SUBCONTRACTORS – AUSTRALIA

New IR laws won’t hurt tradies, minister vows

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 25-May-23

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has emphasised that tradespersons and subcontractors in the construction industry will not be significantly affected by the federal government’s second tranche of industrial relations reforms. Burke says the new minimum standards for ’employee-like’ independent contractors will apply only to gig economy workers. His comments have been welcomed by Master Builders Australia’s acting CEO Shaun Schmitke; however, he says the government should make it explicitly clear that the legislation will be limited to gig-economy workers and provide an undertaking to exclude other industries before the legislation is introduced.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Builder insolvencies soar, subbies call for safety net

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 6-Jun-19

Data from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission highlights the impact of the slowing residential market on the construction industry. Some 153 building firms across Australia were placed in administration during March, including 64 in New South Wales. Subcontractors have backed a 2017 proposal to establish deemed statutory trusts, which would ‘ringfence’ payments to subcontractors for projects worth more than $1m.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, SUBCONTRACTORS ALLIANCE, HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED, SCHIAVELLO GROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN

Turnbull in race to save IR agenda

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Nov-16

The Australian Government has agreed to introduce a proposed "security of payments" regime for subcontractors in order to gain Senate crossbenchers’ support for a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. However, the increased protection for subcontractors will be conditional on the passage of the ABCC bill through the upper house. Meanwhile, Senator Nick Xenophon will continue to push for increased water flows in the Murray-Darling river system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND MINES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Coles slammed over pay rorts

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Original article by Michael Owen
The Australian – Page: 4 : 10-Mar-16

Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James has criticised Coles for failing to ensure that supermarket trolley collectors employed by sub-contractors were being paid their full wages. She says large companies can expect to be held accountable for wage exploitation in all levels of the supply chain. The FWO has successfully prosecuted two trolley collection businesses that underpaid staff in Adelaide. Coles has also agreed to provide the employees with substantial back pay.

CORPORATES
COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, STARLINK OPERATIONS GROUP PTY LTD

Building firms running unlawful ‘closed shop’, says watchdog

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 7-Mar-16

The director of Fair Work Building & Construction, Nigel Hadgkiss, has warned that a growing number of Australian employers are engaging in unlawful conduct. Some 18 of the 69 investigations being undertaken by the agency concern the conduct of employers. Hadgkiss notes that employers are frequently forcing subcontractors off building sites if they do not have enterprise agreements with the militant Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union.

CORPORATES
FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT OF AUSTRALIA, FOREST MEIERS CONSTRUCTION PTY LTD, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Union rushes to enlist

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 4-Jul-14

Construction groups such as Lend Lease and Leighton Holdings off-shoot John Holland are warning subcontractors that they will have to comply with a new building and construction industry code. However the relevant legislation has not yet been passed by the senate, with the Federal Government needing the votes of the Palmer United Party and independents. The Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union is busy signing up subcontractors to an enterprise agreement. It hopes that if sufficient numbers can be reached, it will be easier to convince senators to vote against the reinstatement of the Australian Building & Construction Commission, which would enforce the code

CORPORATES
LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, LEIGHTON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX LEI, JOHN HOLLAND PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES PTY LTD, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS