Former Federal Court judge Rodney Madgwick will chair a four-member panel to recommend reforms to the governance and accountability of unions, ACTU secretary-elect Dave Oliver told the organisation's Congress in Sydney this afternoon.
The ACTU's executive's meeting next month will consider a detailed plan to campaign against insecure work - including legislative changes - after the head of its inquiry into the issue told the organisation's triennial Congress that it "cries out for action".
The AEC is seeking further information from the HSU and ALP on just four items of expenditure totalling $17,000 on Craig Thomson’s election campaign for the seat of Dobell, finding most of the spending was within electoral guidelines.
Long-serving Victorian CFMEU official John Setka is seeking unspecified damages in a defamation action against Opposition Leader Tony Abbott over comments allegedly made in response to questions at an employer conference and during a media interview.
ACTU affiliates have unanimously voted in favour of lifting their fees to the peak body by 12% over three years, while they will also pay a new levy to fund ongoing campaigns similar to the successful Your Rights at Work, which is credited with winning Labor the 2007 election.
ACTU secretary-elect Dave Oliver will ask Congress in Sydney this week to approve his plan to set up a permanent campaigning function within the peak body, telling 1000 union representatives from around the country that it’s not up to the Labor Government to solve their problems and they have to win their case for change in the community first.
ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence in his final speech as leader ahead of his retirement, told the organisation's triennial Congress in Sydney today that in the face of a "real danger" of an Abbott Coalition Government, unions needed to be unified to defeat attacks against workers and make Australian society fairer.
A former Flight Centre assistant store manager has today lodged an adverse action claim that alleges he was victimised by his manager after complaining about bullying of a colleague by a store manager and that the company, including its HR manager, failed to take action to halt the conduct.
FWA would have new powers to make "secure work orders" and labour hire providers would be licensed, under proposals in the report of the ACTU-commissioned Howe inquiry into insecure work.
