Industrial relations
|
23rd May, 2013 One job has been lost in manufacturing every 20 minutes since Labor came to office in 2007 |
|
29th August, 2012 John Setka set to take control of Victorian CFMEU later this year has faced more than 60 charges with dozens of convictions for crimes including theft, assault and criminal damage (The Australian) |
|
2nd July, 2012 One in five new resource projects has stalled because of unions refusal to complete workplace agreements (The Australian) |
|
8th June, 2012 ABS statistics show that the number of working days lost in strike action in twelve months to March 2011 reaches 257,600 (up from 117,500 for the previous period) the highest number since 2004-05 |
|
16th May, 2012 BHP reports that it has faced 3200 industrial action incidents in its Bowen Basin coal fields in the past year. Half of 1000 notices of intention to take industrial action were withdrawn with less than 24 hours notice (Jac Nasser AICD lunch address) |
|
12th April, 2012 New harmonised national workplace safety scheme estimated by PWC report to cost business $3.44 billion over five years - three quarters of the cost to be met by small business (The Australian) BMA closes Norwich Park coal mine costing 1400 jobs on the eve of 36 hour strike by employees as part of a 16 month dispute demanding higher wages |
|
4th April, 2012 Director of Public Prosections, Chris Craigie SC, says FWA report is useless and did not constitute a brief of evidence (The Australian) ACTU suspends Health Services Union citing "corruption" and "misuse of union union funds" |
|
3rd April, 2012 After more than three years of investigation into the conduct and alleged misuse of union funds by Labor MP Craig Thompson and other officials of the Health Services Union, Fair Work Australia finally hands its 1100 page report to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. The report alleges 181 breaches of workplace laws and HSU rules (including the use of union credit cards to hire prostitutes) |
|
15th February, 2012 Safework Australia confirms that volunteers could be fined up to $300,000 or imprisoned for 5 years for breaching Labor's new Occupational Health and Safety laws (Senate Estimates 15-2-2012) |
|
3rd February, 2012 Australian Human Resources Institute survey says 47 percent of employers say Labor's Fair Work Act has decreased their willingness to employ (6 percent more willing); 56 percent said labour costs have gone up; 26 percent said absenteeism had risen (compared with 13 percent in 2010 survey); 29 percent said productivity was down (5 percent said it was up); 41 percent said union visits to work sites were up (The Australian) |
|
2nd December, 2011 101,300 working days lost to strikes in the September quarter - the highest number for more than seven years (The Australian) |
|
3rd November, 2011 66,200 days were lost due to industrial disputes in the June quarter 2011. In 2010-11 financial year 159,800 days were lost compared with 49,700 under the former Coalition Government |
|
5th August, 2011 The Productivity Commission reports that inflexible labour laws in the Government's Fair Work Act were reducing productivity in the retailing sector. They also noted that the Government had given its legislation a last minute "exceptional circumstances" exemption from the requirement for a Regulation Impact Statement to be prepared for the legislation |
|
10th June, 2011 Victorian building workers receive a 27.5% pay rise over 4 years including a superannuation contribution increase from 9% to 12% and double time for all overtime, all without productivity offsets. The deal is forecast to spread to other states Rio Tinto gives in to Labor's new IR laws and agrees to negotiate pay and conditions with CFMEU (The Australian) |
|
10th May, 2011 BUDGET 2011-12 • Budget commits $3.6 million to build a workers memorial |
|
1st May, 2011 Higher staff wgaes and declining economy blamed for closure of 2,000 restaurants in Australia over the last five years (39,600 down to 37,700) a further 1,000 expected to close in 2013 (ATO figures - The Australian) |
|
7th January, 2011 Wage rises identified as biggest constraint on investment in ACCI Investors Confidence Survey for the first time in the 13 year history of the Survey (The Australian) MUA stevedores on strike again in support of 40 point log of claims (including 30% wage rise over 3 years) which would add 58% to employment costs in first year and 194% over 3 years (The Australian) |
|
3rd December, 2010 Government backs down on promise to give equal pay to women citing the $4 billion cost. Unions say Government knew the cost when it made the commitment |
|
10th November, 2010 Qantas and Australia Post to be targeted by Transport Workers Union in claims for a 16% wage rise over three years (2UE) |
|
8th November, 2010 ACCC says hard won reforms of the 1990's on the waterfront have stalled |
|
13th July, 2010 Minister Crean expresses concern that Labor's new industrial relations laws have increased shipping costs by up to 30% |
|
12th July, 2010 Shipping companies start charging a $600 surcharge on containers moved between Australian ports because of the extra costs imposed by Labor’s new industrial relations laws. Higher charges on domestic freight will make imports more competitive. |
|
10th July, 2010 Fair Work Australia rules that two students from Terang could not work at the town's Co-operative Store for 1 ½ hours after school. Fair Work ruled they could only be employed for a minimum of 3 hours even though the store closes at 5.30pm. 1,650 people signed a petition calling for the inflexible new award to be changed. |
|
24th June, 2010 Kevin Rudd deposed as Prime Minister and replaced by Ms Julia Gillard |
|
11th June, 2010 In its first decision, Labor's new Fair Pay Commission grants a $26 week pay rise to 1.5 million workers on awards, adding $2 billion per year to the nation's wage bill. Retailers say their wage costs will rise by 6% to 9%. Employers predict job losses and a new round of wage blowouts |
|
11th May, 2010 BUDGET Trade Union Education Foundation received $10 million grant for the development of workplace education programs |
|
10th May, 2010 Unions demand 60% pay rise for non nursing workforce in the aged care sector under Labor's new IR laws |
|
5th May, 2010 Government bows to unions and announces new rules to ensure employees do not lose pay from Labor's award restructuring bungle |
|
8th March, 2010 The Rudd Government's new award system will reduce the wages of at least 50,000 truck drivers ($200 per week), 43,000 licensed club workers (up to $128 per week) 10,000 age care nurses ($290 per week) and child care workers (up to $92 per week) |
|
2nd February, 2010 Just two hours before unions were to begin another 48 hour strike Total Marine Services back down and give their maritime workers a $50,000 pay rise |
|
29th January, 2010 Construction workers at the Pluto liquified natural gas project remain on strike over which room they will sleep in despite being ordered back to work by Labor's new Fair Work Australia and the Federal Court |
|
11th January, 2010 Government gives $10 million to trade unions to publicise Labor's new industrial relations laws after the unions spent $37.6 million backing Labor at the last election |
|
7th January, 2010 Unions threaten strikes in support of $100,000 pay rises for off shore oil and gas workers |
|
20th October, 2009 2,339 unfair-dismissal applications have been recorded, nearly double the figure of 1,268 recorded over the same period last year |
|
4th September, 2009 The Rudd Government admits its award modernisation project will leave many workers and employers wose off |
|
4th September, 2009 The number of days lost to strikes in 2007-08 increased to 174 days per 1000 employees |
|
3rd September, 2009 Small Business Minister Craig Emerson admits that employers will face higher business costs due to the Rudd Labor Government's award modernisation process |
|
12th March, 2009 During the year ended December 2008, there were 177 disputes, 42 more than in the year ended December 2007 During the year ended December 2008, there were 196,500 working days lost compared with 49,700 in the year ended December 2007 - up four fold |
|
4th January, 2009 Labor abandons its promise to curb executive salaries |
|
1st January, 2009 Labor's new industrial relations system begins, shattering their election promise that no employee and no employer will be worse off |
|
4th September, 2008 ABS data shows there has been an 800% increase in strike action during Labor's first six months in office, compared to the same period last year |
|
25th June, 2008 There has been a six-fold increase in strike action since the election of the Rudd Labor Government with more than 42,000 working days lost in the first three months of 2008 |
|
16th June, 2008 Kevin Rudd fails to give a guarantee in the Parliament that workers will not be worse off under his changes to industrial relations |
|
2nd June, 2008 The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations has not asked for any analysis of the economic or employment impacts of Labor’s rollback of workplace relations reforms. |
|
13th March, 2008 A Government commissioned report shows that Labor's industrial relations reforms will increase unemployment by up to 2.4%, with job losses of up to 268,000 and drain $50 million from the economy |
