SDA national secretary and ALP national executive member Joe de Bruyn today accused the Rudd Government of seeking to deliberately legislate to disadvantage fast food employees, describing it as the worst such example he has seen in his 36-year career with the union.
Twitter ban at work counterproductive: Telstra; Petrol station operator hit with near-record fine for underpayments; CBA must lock-in no outsourcing promise: FSU; and DEEWR advertises Geneva role
Unions have called for changes to new union registration rules that form part of the Federal Government's transitional IR bill, which they say could leave state unions in a "twilight zone" or vulnerable to hijacking by their federal counterparts.
"We woke up one day and the orders were gone" - that was the impetus for a steel plan the AWU has developed with major producers to get the sector through the global financial crisis that has as its focus Federal Government infrastructure spending and stronger anti-dumping measures.
Unions have arrested the slide in membership, with numbers growing by 3% to 1,752,900 last year, while the proportion of the workforce in unions remained steady at 18.9% - the first time it hasn't fallen in 17 years, according to the ABS. But the news for unions isn't all good - despite attracting 20,000 new recruits, private sector density declined from 13.7% to 13.6%, after it failed to keep pace with rapid employment growth.
John Holland and key construction unions have agreed to take part in mediation in a bid to resolve the Westgate Bridge dispute; and Qantas unions will meet with management on Monday to discuss the airline's job shedding plans.
Organiser fined $11,000 over stop-work linked to Washington charge; Police intervene at Westgate picket; Virgin Pilot's union makes second lift-off attempt; Company directors question executives' pay packets; and Deadline for FWA minimum wage panel applications.
The AMMA and CFMEU (construction and general division) have both strongly criticised the transitional IR legislation's representation order provisions, with the employer group arguing they don't make clear that applications for orders can be made before disputes arise, while the union maintaining they are too broad and will generate disagreement and litigation.
A state administrative tribunal has rejected a bipolar sufferer's claim that she suffered direct discrimination at work, despite evidence the employer wanted her "off the books" to limit its worker's compensation liability.
