  Thursday, 19 Aug 2010Master Builders launches Greens Policies Awareness Campaign
The Master Builders (Victoria) has launched a state-wide advertising campaign alerting voters to the consequences of voting Green at the upcoming Federal Election. The campaign is in response to members’ concerns about the future prosperity of Australia under a Greens controlled Federal Senate. Ads will run across the State until Election Day |
Monday, 2 Aug 2010Militant Building Unionists to Vote Green in the Senate
Militant Victorian Building Union Secretaries Bill Oliver (CFMEU) and Dean Mighell (ETU) have both called on their members to vote Green in the Senate this election. Despite the obvious negative implications the Green policies will have upon the economy (and industries such as construction, forestry, mining and energy in particular), it appears they are happy to sell out their members’ job security in return for an attempt to realise their dream of abolishing the ABCC. |
Friday, 16 Jul 2010PM Told to ‘Kill’ ABCC
Emboldened by Kevin Rudd’s demise, union-backed factional leaders within the Federal ALP are reported in The Australian to have renewed their efforts on the new Prime Minister to kill the ABCC.A spokesman for the Gillard Government was quick to publicly reaffirm that whilst the current ABCC should be abolished and replaced by a new body that is part of the Fair Work system: |
Monday, 28 Jun 2010Ark Tribe Trial Stalled Again
The ‘stop-start’ Ark Tribe trial will reconvene on 20 July after Adelaide Magistrate David Whittle adjourned the matter on 18 June. Members will recall that Mr Tribe is being prosecuted for breaching the Building Industry Improvement Act 2005 (BCIIA) for allegedly failing to comply with an order to appear before the ABCC to answer questions over a stoppage at a building site. A stoppage that the CFMEU has subsequently agreed was industrially motivated (see related article). |
Thursday, 10 Jun 2010CFMEU Demarc Dispute on another State Gov Project
A recently ‘resolved’ demarcation dispute between the CFMEU and AWU at the State Government’s Epping Wholesale fruit and vegetable market has cost at least $1.4 million and centred on a civil contractor who has entered into an EBA with the AWU (rather than the CFMEU) covering his 6 direct employees. |
Monday, 24 May 2010CFMEU Appeal Dismissed
The Full Court of the Federal Court has dismissed an appeal by the CFMEU in relation to the penalties handed down in September 2009 which totaled $75,000 on the CFMEU and $10,000 on organiser Bob Mates for unlawful coercion at a Heidelberg construction project. |
| Monday, 3 May 2010The ABCC has recently released its eighth report on use of compliance powers, showing that the ABCC conducted 21 compliance examinations in the six months to 31 March 2010 – with all but one occurring in Victorian and Western Australia. |
| Monday, 19 Apr 2010 |
| Wednesday, 14 Apr 2010 |
Thursday, 18 Mar 2010Senior CFMEU Officials on Assault Charges
CFMEU Assistant Secretary John Setka and Vice President Matt Hudson will face court next month after both were charged in relation to an alleged incident at a Carlton building site in March 2009. |
Tuesday, 2 Feb 2010ABCC – Update.
Members are reminded that it remains business as usual for the ABCC, despite the Rudd Government’s original plan to replace the ABCC with the proposed Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate on 1 February 2010. |
| Friday, 15 Jan 2010Newsbrief No. 1, Friday, 15 January 2010 |
Friday, 18 Dec 2009Modern Awards and the New Minimum Safety Net
Members are reminded that from 1 January 2010 there are changes in Australia’s workplace laws that affect all employers and employees. On that date employers need to comply with a new workplace relations safety net. It is a two tier safety net – consisting of the National Employment Standards (NES) and modern awards. |
Tuesday, 8 Dec 2009ABCC Bill Senate Vote - Update.
The Senate did not get the opportunity to vote on the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) Bill 2009 (ABCC Bill) in its last sitting for 2009. |
Monday, 23 Nov 2009ABCC Bill Senate Vote - Update
This week is the Senate’s final opportunity for 2009 to vote on the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) Bill 2009 (the ABCC Reform Bill). |
| Thursday, 29 Oct 2009Newsbrief No. 19, Thursday, 29 October 2009 |
Monday, 12 Oct 2009CFMEU EBA 2008-2011 – Update
In a recent decision by SDP Watson, Fair Work Australia has rejected the individual flexibility arrangement provision contained in the CFMEU’s ‘new and improved’ CFMEU EBA 2008-2011. |
| Thursday, 17 Sep 2009A Federal Senate Committee has released a Report investigating the merits of the Federal Government’s ABCC Reform Bill. The Committee, which is dominated by Labor and Green Senators, has recommended that the Bill be passed despite clear evidence that acts of violence and intimidation are on the rise across Victorian construction sites. |
Thursday, 3 Sep 2009New ABCC Campaign Website
Master Builders has launched a new ABCC Campaign website entitled Strong Cop on the Beat. |
Wednesday, 12 Aug 2009Site Allowance Decision on BER Issued – Members Beware
Members should be aware that on 16 July 2009, the Chairman of the Victorian Building Industry Disputes Panel, Bob Merriman, issued a site allowance Decision with the potential to affect contractors tendering and/or working on school projects funded through the BER stimulus money. |
Thursday, 30 Jul 2009Member Alert – Risk from CFMEU Letter
Members should be aware that the CFMEU have commenced circulating a misleading pro-forma “Commencement of Bargaining – Negotiations for Enterprise Agreement” letter dated 29 July 2009 in an attempt to sign up companies that have not yet signed CFMEU EBA 2008-2011. |
| Friday, 17 Jul 2009Major Changes to Australian Government Implementation Guidelines |
Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009Gillard Goes Soft on Union Thuggery
As members will recall from recent Newsbriefs, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard last week introduced the Rudd Government’s Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work Bill) 2009.
If passed it its current form, the Bill would effectively neuter the Building Industry Watchdog and make a mockery of the Rudd Government’s commitment to keep a “strong cop on the beat” in the construction industry. |
Friday, 19 Jun 2009Legislation to Neuter Building Industry Watchdog Introduced
On Wednesday 17 June, the Rudd Government introduced the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) Bill 2009 into the House of Representatives. If passed, the Bill will repeal the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005 (BCIIA) and replace it with the Fair Work (Building Industry) Act 2009. |
 Friday, 12 Jun 2009Fair Work Act 2009 Commences on 1 July 2009 -
As members will recall from previous Newsbriefs (see for example No 4-2009), a number of key provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act) will commence on 1 July 2009. |