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Minna Knight (Director, Media, Public Affairs and Member Services)

Ph 0429 143 449 / 0407 636 153 / 07 3210 0313

Email minna.knight@amma.org.au

2010

23 February 2010

PUBLIC RELEASE OF ir ELECTION POLICIES A PRIORITY

The Industrial Relations policies the Federal Government and Opposition plan to take to the next Federal election should be released now according to the nation's resources and energy sectors leading employer organisation. Chief Executive of the Australian Mines and Metals Association, Steve Knott, has today called on both the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, to engage in debate and discussion with the Australian public over the future direction of issues in Australian workplaces.

19 February 2010

AUSTRALIAN STRIKES UNDERMINE ASIAN BOARDROOM CONFIDENCE

Today's revelation that Mr Yoshifumi Nakata, Nippon Steel's Australian boss, had said he was "afraid and very concerned" about the escalation of industrial action in Australia's resource and energy sector has been described as a "sobering wake up call" by the sectors leading employer organisation … Chief Executive, Steve Knott, said it was imperative the Government heed this wake up call and review the legislative framework so as to ensure sufficient measures were in place to stop damaging industrial and union activity that was not in the national interest.

8 February 2010

RESOURCES AND ENERGY SECTOR WELCOMES SKILLED VISA REVAMP

The resources and energy sector’s peak employer body, AMMA, today welcomed moves to focus on attracting more highly skilled workers into Australia.

AMMA Chief Executive, Steve Knott, said there was currently a shortfall of skilled professional staff, mechanical and electrical engineering personnel, as well as a shortage of other skilled trades in the resource and energy sector.

2 February 2010

MUA AGREEMENT: COMPLY OR DIE

The so called 'agreement' in settlement of a three month dispute between the MUA and vessel operators in Australia's offshore oil and gas sector has created a worrying precedent according to AMMA, the national employers' organisation for the resources and energy sector.

27 January 2010

MUA THROWS TRUTH OVERBOARD

Comments made today by MUA Assistant National Secretary, Warren Smith, about the status of negotiations between the MUA and vessel operator Total Marine Services have been described as "a fabrication" by AMMA. AMMA Chief Executive, Steve Knott, said Mr Smith's allegations that the company had walked away from a pre-agreed position was patently false, and that Mr Smith was clearly fabricating the truth in an attempt to further damage relations between the company and its employees.

27 January 2010

MUA's CRUMLIN AND CAIN NEED TO COME CLEAN

It has been confirmed today the MUA will now be taking a further forty eight hours of strike activity against a vessel operator in the offshore oil and gas sector from Monday – in addition to a 48 hour round of strike activity due to commence this coming Friday. AMMA Chief Executive, Steve Knott said vessel operators in the oil and gas sector have been negotiating in good faith for over fourteen months now.

8 January 2010

FEDERAL CABINET BEING URGED TO READ

While a range of Federal Cabinet Minister’s appear to be tripping over themselves to get their hands on the latest literary offering of the Prime Minister, entitled Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle, one of the nation’s peak resource and energy sector employer organisations is urging they read a far more weighty document.

7 January 2010

WEEK ONE AND MUA MAKING FAIR WORK A FALLACY

A decision by the MUA to proceed with a further round of disruptive strike activity in the oil and gas sector has highlighted the failings of the Federal Government's "Fair Work" regime in it's very first week of full operation according to a peak resource sector employer organisation.

2009

18 December 2009

DEPUTY PM MUST TERMINATE DISPUTE

The Deputy Prime Minister has been called on to intervene in an ongoing industrial dispute over a claim for up to 100% pay rise between a range of Australian vessel operators and the Maritime Union of Australia.

4 December 2009

MUA union bosses threatening livelihoods of thousands

Australia’s peak mining and resources employer body, AMMA, has revealed today union bosses in charge of the MUA are now recklessly forcing workers to go out on strike against more employers involved in the offshore oil and gas industry in Western Australia …AMMA Chief Executive Steve Knott said the latest strike activity, set to shut down offshore vessel operations for 48 hours at Total Marine Services from Friday, was a worrying development that had the potential to threaten the livelihoods of thousands of other hard working Australians and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

27 November 2009

MUA snap STRIKE RECKLESS AND HYPOCRITICAL – AMMA

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has been accused of hypocrisy by the peak resources and energy association, AMMA following confirmation the MUA is now proceeding with a further round of strike action against a company operating in the offshore oil and gas sector this coming weekend.

19 November 2009

MINING AND RESOURCES EMPLOYERS SUPPORT NATIONAL SYSTEM

AMMA urges politicians of all political persuasions to sit down and ‘strike a deal’ on a final range of amendments needed to see the passage of legislation which would create a single national industrial relations scheme. AMMA’s Chief Executive Steve Knott said employers had been waiting for nearly a decade to see the passage of legislation which would eliminate artificial barriers between the states when it came to employment issues.

17 November 2009

MUA DESTROYS A DECADE OF HARMONY IN THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR

An urgent meeting of Fair Work Australia organised to head-off two days of potential strike action in the oil and gas sector has concluded with the MUA still intent on taking action for two days commencing on Tuesday - after nearly a decade of industrial harmony … AMMA Chief Executive, Steve Knott, described the MUA’s reluctance to take a sensible approach to negotiations “an immense disappointment to the company and a worrying precedent to the industry and the economy”.

13 November 2009

Maritime union launches industrial action in destructive grab for cash

The peak national employer body representing Australia’s resources and energy sector, the Australian

Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) has accused the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) of reckless

and destructive conduct following confirmation that it will take strike action in the offshore oil and gas

sector.

15 September 2009

Unions urged not to hold up safety reforms

A recent union advertising campaign opposing Australia’s move towards adopting

a uniform set of national occupational health and safety laws has drawn criticism

from the Australian Mines and Metals Association.

AMMA Chief Executive, Steve Knott, said the union sponsored radio campaign

was a clear attempt to only delay the much needed reform but also point the

finger of blame at the feet of employers.

31 August 2009

Watered down building laws fail to protect resource projects

AMMA’s chief executive Steve Knott has raised significant concerns about changes to the building regulator laws and watering down of the accompanying code at a time when the sector is managing billion dollar construction projects.

1 July 2009

A fair go should underpin Fair Work

AMMA’s chief executive Steve Knott says that the new Fair Work Australia regime should not be exploited by overzealous union activities which attempted to test out the new laws and test the powers of what unions can now get away with.

18 June 2009

Gillard’s award modernisation welcomed by the resources sector

AMMA has commended DPM Julia Gillard as being ‘a considered and driving force behind the much needed award modernisation process’.

‘The DPM gave AMMA and its members a pre-election commitment that our systems of work would not be altered via the award modernization process, and the Minister has honoured this commitment.'

17 June 2009

Compromise delivers Milli Vanilli version of building and construction watchdog

Proposed changes to Australia’s building industry watchdog, tabled in Parliament today, will replace the existing industry watchdog with a Milli Vanilli version according to the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA).

AMMA CEO Steve Knott said the recent public argy-bargy being played out between the Rudd Government and the union movement had cleverly diverted attention away from the fact that the effectiveness and powers of the current building watchdog are to be significantly watered down.

3 April 2009

'Tough Cop on the Beat' disappears in Wilcox Recommendations on ABCC

AMMA's Chief Executive Steve Knott has warned that the recommendations handed down today in the long-awaited Wilcox Report will make a mockery out of the Rudd Government's pledge to keep a 'tough cop on the beat'.

20 March 2009

Resources Sector Braces For IR Fallout

The resources sector has slammed Australia’s new industrial relations system, describing it as the greatest increase in union power since Federation.

According to the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), which represents Australia’s blue chip mining, oil and gas companies, the new system is more about resuscitating an ailing union movement than saving jobs.

13 March 2009

Domestic Response Needed to Quell Job Losses

Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), the national employers’ organisation for the resources sector, says that yesterday’s rising jobless statistics confirms that domestic policy responses must be urgently reassessed to take cost pressures off business.

10 March 2009

Resources Sector Welcomes Amendments

The peak national industry body representing Australia’s resources sector, the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), has welcomed the Opposition’s decision to oppose various union power grabs proposed by the Government; powers that were not part of the ALP’s pre-election policy.

AMMA Chief Executive Steve Knott said the extraordinary increase in union powers buried away in the Fair Work Bill was rightly being challenged by the Opposition and various non-government Senators.

14 January 2009

Senate holds the keys to restoring controls in the Fair Work Bill

The peak national employer body representing Australia’s resources sector, the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) has today recommended to the Senate a series of amendments to the Fair Work Bill that will address the sector’s concerns in relation to excessive union powers and the new bargaining framework, yet ensure Australian workers continue to have access to a proper safety net.

2008

19 December 2008

Win for Miners

The peak national employer body representing Australia’s resources sector, the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) has welcomed today’s release by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) of the modern mining industry award.

“Putting to one side our ongoing concerns about many aspects of the proposed Fair Work legislation, the mining industry modern award may indeed be a workable alternative to an AWA, albeit without protection from industrial action or entry to worksites from uninvited unions,” said AMMA Chief Executive Steve Knott.

10 December 2008

Resources Sector Calls on Government to Take off Its Blinkers and Remove Union Agenda from New IR System

The peak national employer body representing Australia’s resources sector, the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) has slammed the Government’s new IR system at a meeting of hundreds of Western Australian mining companies in Perth earlier today.

‘The Fair Work Bill introduced today is more about resuscitating an ailing union movement, not improving business conditions and job prospects for ordinary Australians’, said AMMA’s Chief Executive, Steve Knott.

14 November 2008

Deputy Prime Minister Gillard concedes AMMA's argument against 'drop dead' dates for old agreements

In an address to the ALLA Conference in Melbourne today, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has acknowledged AMMA's role in convincing her to abandon the idea of including a sunset date for old agreements in the new workplace relations legislation to be introduced into Parliament in December.

10 November 2008

Time for Senate to pass Safe Work legislation

The Safe Work Australia Bill 2008 will again be subject to Senate parliamentary review this week.

As with industrial relations legislation, removing OHS duplication and overlap and various inconsistencies between states remains vitally important.

‘Harmonisation of national OHS legislation will improve OHS outcomes in Australia, reduce the regulatory burden for business and enhance Australia’s productivity performance’, Mr Knott Chief Executive of the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) said today.

AMMA calls on the Senate to pass by the Safe Work Bill 2008 without further delay.

30 October 2008

“Drop dead date’ = A dirty bomb for the mining sector

In response to recent media speculation about Labor’s new IR system, Australia’s

mining, oil and gas industry has described any move by the Government towards the

unilateral termination of existing industrial agreements in workplaces as the

equivalent of a ‘dirty bomb’.

‘The unilateral termination of all existing agreements would force employers to

bargain all over again to retain existing flexibilities, and conversely could result in

employees falling back to minimum award wages well below previously agreed

rates’ said AMMA’s Director of Workplace Policy, Chris Platt.

16 October 2008

Major construction projects need IR investment certainty now.

‘The pantomime being played out by unions, ALP branches and Government backbenchers calling for the immediate scrapping of the ABCC is damaging investment confidence. The Government should bring this to an end now by confirming the ABCC will remain until 1 February 2010, but more importantly, it should advise that the existing powers and functions of the ABCC will be incorporated into the soon to be created specialist division of Fair Work Australia for a minimum of five years’, Mr Steve Knott, Chief Executive of the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) said today.

20 June 2008

AMMA welcomes AIRC decision giving priority to mining industry on award modernisation

The Australian Industrial Relations Commission’s (the Commission) decision to include mining on the priority list of industries for award modernisation has been welcomed by Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA).

‘The decision of the Commission recognises the significance of the resources sector to the Australian economy and will assist the industry to make an orderly transition to the new industrial relations system that will commence in January 2010’, Mr Steve Knott, Chief Executive of AMMA said today.

13 February 2008

Here we go again … Miners prepare for change as first stage of industrial relations reform begins

The Government’s Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward Fairness) Bill 2008 introduced by Deputy Prime Minister Gillard today reflects policy statements made by the ALP prior to 24 November 2007 federal election.

‘The Bill contains no surprises. Despite abolishing new AWAs, the resources sector is pleased that the Government has not succumbed to the demands of some unions to make more radical changes’, Mr Steve Knott Chief Executive of Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) said today.

Read more …

2007

21 November 2007

Australian Mines and Metals Association Receives Workplace Innovator Award

The federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Joe Hockey, has presented the Australian Mines and Metals Association with an award as a Workplace Innovator for services to the resources sector and promotion of innovative agreement making through employee engagement. Chief Executive Steve Knott accepted the award on behalf of AMMA.

Read more …

7 November 2007

Resources Sector Welcomes Coalition Workplace Relations Policy Announcement

The Australian Mines and Metals Association has welcomed the workplace relations policy proposals announced today by Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey. In particular AMMA welcomes the proposal to retain the full range of agreement making options for employers and employees and provide employers with protections against wild cat and illegal industrial action organised by union militants.

Read more …

8 October 2007

Despite concessions, ALP IR policy continues to fail the resources sector

The Australian Mines and Metals Association re-examines its analysis of the ALP industrial relations policy in the light of the policy additions contained in the party’s Forward with Fairness Implementation Plan and finds that the ALP policy still comes up short in several key areas.

Read more …

17 September 2007

Employee Engagement – A lifetime of opportunity

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) has today released a study of employee engagement within the resource sector titled Employee Engagement – A lifetime of opportunity. The report advocates the retention of the existing industrial relations framework (and in particular AWAs) and encourages employers to work with their employees to improve engagement levels and business outcomes.

29 August 2007

ALP wrong on union right of entry

Labor’s Industrial relations plans released yesterday will give unions access to all Australian worksites to recruit non-union members.

Australian Mines and Metals Association Chief Executive Steve Knott stated ‘If you abolish AWAs the existing union right of entry system that excludes unions from right of entry to AWA sites goes out the window.

28 August 2007

ALP’s IR Policy announcement continues to be anti business

Today’s IR announcement from the ALP still represents an anti business, transition to the past approach to industrial relations.

AMMA Chief Executive, Steve Knott today stated “It is not in the national interest to abolish the current workplace relations system to one that belongs to a bygone era.”

25 July 2007

ABCC is Essential for Mining Industry Success

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) today welcomed the release of a study commissioned by the Australian Building and Construction Commission into the economic impact of the ABCC’s role in the construction industry. AMMA particularly welcomed the report’s finding that the BCII and the ABCC framework could not operate effectively in the absence of the Workplace Relations Amendment (WorkChoices) Act 2005.

11 July 2007

Resources Sector Analysis of Coalition and ALP Workplace Relations Policies

With the prospect of a significant change to the workplace relations environment due to the upcoming federal election, Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) has undertaken a detailed analysis of the workplace relations policies of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Coalition. This document is called An Analysis of Coalition and ALP Workplace Relations Policies and applies a rating between zero and four to each workplace relations policy position of the ALP and the Coalition. The lower the score the less the policy meets the needs of the resources sector.

5 July 2007

Rudd, Gillard and CFMEU Get AWA Statistics Wrong Again

In its bid to deny Australian mining sector employers and employees the right to enter into statutory individual contracts the ALP seeks to justify its position by pointing to outdated and unreliable statistics about the number of mining AWAs.

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) believes that in the debate over AWAs in the mining industry, the ALP continues to miss the point.

2 July 2007

Less Industrial Action is no Accident

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), Australia’s only national employer association serving the resource sector and allied industries, today released a research paper titled Constructing Lawful Workplaces. The paper highlights that Australia’s reduced rates of industrial action are due to long term industrial changes which have made parties responsible for their actions.

5 June 2007

ACTU damaging Australia’s international business reputation

‘Sharan Burrow’s attempt to impugn Australia’s international business reputation

for political purposes is reprehensible’ Mr. Steve Knott Chief Executive of

Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) said today.

15 May 2007

ACTU wrong again, AMMA sets record straight

In the fight to restore privileges to union bosses, Greg Combet (ACTU Secretary - ALP Candidate) has today accused the resources industry of undermining worker collective bargaining and union membership rights. 'Nothing could be further from the truth, Mr Combet’s comments are just plain wrong', Mr Steve Knott, Chief Executive of Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), said today.

24 April 2007

Policy Scorecard to Assist Industry in Evaluating IR Policies

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) has today released the AMMA Workplace Relations Policy Scorecard, which uses criteria divided into seven broad policy areas to ‘score’ how well the workplace relations policies of the differing parties vying for government in the upcoming federal election meet the needs and expectations of the resources sector.

Read more……

3 April 2007

The Figures Are Clear: Hard Rock Mining Union Membership Less Than 1 in 6

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) believes the Australian Bureau of Statistics report released today (Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership (August 2006)) highlights the need for Australia to have a modern industrial relations system that contains a full range of agreement making options, this includes collective non union agreements and AWAs.

Read more……

30 March 2007

AMMA AWA paper to be delivered to 2007 IRSA national conference

AMMA, Australia’s national resource sector employer association, has released a paper delivered to the Industrial Relations Society of Australia’s 2007 National Conference by AMMA’s General Manager Workplace Policy, Christopher Platt, reiterating the resources sector’s call for the ALP Industrial Relation policy to provide a complete range of agreement making options including statutory individual contracts.

Read more……

22 March 2007

AWAs: A Major Matter for Miners

AMMA, Australia’s national resource sector employer association, has today released a review of Australian Workplace Agreements in the resources sector aptly titled, “AWAs – A Major Matter for Miners”. The paper was been released at AMMA’s 2007 National Conference, being held at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre on 22 and 23 March.

Read more……

22 March 2007

Political IR Debate to Heat up at Mining Conference

The 2007 AMMA National Conference is being held at the Perth Exhibition Convention Centre on 22 and 23 March and will undoubtedly be this year’s most important event for employee relations within Australia’s resources sector.

2006

29 June 2006

Beazley is wrong on common law contracts

‘The comment by Opposition Leader Kim Beazley on the ABC’s AM program this morning that AWAs can easily be replaced by common law contracts is wrong’, Mr Steve Knott, Chief Executive of Australian Mines and Metals Association, said today.

22 June 2006

AMMA Urges ALP to rethink opposition to AWAs

Australia’s national employer association for the resource and allied industries, the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) has called on the federal ALP to rethink their opposition to Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs).

22 June 2006

The Independent Contractors Bill, a Step Forward for the Protection of Contractors Rights

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), Australia’s key national employer representative in the resources and allied industries believes the Independent Contractors Legislation introduced to parliament today is a key step forward in the protection of the rights of contractors in the workforce.

29 May 2006

POLITICS ASIDE HEALTH AND SAFETY IN MINING REMAINS TOP PRIORITY

Recent media comments by the ALP and various union representatives claiming that Australia’s new workplace laws will compromise the Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) of employees in the mining industry and other industry sectors are untrue.

“Such comments are an unnecessary political distraction from the main focus of improving Australia’s OH&S performance,” Mr Steve Knott, Chief Executive Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) said today.

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