A CFMEU lodge secretary is considering challenging a contempt finding against him over his refusal to comply with a court order to allow a search of his home.
Qube Logistics has today taken the first steps toward pursuing about 30 employees over bans on loading and unloading containers at the Port Botany facility of its half-owned operation, Patrick Stevedores.
The Federal Court has today extended ex parte orders to stop Patrick employees from taking industrial action at the company's Port Botany container terminal.
The Federal Court has acknowledged in imposing more than $100,000 in fines on the AMWU, AWU and CFMEU and their organisers for taking unlawful industrial action and adverse action against Australian Paper that the unions only became involved when they "properly responded to the workers' needs".
The Federal Court has today imposed almost $600,000 in fines on the CFMEU and 10 officials for organising two days of industrial action at nine Kane Constructions sites three years ago.
A full Federal Court majority has found that the court cannot treat a "lawful request" or a party's motivation for taking coercive industrial action as a mitigating factor when assessing penalties and has ordered a twelve-fold increase in fines against the CFMEU for organising a blockade at Perth International Airport in 2013.
New ACTU secretary Sally McManus has defended her support for unionists to break "unjust laws", arguing the ability to strike is a "human right" and that Australia is out of step with international labour conventions.
The Federal Court has today imposed $1,300 individual fines on more than 50 construction workers who took unprotected industrial action to attend a rally at Perth's children's hospital project in 2013, while it has thrown out an ABCC adverse action case against the CFMEU construction and general division's ACT branch and officials.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has belatedly confirmed his support for the Fair Work Commission's decision to cut Sunday penalty rates, representing his position as consistent with the Liberals' "backing" of small business.
The Federal Court has found that while AMWU, CFMEU and AWU organisers did not "instruct", "advise" or "encourage" employees at a Victorian paper mill to walk off the job for three days, they and the unions were knowingly involved in the unlawful strikes.
