The ETU is accusing BHP managers of breaching organisers' entry rights at a meeting of members at Port Hedland today, and will challenge the company's actions in the Federal Court, while the company contends the organisers "loudly interrupted" a crib room and "became aggressive".
In decisions confirming a need to err on the side of disclosure when seeking right-of-entry permits, the FWC has clarified that spent convictions or dismissed offences must be revealed and those quashed on appeal are treated as if they never occurred.
One of the CFMEU's most controversial officials has had his state entry permit revoked, after an IR tribunal full bench used new laws to revisit his lengthy criminal history and consider threats last year to "rip out the heart" of a sub-contractor's representative.
The ETU has failed to halt a lockout it claimed a company unlawfully initiated in response to safety inspections at a major NSW workshop, with the FWC finding the employer gave ample warning it would close the gates if workers went on strike.
A judge has refused to accept the CFMEU's claim that it can't admit to entry right breaches at a major project because "it does not know", pointing to the union's "cursory" efforts to scrutinise body-worn camera footage from its own officials.
The FWC has refreshed its advice on how it assesses whether an applicant is a "fit and proper person" to hold an entry permit, providing examples of those granted and those refused after recently issuing one to a CFMEU organiser "removed" when the union went into administration.
The Federal Court has ordered related entities ECA Training Pty Ltd and NECA Training Pty Ltd to pay $30,000 in fines for blocking two ETU officials from entering its Sydney premises to talk to apprentices.
A court has fined an employer more than $42,000 for refusing to let AMIEU NSW branch assistant secretary Jason Schultz enter its lunchroom to speak with workers the day before they were to vote on a new agreement, while also threatening to call the police.
The ANMF has put new steps in place after an industrial officer failed to return his expired entry permit and "inadvertently" continued to rely on it, while the FWC has issued a new one on the condition he refreshes his training.
Newly-introduced NSW legislation would require employers to ensure that their use of artificial intelligence, algorithms and automation does not risk worker health and safety, including by creating excessive workloads and performance metrics or unreasonably monitoring workers.
