Journalists: Steve Andrew, Rajiv Maharaj. Managing Editor: Peter Schwab, peter.schwab@tr.com and Ph (02) 8587 7681. Twitter: @WorkforceTR
Editorial Team
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Unions say penalty rate cuts a ‘miscarriage' in Fed Ct challenge
Two unions wrapped up their Federal Court challenge against penalty rate cuts in Melbourne today (September 28), describing the Fair Work Commission's (FWC) full bench decision a “miscarriage”. In the third and final day of hearings before five Federal Court judges, Herman Borenstein QC, representing United Voice (UV) and theShop Distri...
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WA IRC puts brakes on police pay campaign
The Western Australia Police Union (WAPU) says it is “frustrated and angry” with a WA Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC) order that it halt a planned escalation of its police pay campaign. Citing public-safety grounds, the cmn on Tuesday (September 26) ordered the WAPU and its members not to proceed with stage three of the industri...
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ACTU seeks to end ‘legalised exploitation' of migrant workers
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is advocating for labour mobility clauses to be removed from trade deals to stamp out alleged exploitation of migrant workers. An ACTU submission to a review of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) being conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) claims “secretive...
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Kearney to serve out her term
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU has told Workforce D aily its president Ged Kearney will serve out her term ahead of seeking to contest the Victorian seat of Brunswick in the next Victorian state election ( WFD 27/09/17 ) . Kearney is expected to stand down at the ACTU Congress in July 2018. The state election is planned for November 2...
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Fed Court dismisses Atkins $374k truckies underpayment appeal case
WFD: The Federal Court has dismissed an Adelaide transport company's appeal that sought to overturn an underpayments order on the basis two workers were already covered by a deed of settlement absolving the company of liability. In July last year, the South Australian Industrial Relations Court ordered Atkins Freight Services Pty Ltd to pay 10 truc...
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UV wraps up submissions in penalty rates appeal
WFD: United Voice (UV) has wrapped up its submissions on the second day of a three-day Federal Court appeal against the Fair Work Commission full bench's quashing of weekend and public holiday penalty rates of hospitality workers ( WF 05/07/17 , 23/06/17 ). Throughout this morning's hearing, the judges focused on what caused the bench to reduce rat...
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Kearney to contest Brunswick seat
WFD: At press time (September 27), Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) confirmed its president Ged Kearney has nominated to seek pre-selection for the Victorian Labor Party to contest the state seat of Brunswick.
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Govt coy on process for replacing ABCC head
WFD: The Federal Government has refused to fuel speculation about the replacement for outgoing Australian Building and Construction Commission head Nigel Hadgkiss, who serves his last day at the cmn this week ( WF 20/09/17 ) Workforce Daily yesterday (September 25) asked the ABCC who will be the interim head when Hadgkiss leaves - and the timeline ...
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Systemic Catholic teachers to vote from Friday on likely strike action
WFD: Teachers at Catholic systemic schools in NSW and the ACT are expected to vote in favour of strike action, in a protected action ballot starting Friday (September 29) ( WF 15/09/17 ). The Independent Education Union (IEU) told Workforce Daily this morning (September 26) the ballot will close on October 20. Teachers at the bulk of the 550 school...
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CFMEU cops adverse action after organiser threatens ex-members
WFD: The Federal Court has ruled Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) organiser Brad Upton and the union took adverse action when he verbally abused and threatened workers who resigned as members at the Gorgon LNG Project within days of the union successfully negotiating an enterprise agreement. In a case brought by the Australian Buil...
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Federal public sector shrinking, getting older and more female
WFD: Latest statistics reveal the Federal public sector is smaller, aging and increasingly female. Australian Public Service (APS) commissioner John Lloyd released the 2016-17 APS Statistical Bulletin showing changes within the APS at June 30, 2017. The total number of workers has fallen (152,095 compared to a 2012 peak of 167,331); part-time worke...
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Unilever under fire for emoji ban
WFD : Ice cream manufacturer Streets has come under fire from unions after a leaked memo revealed the company has banned workers from, among other things, using angry emojis to respond to any posts "related to a company matter". The two-page memo has been widely circulated on social media in recent days and, not surprisingly, unions have joined in ...
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WA public service EA gets union backing, but 3,000 jobs to go
WFD: The WA Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU/CSA) has given in-principle agreement to a new enterprise agreement (EA) covering Western Australia's 40,000 state public sector workers. The in-principle agreement comes just weeks after the new Labor government announced in its State Budget 3,000 public service jobs will go under a 12-month volu...
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NTEU closes Sydney Uni EA deal despite campus branch splinter
WFD: University of Sydney has reached an in-principle agreement with unions on a new enterprise agreement (EA) despite a split in the campus leadership of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU). The Sydney Uni deal with the NTEU and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) - voted on last Thursday (September 21) - means strikes scheduled ...
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Manager's abandonment of dismissal claim didn't justify costs
WFD: An office manager's continuance of an unfair dismissal claim despite "compelling" Supreme Court opinion she embezzled money from the business didn't justify a costs order against her or her lawyer, the Fair Work Commission has ruled. Rejecting Fanissa Pty Ltd's application for costs, Commissioner Leigh Johns found neither Tanya Versace nor her...
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Woolies fails in separate actions to block unfair dismissal applications
WFD : Woolies has come off second best in separate Fair Work Commission (FWC) rulings involving workers it sacked. In the first matter, the retail giant unsuccessfully objected to the FWC hearing an unfair dismissal application from a sacked Woolworths Petrol worker in South Australia. It argued Russell Penttila's repeated failure to attend concili...
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Editorial Team
Journalists: Steve Andrew, Rajiv Maharaj. Managing Editors: Helen Jones, Peter Schwab. Contract Peter Schwab at peter.schwab@tr.com and Ph (02) 8587 7681. Twitter: @WorkforceTR
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Organiser's past convictions ‘not sufficient to void RoE permit'
A NSW union organiser with past convictions for assault, stalking/intimidation and obtaining money by deception more than eight years ago is a “fit and proper” person to hold a right-of-entry permit, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has found. Commissioner Tony Saunders found Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union state organiser...
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$200k-a-year s457 worker ruled not unfairly sacked
A s457 visa holder serving a probationary period was sacked from her senior management role for poor performance and not for a prohibited reason, the Federal Circuit Court has found. Tossing out Ilmira Maxutova's claim for $438k in damages, Judge Alister McNab found lack of performance - not illness and a complaint she made about her workload - the...
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