The Fair Work Commission has suspended protected industrial action by CPSU members at international airports for 90 days, after finding that plans to escalate strikes posed a "serious and compelling" risk.
The MEAA's federal council has approved a rule change to create a new low-cost "associate membership" category that will enable members of the public to support its campaigns.
The MUA’s national conference has late today endorsed a merger with the CFMEU, opening the way for the plan to be put to a plebiscite of maritime union members.
MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin has talked up the need for his union to merge with the CFMEU, arguing that economies of scale will deliver better services for members.
Unions are considering a push into new areas, offering online campaigning and basic services that would cost workers $1 to $2 a week, under a radical plan to rebuild membership density.
ACTU secretary Dave Oliver says unions need to adopt "radical thinking" when it comes to union mergers and alternative membership models, citing his AFL club's "seven different types of membership" as one potential template.
