LABOR UNIONS – AUSTRALIA

Union accused of bad faith over new work bans

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Original article by Nick Bonyhady
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 10-Jan-24

The Maritime Union of Australia may seek to expand its industrial action against container terminal operator DP World Australia. Amongst other things, the MUA has indicated that it may delay arriving cargo ships for 16 hours and impose indefinite work bans on some vessels. DP World and the MUA commenced three days of negotiations on Tuesday, the same day the union flagged a potential escalation of the industrial action in documents sent to DP World. Nicolaj Noes has questioned whether the MUA is bargaining in good faith, given that the papers are dated 6 January.

CORPORATES
MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, DP WORLD AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DP WORLD

Union bosses demand cost-of-living relief as PM flags further measures

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Original article by Paul Sakkal
The Age – Page: Online : 29-Nov-23

Prime Minister Albanese has told Labor MPs that the cost-of-living crisis has been at the top of the federal government’s top agenda, but he acknowledged that it must do more to assist households in the next year. ACTU secretary Sally McManus and the CFMEU’s national secretary Zach Smith have urged the government to make cost-of-living relief a priority; the latter has advocated measures such as a super profits tax on big business and short-term measures such as cutting the fuel excise or subsidising energy bills.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

ACTU calls for fairer, stronger IR reform

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 6 : 25-Oct-23

The ACTU has used its submission to the Senate’s inquiry into the Closing Loopholes Bill to propose 44 amendments that it claims would improve the legislation. Amongst other things, the peak union body wants the "employee-like" provisions of the bill to be expanded to all employees with such arrangements, rather than just gig economy workers. It also wants the Fair Work Commission to have powers to arbitrate on the question of whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, and for superannuation to be included in the provisions of the bill regarding wage theft.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Virgin ground crews set to strike over pay deal

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Original article by Ayesha de Kretser
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 24-Oct-23

The Transport Workers’ Union has applied to the Fair Work Commission to undertake a ballot on protected industrial action by Virgin Australia’s ground staff. The TWU’s assistant national secretary Nick McIntosh says Virgin has some of the lowest pay and conditions across the sector. The union has rejected Virgin’s proposed three-year wage deal, which includes a pay rise of between three per cent and 12.8 per cent in the first year, and three per cent in the following two years. Virgin’s cabin crew are also seeking a pay rise.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Right to disconnect from work should be law: union

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Original article by Helen Trinca
The Australian – Page: 19 : 26-Jul-23

The Australian Services Union is pushing for the right to disconnect from work to be enshrined in the Fair Work Act. The ASU’s assistant national secretary Emeline Gaske notes that a growing number of countries are introducing a legislated right for employees to refuse to answer work-related emails or phone calls outside of their standard working hours. An ASU survey of clerical and administrative workers across several industries has found, amongst other things, that one in three respondents are expected to perform work outside their scheduled work hours; in addition, half of all workers feel pressured to take calls or monitor emails outside of work hours.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SERVICES UNION

Chalmers won’t back the unions on jobless target

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Jul-23

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he will not ‘pre-empt’ the monetary policy decisions that incoming Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock might recommend to its board. Chalmers adds that it "remains to be seen" as to whether inflation can be brought under control with higher levels of employment, and he says inflation is the main challenge facing the domestic economy. The ACTU has called for a "reset" of the RBA’s full employment target in the wake of Bullock’s appointment, while Australian Workers Union secretary Paul Farrow said the RBA should redefine full employment as being "understood as zero involuntary unemployment". Bullock had suggested in June that the unemployment rate will have to rise to 4.5 per cent to restore inflation to the target range of 2-3 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES

Virgin first to test Labor’s bargaining laws

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 28-Jun-23

The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association will oppose Virgin Australia Regional Airlines’ application to the Fair Work Commission for an "intractable bargaining" declaration. The ALAEA’s federal secretary Steve Purvinas says the union does not believe that the Virgin Australia subsidiary meets the requirements of the ‘Secure Jobs, Better Pay’ amendments to the Fair Work Act that took effect in early June. VARA commenced enterprise bargaining negotiations with the ALAEA in February 2021.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA REGIONAL AIRLINES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LICENSED AIRCRAFT ENGINEERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Svitzer agrees to one-year outsourcing ban

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 14-Jun-23

Some 63 per cent of Svitzer Australia employees have voted in favour of the tugboat operator’s new four-year enterprise agreement. The Maritime Union of Australia withdrew its support for the agreement in the lead-up to the ballot, although the deal had the support of the Australian Institute of Marine & Power Engineers. Svitzer has agreed to some concessions after nearly four years of negotiations; amongst other things, it has given an undertaking to not outsource work performed by its employees during the first year of the agreement.

CORPORATES
SVITZER AUSTRALASIA SERVICES PTY LTD, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MARINE AND POWER ENGINEERS

Union fights BHP labour-hire pay

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 24-May-23

The Mining & Energy Union has applied to the Fair Work Commission to hold a ballot on protected industrial action against BHP regarding its in-house labour hire firm. The proposed industrial action by employees of BHP’s Operation Services division follows nearly six months of negotiations over a new pay deal, which has been rejected by a majority of the 4,500-strong workforce. The union also wants the FWC to reject a new maintenance agreement that was backed by a majority of OS staff in March; the union contends that BHP did not properly explain to workers the difference in pay and hours between the industry award and this agreement.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, MINING AND ENERGY UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

NAB faces test case over unpaid overtime

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 8-Mar-23

The issue of ‘reasonable additional hours’ for white-collar workers will come under scrutiny in a test case launched by the Finance Sector Union. The case centres on four National Australia Bank managers who allege that they were required to work unreasonable unpaid hours over several years. The FSU’s national secretary Julia Angrisano says the NAB managers are nominally employed to work 38 hours a week, but their actual hours can range between 10 and 16 hours per day, every day of the week. Angrisano adds that the FSU will seek compensation for all of NAB’s managers if it wins the test case, while it would also pursue action against the nation’s other major banks.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, FINANCE SECTOR UNION