voice, which represents hospitality industry workers, claims that the minimum wage now comprises just 53 per cent of median earnings, compared with 62 per cent in 1997. The union’s submission to the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review argues for the introduction of a "floor" to ensure that the minimum wage does not fall below 60 per cent of the median wage. United Voice also proposes the introduction of four-year targets for increases in the minimum wage.

CORPORATES
UNITED VOICE, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, CONSERVATIVE PARTY (GREAT BRITAIN)

Jackson silent as 70 charges laid bare

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Original article by Pia Akerman
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 20-Sep-16

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court has imposed strict bail conditions on the Health Services Union’s former national secretary, Kathy Jackson. She will return to court for a committal hearing in January 2017, when she will face 70 charges of fraud and theft relating to the unauthorised use of the union’s funds. Amongst other things, Jackson is accused of transferring union funds to her personal bank account and paying for personal expenses with the union’s credit cards. Jackson could face up to 10 years in jail if she is convicted.

CORPORATES
HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE MAGISTRATES’ COURT, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, LAWSONS AUCTIONEERS AND VALUERS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Strikes to smash families’ holidays

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 3 : 15-Sep-16

The Community & Public Sector Union has flagged industrial action by Department of Immigration & Border Force employees between 26 September and 2 October 2016. The escalating dispute over a new enterprise agreement is expected to result in strike action at Australia’s international airports and cruise ship terminals, as well as cargo ports. The industrial action will coincide with school holidays in some states, which has attracted criticism from Employment Minister Michaelia Cash.

CORPORATES
COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Union deals make project costs double US

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Original article by Rick Wallace
The Australian – Page: 5 : 12-Sep-16

A report produced by the Menzies Research Centre and the HR Nicholls Society highlights the impact that union influence has on construction costs in Australia. The report concludes that the cost of building infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and airports is typically much higher than in the US. It cites a range of factors, including high labour costs and excessive wage claims, the pattern bargaining system and rostered days off. The report supports measures such as reinstatement of the Australian Building & Construction Commission.

CORPORATES
THE MENZIES RESEARCH CENTRE LIMITED, HR NICHOLLS SOCIETY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, BUSINESS COUNCIL (UNITED STATES), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Labor Right union wants exclusion from bullying laws

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Sep-16

The Communications, Electrical & Plumbing Union is seeking an exemption from anti-bullying laws. The union argues that it is not a "constitutionally covered business" and, therefore, bullying claims made by one of its official against another are outside the anti-bullying jurisdiction. Val Butler, a member of the union’s national council, accused divisional assistant secretary John O’Donnell of bullying and harassment. The matter will be considered at a special full bench hearing of the Fair Work Commission in October 2016.

CORPORATES
COMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC, ENERGY, INFORMATION, POSTAL, PLUMBING AND ALLIED SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, FINANCE SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY