A Federal Court full court has agreed to stay FWBC penalty action against the CFMEU and eight officials over the Grocon blockades on the basis that the same conduct has already led to criminal proceedings, but has allowed the watchdog's unlawful coercion case to continue.
A two-week lockout of CSR Gyprock workers has ended with the parties reaching an in-principle agreement, talks are scheduled for tomorrow in a bid to end a two-month lockout at building supplier Ausreo, and a nine-month standoff over unpaid allowances for Dubbo maintenance workers has been resolved in a new deal.
Building industry supplier Ausreo says it will continue its lockout at a western Sydney site - now in its seventh week - until AMWU members realise their bargaining claims are "unreasonable and unsustainable".
In a dispute that could extend to the eastern seaboard, major stevedore DP World says it will lock out its Fremantle workforce tomorrow and subcontract its work to competitor, Patrick.
In another instance of the FWBC's tougher stance under Nigel Hadgkiss, the inspectorate has begun Federal Court action against 23 workers accused of taking unprotected industrial action at the $1.8 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital project.
The Federal Court has refused to delay the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate's unlawful coercion case against the CFMEU over the 2012 Grocon blockade, finding that the company's contempt charges against the union in the Victorian Supreme Court are not criminal proceedings.
The ruling UK Conservative Party will lift the attendance threshold for strike ballots, impose a three month limit on industrial action and clamp down on picketing if it wins next year's election, while Britain's peak union body has called on the government to introduce online voting.
