A workplace ban on employees accessing leave to participate in a union-led rally on Monday has been overturned, on an interlocutory basis, by the Federal Circuit Court, after it accepted the ETU's argument that the move breached workers' general protections.
The MUA has told the FWC that sacked stevedoring workers at Hutchison's Port Botany terminal, who last night temporarily won their jobs back, have been unable to do so because security guards are preventing access to the site.
The Federal Court has this evening granted an interlocutory order sought by the MUA to stop stevedore Hutchison Ports from proceeding with plans to dismiss almost 100 employees at its Sydney and Brisbane container terminals.
The MUA told an interlocutory hearing in Brisbane today that stevedore Hutchison should reinstate 97 workers from its Port Botany and Brisbane container terminals, because the company had breached its agreement when it engaged in tokenistic rather than substantive consultation with its workforce.
The ACTU is seeking to build opposition to cutting weekend penalty rates through a mass door-knock in marginal seats across Australia in mid-September, while employer associations are pushing crossbench senators to back the Government's bill to re-establish the ABCC.
Five waterfront workers have been awarded a total of $120,000 in compensation for the emotional distress they suffered after the MUA named them in "scab posters" that had them fearing for their safety.
The Federal Circuit Court has fined construction company Baulderstone $25,000 for taking adverse action against a worker who resigned his CFMEU membership, along with $7000 in penalties for two HR managers who were carrying out orders and failed to "exercise their choice" to refuse to comply.
The MUA has denied it is orchestrating picket lines outside Hutchinson's Port Botany and Brisbane container terminals after the FWC issued an updated anti-strike order prohibiting it from organising further protests.
A former general manager of the CFMEU's NSW branch objected in 2005 to a proposed $100,000 "donation" from the builder Thiess Hochtief, the Heydon Royal Commission heard today.
