A High Court challenge launched by ousted leaders of the CFMEU construction division's Queensland branch seeks an urgent hearing to deal with claims the Albanese Government's administration scheme is unconstitutional and intended to gag the division in the lead-up to the next federal election.
FWC general manager Murray Furlong has withdrawn his Federal Court application to put the CFMEU's construction and general division into administration, after the Albanese Government passed legislation to serve the same purpose.
NSW IR Minister Sophie Cotsis has told Parliament a bill to place the CFMEU construction and general division's State branch into administration for five years "strikes the balance" between not interfering in unions' important role and stamping out "corruption and gross misconduct".
The High Court has granted the ACCC special leave to challenge the full Federal Court's quashing of a finding that the CFMEU's construction division induced and had knowing involvement in major building company J Hutchinson's unlawful boycott of a non-union waterproofing subcontractor.
The CFMEU construction and general division's national office has appointed high-profile silk Geoffrey Watson to investigate allegations of criminal wrongdoing in some branches.
The federal secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers' Association, Steve Purvinas, has dropped his court case against members of his executive after they shelved moves to curtail his role.
The FWC has urged the AWU to address its unfair dismissal claim lodgement processes after the union revealed its use of an internal case management system has again played a role in an out-of-time application.
An internal power struggle is underway at the small but industrially significant aviation union, the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers' Association, with Federal Court documents revealing efforts to curtail the federal secretary's role.
The FWC's registered organisations branch has certified rule changes for a prison officers' union stemming from an enforceable undertaking made after the CPSU-SPSF disclosed alleged misconduct in branch elections.
ASU officials will no longer have to be escorted to the bathroom when exercising entry rights at the ATO after the FWC found it an unreasonable request, while giving union delegates "time release" to accompany them would be "frankly quite ridiculous".
