Watchdog's strength not watered down
CFMEU response to Jamie Briggs MP for Mayo
Jamie Briggs's opinion piece (‘Building Unions need to be reined in’ AFR May 14) contained factual errors that are continuously repeated by those on the conservative side of politics and which seem to go unchallenged by those that publish them.
His assertion that the Australian Building and Construction Commission powers have been ‘watered down’ is untrue. The Fair Work Building Commission has all the powers that the ABCC had and it is also untrue that the abolition of the ABCC has contributed to more industrial disputes.
Read more of Dave Noonan's Letter to the Australian Financial Review.
457 Visa report by Migration Council misses the point
A new Migration Council Report on the 457 visa program completely missed the key point about the controversial visa, according to the CFMEU.
The report titled “More than temporary: Australia’s 457 visa program” was funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) – the same government agency responsible for administering the 457 visa program.
“The key problem with the 457 visa program is that employers currently have no obligation to try and find Australian workers first – let alone employ them – before 457 visas are granted for temporary foreign workers”, said Dave Noonan National Secretary CFMEU Construction and General Division.
“But the Migration Council report fails to investigate seriously this critical issue, namely the extent to which employers have passed over suitable Australian workers and employed 457 visa workers.
Abbott puts individual contracts back at the heart of the Industrial Relations system
The Coalition’s Industrial Relations (IR) policy is an attempt to return individual contracts to the heart of the IR system while trying to reassure workers that nothing will change, the ACTU said today.
ACTU President Ged Kearney said the Coalition’s attempt to expand the use of Individual Flexibility Agreements, and allow them to override collectively-negotiated agreements would lead to reduced pay and conditions for workers.
