LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

Unions push for casual worker rights

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 17-Mar-15

The ACTU wants casual workers to have a legal right to compulsory arbitration when employers do not "bargain in good faith". The ACTU will present its views on the matter in a submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into workplace relations. The Australian Industry Group argues in its submission that workplace agreements should include a mandatory clause about measures to improve productivity

CORPORATES
ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Unions want more say on Labor leader

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 10-Mar-15

The Australian Labor Party’s rules for electing a federal leader will come under scrutiny at its triennial National Conference in July 2015. Ex-prime minister Kevin Rudd gained caucus approval in mid-2013 for changes which gave caucus and Labor’s rank-and-file members an equal say in the selection of a new party leader. However, the Transport Workers’ Union wants further changes which would give union members an equal vote in selecting a party leader. The push is supported by the Rail, Tram & Bus Union

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

Unions seek part-time guarantee

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Original article by Joanna Heath, Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Feb-15

Employers’ groups want the Fair Work Commission’s review of the modern awards system to include changes to penalty rates for people who work on weekends and public holidays. Meanwhile, the ACTU’s submission to the review will argue the case for employers to have a legal requirement to offer flexible working arrangements to female workers who return to work after having a baby. Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Kate Carnell warns that this could deter employers from hiring women

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ASSOCIATION

Weapons drawn in IR battle

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Jan-15

An issues paper has been made public by the Productivity Commission, for its investigation of Australia’s industrial relations system. While the focus on reform of the Fair Work Act is being applauded by the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Industry Group, the Council of Small Business of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Indus­try, the ACTU union umbrella group sees it as dominated by the "obsession" of the Federal Government with penalty rates and individual workplace agreements. Enterprise bargaining and the minimum wage are also on the agenda

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FRIENDS

Qantas workers to vote on EBA

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Original article by Steve Creedy
The Australian – Page: 17 : 14-Jan-15

Qantas Airways has informed the market that a new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) has been approved by 130 staff after negotiations with the United Voice union. A majority of 61% voted for the deal, which includes a moratorium on wage rises for 1.5 years. However a far larger number of employees, represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), will vote on their EBA in February 2015. The TWU has been very vocal in the past in its criticism of Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, but has agreed to a similar wage freeze to be followed by increases of 3% per annum

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, UNITED VOICE

Aurizon’s Qld staff to vote on strike action

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Original article by Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 8-Dec-14

The Rail, Tram & Bus Union’s Queensland state secretary Owen Doogan expects Aurizon Holdings staff to vote in favour of protected industrial action over a new enterprise agreement. The ballot closes on 10 December 2014, while an Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Employees ballot closes later in the month. The proposed agreement will enable the rail group to make staff redundant

CORPORATES
AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, AUSTRALIAN RAIL, TRAM AND BUS INDUSTRY UNION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERATED UNION OF LOCOMOTIVE EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

ABC in apology over gaffe on gas

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Original article by Sid Maher
The Australian – Page: 19 : 7-Oct-14

The ABC recently repeated a claim made by the Australian Workers’ Union on a website, that all other gas-producing countries had a domestic gas supply reservation policy. This was disputed by the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association lobby group, and CEO David Byers has now accepted a formal apology for the incorrect statement from the public broadcaster

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, RADIO NATIONAL

Steely Gillard stares down corruption questions

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis, Hannah Low
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 11-Sep-14

Former prime minister Julia Gillard has appeared before the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption. She told the commission on 10 September 2014 that she did not receive any financial benefit from a union slush fund which she helped to set up in 1992. Funds from the Australian Workers’ Union Workplace Reform Association were subsequently misused by Gillard’s then boyfriend, Bruce Wilson. Gillard told the commission that, in hindsight, she would have acted differently

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION – WORKPLACE REFORM ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Steely Gillard stares down corruption questions

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis, Hannah Low
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 11-Sep-14

Former prime minister Julia Gillard has appeared before the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption. She told the commission on 10 September 2014 that she did not receive any financial benefit from a union slush fund which she helped to set up in 1992. Funds from the Australian Workers’ Union Workplace Reform Association were subsequently misused by Gillard’s then boyfriend, Bruce Wilson. Gillard told the commission that, in hindsight, she would have acted differently

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION – WORKPLACE REFORM ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED, HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Kathy Jackson hires a lawyer after union inquiry ‘ambush’

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 31-Jul-14

The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption has been told that Health Services Union official Kathy Jackson withdrew A$50,000 from a union "slush fund" in 2009 and gave the money to her ex-husband. When confronted with evidence of the withdrawals at a hearing on 30 July 2014, Jackson asked for legal representation, and the hearing was adjourned. She later complained to journalists that she had been "ambushed"

CORPORATES
HEALTH SERVICES UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, NATIONAL HEALTH DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, PETER MACCALLUM CANCER INSTITUTE