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AMMA Bulletin – September 2008
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Editorial
Feature Article
News Roundup
Case Files
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AMMA Training and
Education
AMMA
Member Forums
AMMA
Preferred Suppliers
AMMA Employment
Opportunities
AMMA
Supported Events
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Government moves a step closer to its new
workplace relations system
As the year end draws nearer, so too does
the government’s new workplace relations system. An exposure draft Mining
Industry Award 2010 has been released by the Australian Industrial
Relations Commission (the Commission) and key elements of the Government’s new
workplace relations system have been outlined in ten recently released Fact
Sheets.
The first stage of award modernisation is
close to finalisation following the Commission’s release of its draft exposure Mining
Industry Award 2010. Recognising that the new modern Mining Industry
Award will be the gate-keeper to flexible arrangements under the National
Employment Standards and the instrument against which the No Disadvantage Test
for agreement making will be conducted, AMMA has taken an active role in the
award modernisation process in order to influence the outcome.
AMMA submitted a comprehensive and flexible Mining
Industry Safety Net Award to the Commission, much of which is reflected in
the Commission’s draft exposure award. A sufficiently flexible award for the
mining industry will mean that some companies may not need to rely on formal
bargaining. This emphasises just how important it has been for the mining
industry to be dealt with as a priority, as it provided the industry with the
opportunity to significantly influence the content of modern awards.
AMMA will continue to utilise available
resources committed to this project, including legal counsel, to ensure that
maximum flexibility is available under the Commission’s final modern award for
the mining industry. The cost of the process has been shared among members by
way of a levy and members are encouraged to make payment as soon as possible.
The industries and occupations allocated to
the final stages of the award modernisation process have also been announced.
AMMA will take an active role in the award modernisation consultation process
for the oil and gas industry, aluminium industry and maritime industry, and
will keep a watching brief over those for the construction and maintenance
industries.
Ten Fact Sheets released by the Government
also outline further detail on the new workplace relations system. The Fact
Sheets deal with particular elements of the new system including the small
business fair dismissal code, the role of Fair Work Australia, minimum
standards (including default rules to enable award free employees to access
flexibility under the National Employment Standards) bargaining in good faith,
approval and content of enterprise agreements and rules for industrial action.
AMMA released a series of members’ circulars outlining key elements of the new
system and implications shortly after the release of the Fact Sheets.
The Fact Sheets and Deputy Prime Minister
Julia Gillard’s speech to the National Press Club earlier this month provide a
valuable insight into what to expect from the new system. While members must
now prepare for the early commencement of the unfair dismissal system,
‘associated protections’, and the ‘new bargaining framework’ on 1 July 2009, it
is not entirely clear what this includes – will it include the new rules for
industrial action? And what can we expect for union right of entry under the
new system?
AMMA’s Chief Executive Steve Knott is a
member of the National Workplace Relations Consultative Council and AMMA’s
Director of Workplace Policy, Christopher Platt, represents AMMA on the
Council’s Committee on Industrial Legislation (CoIL). CoIL is due to meet on 7
October for 10 days, enabling AMMA to provide input on the Government’s substantive
workplace relations Bill, and be in a position to advise members following its
release to the public.
Back to Top
Productivity
Places Program – Training for the future
Written
by Darin Grace, AMMA Education and Training.
AMMA
Education and Training is proud to have been approved to deliver training
programs under the Productivity Places Program contract.
The
Productivity Places Program (PPP) is an initiative of the Commonwealth
Government. Formerly known as Work Skills Vouchers under the Howard Liberal
Government, the program has undergone considerable changes under the Rudd Labor
Government.
The
overall aim of the PPP is to increase the skills and knowledge of the Australian
workforce in a range of industries. With a particular focus on industries with
skills shortages, the PPP is also targeting the unemployed in the first two
phases of the program.
Phase
1 of the program was released in April 2008. This had a limited selection of
eligible Certificate 2 and 3 qualifications. Phase 2 became active on 1 July,
2008. This second release included a far greater number of qualifications with
scope to include qualifications up to Diploma level. Currently Phase 2 of the
program is being implemented.
Phase
3 of the PPP is scheduled to be released on January 1, 2009. This will include
available places for those who are in employment as well as the unemployed.
Overall, the
government has allocated 630,000 training places over five years to ensure that
Australians develop the skills that industry needs. The government has
committed to training places being delivered in an industry-driven system,
ensuring that training is more responsive to the needs of enterprises and
individuals. Of the total training places, 238,000 will be allocated to
job seekers.
Due
to the popularity of the PPP, additional places have recently been announced by
Minister Gillard and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace
Relations (DEEWR). However these additional places are to be allocated to
Registered Training Organisations in a more controlled manner, with a set
amount being issued per month until the end of June 2009.
AMMA
Education and Training is currently examining options to present to Julia Gillard,
the Deputy Prime Minister and federal Minister for Education, Employment and
Workplace Relations and Social Inclusion, on behalf of the membership. AMMA is
keen to work with the Minister and her Department to focus on the skills
shortages in the mining industry, predominantly in regional areas. Ultimately,
AMMA is seeking to secure extra places under the Productivity
Places Program for the Australian resources sector.
Members
interested in learning more about or participating in the Productivity Places
Program are welcome to contact AMMA’s National Projects Manager Education and
Training, Robert Wilson, in the Brisbane office on 07 3210 0313.
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AMMA
and ACCI respond to Labor’s latest policy announcements
Labor’s
proposed changes allowing unions to bargain and take industrial action over a
broader range of matters will challenge record low levels of industrial action
experienced in 2007, AMMA has warned.
Responding
to Deputy Prime Minister and Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard’s
September 17 National Press Club address, AMMA chief executive Steve Knott
said: ‘The likes of Dean Mighell and his followers will soon be given the legal
capacity to have “fun” seeking payroll deductions, unfettered right of access
to worksites and to pursue unsustainable wage increases as part of the newfound
broader protected industrial action rights announced by the Deputy Prime
Minister’.
‘Unfortunately,
in some key sectors of the economy, union industrial dinosaurs with associated
adversarial bargaining tactics remain’, Knott said. ‘While some union officials
may see this as “fun” it does present some very real challenges to restrain
wages growth and minimise pressure on interest rates and inflation.’
ACCI
chief executive Peter Anderson said the policy announcements presented
employers with ‘both potential opportunities and potential risks’.
‘The
opportunities lie in harnessing the next round of industrial relations change
to generate new productivity and efficiency gains’, Anderson said.
The risks
lie in the almost exclusively collective approach to bargaining. ‘Whether this
works in an era of much lower unionisation is debatable. The prospect of union
claims for changes to union entry, safety matters forming part of industrial
relations disputes and ambiguity on what may be included in future workplace
agreements and the subject of strikes are particular concerns’, he said.
Bringing
forward to July 1, 2009 the implementation of collective bargaining and unfair
dismissal changes was also a ‘concern given that the regulator administering
these laws would not yet be established’, Anderson said.
For
employers, the next step is further consultations with government.
The
Committee on Industrial Legislation (COIL), of which AMMA and ACCI are members,
will go over the draft legislation in detail for 10 days starting October 7
ahead of the draft’s public release. The government has promised the final
legislation will be before parliament by the last session this year, which ends
on December 4.
What
changes were announced?
While
reinforcing that Labor would stick to its pre-election promises, the Deputy PM
revealed more detail on the substantive IR policy in September, including that:
§
unfair
dismissal changes and the new collective bargaining framework will come into
effect six months earlier than the rest of the legislation on July 1, 2009;
§
modern
awards will be reviewed only every four years starting in 2014. Outside these
reviews, awards will only be varied to remove ambiguity or discriminatory
terms;
§
minimum
wages from 2010 will be reviewed by a specialist panel within Fair Work
Australia (FWA) headed by the president of FWA and comprising seven full and
part-time members drawn from the wider community;
§
FWA
will be able to make good faith bargaining orders to direct parties to meet,
disclose relevant information, consider proposals and respond to them, as well
as to refrain from unfair or ‘capricious’ conduct;
§
compulsory
arbitration will not be a feature of good faith bargaining. Arbitration will be
limited to ‘exceptional circumstances’ where industrial action is causing a
threat to safety or health, a threat to the economy or significant harm to the
parties;
§
the
scope of agreement making will be broadened to remove the concept of
‘prohibited content’. All matters that properly relate to the work performed
and the entitlements of employees in the workplace, ‘as well as to their
effective representation’, will be able to be bargained over;
§
the
rules around protected industrial action will remain, including the requirement
for a secret ballot and three days’ notice of impending action;
§
if
an employee takes protected action their pay must be docked but only for the
actual period they stopped work, not for a mandatory minimum;
§
four-hour
mandatory minimum deductions will remain for unprotected strike action;
§
it
will remain illegal for employers to pay strike pay or for workers or unions to
claim strike pay;
§
in
the case of partial work bans, employers can either tolerate the bans and pay
the workers in full; stand down the employees or lock them out; or issue a
partial work notice docking a ‘proportion’ of their pay;
§
employers
will be able to lock workers out in response to industrial action but not in
anticipation of it;
§
it
will be unlawful to stop workers exercising their free choice to join a union
via threats, pressure, discrimination, inducements, victimisation or dismissal.
While these rights already exist, the new legislation is expected to make them
clearer and easier to enforce;
§
small
businesses (those with less than 15 employees) will have a fair dismissal code
that will render dismissals fair if they have complied with it (to view the
code, click here);
§
the
fair dismissal code for small business requires one warning based on a valid
reason plus giving the worker a chance to improve. Warnings don’t have to be
written although that is desirable; and
§ specialist Fair Work
divisions will be created in the Federal Court and the Federal Magistrates
Court to hear matters arising under new workplace laws.
To view
the series of fact sheets for the latest policy announcements, click here.
To view
Gillard’s National Press Club address, click here.
Back to Top
Individual
contracts crucial to capitalising on the mining boom, says Bishop
AWAs have
been fundamental to capitalising on Australia’s mining boom, with the resources
industry taking them up en masse when they first became available in
1993, former Shadow WR Minister Julie Bishop has said.
Speaking
at the annual Workforce conference in September, Bishop said the whole
concept of ‘fly-in, fly-out’ work patterns that had underpinned the mining
sector’s productivity could not have occurred without the flexibility of
individual statutory agreements.
‘That
must remain a choice to Australian workers and Australian employers, so we have
committed to a form of individual statutory agreement with an appropriate
safety net,’ Bishop said on the Opposition’s plans for IR.
The West Australian
Liberal Government was the first to introduce statutory individual contracts in
1993 (known as WAWAs) and had ‘the battle royal with unions, particularly in
the Pilbara’ as a result, Bishop said.
Under the
national IR system, AWAs underpinned by a safety net were available from the
end of 1996 but there was minimal take-up other than in the resources sector.
With the removal of the safety net in March 2006, other sectors began taking
advantage of Work Choices AWAs to undercut wages and conditions, leading to the
introduction of the fairness test, Bishop said. ‘That’s why there must be an
appropriate safety net.’
The common
law individual contracts proposed by Labor actually work against the idea of a
national IR system, she said. Parties to common law contracts fell ‘outside’
the federal IR system and were ‘off in the state courts’ resolving their
disputes, she said.
With the
ageing of the population and the skills shortage, Australia needs more, not
less, flexibility in its IR system, she said.
Labor was
well aware of the economic benefits of the Howard Government’s workplace
reforms, and a few ‘clouds’ loomed on the horizon for the Rudd Government
including potential rises in unemployment and actual rises in levels of
industrial disputation, Bishop said.
A key to
keeping the latter in check was retaining the Australian Building &
Construction Commission (ABCC) with its current powers, to which the Coalition
was committed, she said.
Given
that 6 per cent of GDP was generated by the building and construction industry
and it employed 9 per cent of the workforce, ‘what goes on in that part of the
economy has a dramatic impact on the rest of the economy’, she said.
This was
especially true given the construction industry had such a significant
‘flow-on’ to the mining and resources sector.
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Comment
open on draft mining and coal mining awards
An Australian
Industrial Relations Commission Full Bench on September 12 released its draft
priority awards, including for the mining and coal mining industries.
The
mining award reflects in large measure AMMA’s verbal and written submissions to
the Full Bench during the award modernisation consultation process.
The Full
Bench in a statement said the exposure draft of the Mining Industry Award 2010
reflected the AIRC’s ‘current view as to the scope of activities that should be
contained within the definition of the mining industry, and those to be
specifically excluded’.
It noted
the ‘application clause’ extended to exploration and prospecting activities,
which at a federal level had previously been regulated by drilling and
exploration awards.
Parties
would therefore need to consider, in their submissions to the drafts,
developing additional classification groups to accommodate those employees and
the allowances that will apply to them.
On
allowances generally, the Full Bench said the draft mining award contained only
a limited number, and it suspected some of those were no longer relevant or had
been rolled into others. Parties should consider the rationalisation of
allowances and how they might be dealt with in final versions of awards, it said.
To view
the exposure draft of the Mining Industry Award 2010, click here.
Parties
generally agree on coal mining award
The Full
Bench said there was a ‘very large measure of agreement’ between coal industry
employers and unions on the draft Coal Mining Industry Award 2010, and the Australian
Industrial Relations Commission had generally adopted agreed-upon provisions.
The
exposure draft did not include provisions for casual employment, contrary to
what employers sought, because there was no provision for casual work in key
federal awards, it said.
‘An
attempt to have casual employment included in the main federal award has
previously been rejected by the commission and that rejection was not disturbed
on appeal,’ the Full Bench said. ‘While it would be open to the employers to
mount a case in the conventional way, it is not practical for that to occur as
part of the award modernisation process.’
While the
draft coal mining award did not include specific provisions for temporary work,
there were no obstacles in the award to temporary or fixed term working
arrangements, it said.
To view
the exposure draft of the Coal Mining Industry Award 2010, click here.
The final
stage
The
closing date for written submissions on exposure drafts is October 10.
Public
consultations on exposure drafts for mining and coal mining awards will be held
in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in Sydney on October 20.
To view
the Full Bench’s September 12 statement, click here.
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Employers
to pay super under paid parental leave proposal
The
Productivity Commission (PC) has recommended a taxpayer-funded paid parental
leave scheme under which mothers of newborns would receive the federal minimum
wage for 18 weeks and employers would contribute superannuation for long-term
employees. The PC also proposes two weeks’ paid leave for fathers (or same sex
parents), also at the minimum wage rate.
Employers
would initially have to pay the money to employees, which the government would
then reimburse. The scheme is estimated to cost the Commonwealth $450 million a
year and employers $75 million a year in superannuation contributions.
AMMA’s
submission to the PC inquiry into paid parental leave had argued a statutory
leave scheme should be paid for by all Australians, not just employers, because
the benefits would flow to the entire community. AMMA acknowledged some
benefits would flow to employers generally in the form of increasing women’s
attachment to the workforce, stemming the skills shortage and reducing costs
associated with workplace turnover, training and recruitment.
According
to the PC, employers would provide superannuation contributions to relevant
employees but would otherwise have few obligations beyond those already
applying under the National Employment Standards.
But
according to ACCI, the proposed scheme would place excessive and unnecessary
additional burdens on employers. ‘Unless changes are made, the proposed scheme
would be unlikely to receive the widespread industry and small business support
that proposals of this type need’, chief executive Peter Anderson said.
ACCI
took issue with: employers having to pay the money upfront to the tune of $450
million a year, which would impede their cash flow; increased admin costs in
making the payments through payroll; liability for an extra $75 million a year
in superannuation contributions; and having to pay more in payroll tax and
workers’ compensation given the payments will go through their payrolls.
‘Fortunately,
it is a draft report, with some helpful information, and industry has the
opportunity to seek changes’, Anderson said.
Why
now?
In
releasing its draft inquiry report Paid Parental Leave: Support for Parents
with Newborn Children on September 29, the PC noted there had been
‘enduring calls for many years’ for Australia to introduce a statutory parental
leave scheme.
The
issue had come to a head because women were now participating in the workforce
at rates higher than any other time in Australia’s history. In the key
reproductive years from 25 to 34 years of age, female participation had grown
from 45 per cent in 1978 to 70 per cent in 2008. Participation rates for men in
that age group had fallen by four percentage points in the same period.
While
the PC’s proposal would mean women would take more time off work in the short
term, the hope was they would increase their labour supply in the long term.
‘While
it is difficult to measure the lifetime employment impact of the proposed
scheme, the commission estimates that a net increase in a woman’s lifetime of
employment of around half a year is certainly conceivable’, it said.
While
a taxpayer-funded scheme would not tie women to returning to their employer, in
the main that was where they went after returning from having a baby, the
report found. ‘Businesses have emphasised the substantial value to them from
increased retention rates of women arising from privately negotiated maternity
leave arrangements.’
Key
details of the proposed scheme
§ The 18 weeks will be
paid at the federal minimum wage level ($543.78 a week) except where workers
earn less than that when a lower rate will be paid.
§ The payment will be
taxable and taken into account in calculating income-tested welfare payments.
§ The leave has to be
taken after any other period of continuous leave available but before the child
is six months old.
§ Only eligible
employees (those with more than 12 months’ service) would receive employer
superannuation contributions for the leave period, capped at 9 per cent on the
minimum wage rate.
§ Employers would
initially make the payments to employees who were already entitled to unpaid
leave under the National Employment Standards (also the test for employer super
contributions), but employers would be reimbursed quickly, preferably by a
credit to ‘pay as you go’ tax.
§ Employees have to
average at least 10 hours’ work a week for 12 months prior to the birth to be
eligible for the payments.
§ Mothers can transfer
the leave to fathers or other eligible parents but both parents can’t take the
primary leave concurrently. The two-week paid paternity leave for fathers can
be taken in conjunction with the maternity leave component.
§ Adoptive parents can
access the leave for children of any age.
§ The payment will be
available to the self-employed, contractors and employees.
Current
parental leave entitlements in mining industry
The
PC report found 57 per cent of men and 63 per cent of women in the mining
industry currently had access to paid parental leave, from a workforce that was
14 per cent female.
The
highest access to paid leave was in public administration and safety, where 72
per cent of men and 84 per cent of women had access, from a workforce that was
46 per cent female.
The
lowest access was in accommodation and food services where just 24 per cent of
men and 19 per cent of women had access, from a workforce that was 58 per cent
female.
According
to the report, the mining industry generally experiences one ‘paid parental
leave event’ per year per 100 employees. This was compared with a high of 2.3
events in finance and insurance and a low of 0.5 in construction.
AMMA’s
submission to the inquiry said a recent survey of its ‘mainly male’ membership
found most respondents were in support of paid parental leave benefits being
made available to both male and female primary caregivers.
Feedback
The
PC is seeking written submissions on its draft report by November 14, and will
hold public hearings at various locations for three weeks beginning November
10. Locations will be chosen based on the level of interest.
To
view the Productivity Commission report, click here.
For
more information about the paid parental leave inquiry, click here.
To
view AMMA’s submission to the inquiry, click here.
Back to Top
Who’s
who in Ministry shake-ups
Federal Shadow Ministry
Following
Malcolm Turnbull overthrowing Brendan Nelson as Leader of the Federal
Opposition, Julie Bishop has chosen to pass the shadow IR portfolio on to relative
newcomer Michael Keenan.
Keenan
appears to have dropped the ‘business’ part of Bishop’s former title (she chose
to be called the Shadow Minister for Employment, Business and Workplace
Relations), with Keenan’s title listed in the new Shadow Cabinet as simply
‘Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations’.
Bishop is
now Shadow Treasurer as well as Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
To view
the entire new federal Shadow Cabinet list, click here.
New South Wales
Following
the recent shake-up of the New South Wales government, Nathan Rees has taken
over from Morris Iemma as Premier, with John Hatzistergos taking over from John
Della Bosca as IR Minister.
Della
Bosca is back in the ministry after the New South Wales Director of Public
Prosecutions found there was no case for him to answer over the ‘Iguana-gate’
affair. He is now Minister for Health.
To view
the full New South Wales Ministry, click here.
Western Australia
In Western Australia following the Liberal/National election win, a new Ministry was announced
on September 23.
Colin
Barnett is the new Premier and Minister for State Development, while Troy
Buswell is the new Treasurer and Minister for Commerce, which includes Small
Business, Trade, Consumer Protection and IR.
To view
the full West Australian Ministry, click here.
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ABCC
needs 10 to 15 years to effect cultural change, says AMMA
Having
only been established in October 2005, the Australian Building and Construction
Commission has not had long enough to become truly effective, with cultural
change in an industry taking 10 to 15 years, AMMA director workplace policy
Christopher Platt has said.
‘The ABCC
has only been operating for three years, not nearly enough time to change the
culture’, Platt told the Workforce conference in September. ‘At this
point in the cycle, we’ve seen behavioural change but not cultural change.’
According
to Platt, in the time it has had the ABCC has been incredibly effective, with
productivity in the construction industry improving significantly, civil
construction costs falling compared to the residential sector, and ‘less abuse’
of occupational health and safety laws for industrial purposes. Industrial
activity in the industry was now ‘almost nil’, he said.
In the
old days, the presence of a single non-union member on-site would have led to a
walkout by unionists, he said. ‘These days, non-union collective agreements are
commonplace’, and AWAs and ITEAs are operating in the industry.
The
capacity for the regulator to intervene in Australian Industrial Relations Commission
proceedings had also had a ‘marked effect on union behaviour’, Platt said. ‘The
mere presence of the ABCC keeps them honest.’
The risk
of ‘backsliding’ was of major concern to the resources sector.
Much of
AMMA’s focus has been on what will happen to the industry watchdog once it
moves to Fair Work Australia on February 1, 2010. ‘It is imperative that all of
the ABCC’s functions and powers be transferred’, Platt said. This included the
power to require information and documents to be produced and to require people
to attend interviews, he said.
To
view Platt’s PowerPoint presentation, click here.
To view
AMMA’s report, The building industry regulator – a tough cop or a transition
to a toothless tiger? click here.
Back to Top
SA
Training and Skills Development Act up and running
Parties
to training contracts in South Australia can now refer matters to the South Australian
Industrial Relations Court and the South Australian Industrial Relations
Commission under the state Training and Skills Development Act 2008.
The South
Australian tribunals have released a guide to help parties who are considering
referring matters under the new Act.
As of
September 1 matters that can be referred:
§
a
dispute between parties to a training contract;
§
a
grievance by one party to a training contract about the conduct of the other
party;
§
the
suspension of an apprentice or trainee on the grounds of serious and wilful
misconduct (these matters can only be referred by employers who must do so in
writing within three days of suspension);
§
a
challenge by an employer to a compliance notice issued by the state Training
and Skills Commission on the grounds it has complied with the notice; and
§
a
challenge by an employee to a compliance notice on the basis the employer’s
failure to comply with the Act is more extensive than what was stated in the
compliance notice.
‘Only the
parties whose interests are directly connected to the matter before the IRC are
permitted to attend’, the guide says. There are also restrictions on who can
represent parties.
For more
information about bringing a matter, click here.
To
download the South Australian Training and Skills Development Act, click here.
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Visa
sponsors face $33,000 penalties and increased monitoring
Employer
sponsors of temporary migrant workers face penalties of up to $33,000 and
inspectors with enhanced monitoring and investigative powers akin to workplace
watchdogs under a new bill introduced to the Senate in September.
The
Migration Legislation Amendment (Worker Protection) Bill includes amendments to
Australia’s migration program, including but not limited to the 457 visa
program.
As well
as imposing penalties for breaching the Migration Regulations, the bill allows
the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to cancel an employer’s
sponsorship and/or bar them from applying for sponsorship for a defined period.
The bill
also allows the Commissioner of Taxation to divulge tax information about
current and former visa holders and current and former sponsors to the
Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
Existing
provisions for disclosing information were ‘insufficient’ and ‘ineffective’ in
ensuring overseas workers were paid minimum salary levels, Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans, said in introducing the bill.
To view
the Migration Legislation Amendment (Worker Protection) Bill, click here.
Back to Top
Third
stage of feedback open for 457 visa inquiry
Australian
Industrial Relations Commission Commissioner Barbara Deegan is rounding off a
broad review of the 457 visa program, seeking feedback on a third and final
issues paper by October 7 before she hands down her final recommendations.
The first
issues paper
focused on minimum salary level and labour agreements, the second
on English language requirements and occupational health and safety, the third
on integrity and exploitation.
‘Stakeholders
have given examples of subclass 457 visa holders who, after asking about such
matters as salary deductions, underpayment of wages or union membership have
been dismissed by their sponsor and put on the next plane “home” as an example
to the rest of the workforce to ensure their compliance’, the third issues
paper said. ‘It has been suggested that such behaviour is particularly
prevalent where subclass 457 visa holders make up a large percentage of the
workforce at a workplace.’
The paper
compares average salaries for 457 visa holders across a range of industries
over a three-year period.
The
mining industry recorded the highest average salaries in all three years, at
$87,000 in 2005-06, $95,200 in 2006-07 and $103,700 in 2007-08.
The
lowest average salaries were in the accommodation, cafes and restaurants sector
at $43,000, $45,000 and $44,800 for the same three years.
The final
issues paper asks for feedback on questions including:
§
What
would be the best way to determine market rates for wages under the subclass
457 visa program?
§
What
training obligations, if any, should be required of employers under the 457
program?
§
What
should be the basis for accreditation of employers?
§
Should
the Workplace Ombudsman and OHS agencies be given the details of subclass 457
visa holders when they arrive in Australia to assist agencies to monitor
compliance with workplace regulations?
Commissioner
Deegan’s final recommendations will inform the Federal Government’s longer-term
reforms to the 457 visa program.
For more
information about the Deegan inquiry, click here.
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From
the Industry Outreach Officer’s desk
If you need answers to questions on skilled migration or
related programs you can make direct contact with Robert Bailey. Robert is an
officer of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) on secondment
to the Resources Sector Consortium (CMEWA, AMMA, APPEA and MCA) as a Skilled Migration Adviser to industry and employers. Members with enquiries can contact Robert on
(08) 9220 8536, 0434 077 585 or by e-mail at immigration@cmewa.com
Back to Top
First
legislative step towards a national OHS system
The Safe
Work Australia Bill was introduced to federal parliament in September, marking
the first legislative step of the Rudd Government towards creating a single,
national OHS and workers’ compensation system.
The bill
seeks to establish Safe Work Australia as an independent national body whose
role will be to improve occupational health and safety outcomes and workers’
compensation arrangements, Deputy PM and WR Minister Julia Gillard said. The
new body will replace the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC),
which was established by the Coalition government.
The accompanying
bill, the Safe Work Australia (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill,
will repeal the Australian Workplace Safety Standards Act 2005 but will
preserve existing national standards and codes of practice.
In
tabling the bill, Gillard said Australia’s occupational health and safety and
workers’ compensation systems were in a ‘sorry state – unnecessarily complex
and costly’. ‘Inconsistencies between jurisdictions mean that some workers are
at risk of poorer safety standards than their counterparts in other states. At
the same time, these inconsistencies increase the complexity, paperwork and
costs for the 39,000 Australian businesses that operate across state boundaries’,
she said.
Responding
to the bill, Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop said the Coalition was
‘broadly supportive’ of harmonised, national OHS laws but ‘it would be
difficult to imagine a body better designed to fail in achieving this objective
than the body proposed under this bill’.
The new
national body would be ‘dominated by state representatives’ while the bill
reduced the number of social partners drawn from two groups - industry
and union representatives - from six down to four, Bishop said.
Both bills were
introduced to parliament on September 4, passed the Lower House on September 22
and were introduced to the Senate on September 23. They are due to be debated
again when the Senate next sits on October 13.
To view
the Safe Work Australia Bill, click here.
To view
the Safe Work Australia (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill, click
here.
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What
Qld wants in a national IR and OHS system
The Queensland
Government’s vision of a national IR system for the private sector is one where
states decide whether to keep coverage of public servants, the public sector,
local government and other workers operating under state legislation in the
community sector.
Queensland
parliamentary secretary for Industrial Relations, Gary Fenlon, on behalf of Queensland
Industrial Relations Minister John Mickel, told the Workforce conference
in September he envisaged a ‘real partnership’ between state and federal
governments where states and territories continued to play a real role.
A truly
national IR system would gain ‘stability’ through a ‘strong’ Workplace
Relations Ministers’ Council (WRMC), which would have to approve any amendments
to the national IR system and iron out any jurisdictional issues, Fenlon said.
The Queensland
Government would decide its best course of action after seeing the detail of
the substantive legislation but Fenlon was adamant it would not refer powers.
Queensland would
also push to retain the ability to legislate in the areas of
anti-discrimination, child employment, training, occupational health and safety,
workers’ compensation and essential services.
It did
not want carried over from the current Workplace Relations Act the ability to
exclude or include state bodies by means of regulation. Once the scope of a new
IR system was agreed, it should only be changed in accordance with the
intergovernmental agreement reached between the Commonwealth and states and
territories, Fenlon said.
There
should also remain the ability to run test cases on important community
industrial standards such as work value and pay equity, he said.
Ministers
identify priority areas for OHS harmonisation
On
the issue of a harmonised occupational health and safety (OHS) system, Fenlon
said the states would continue to work co-operatively with the Commonwealth. State and territory
ministers, through the WRMC, had agreed the first priorities to be decided on
would be the general duties provisions and available defences provisions.
Ministers were hoping to make decisions on those points ‘shortly’, he said.
On the
extent of duties and obligations, a key issue would be the definition of a
business or undertaking.
On the
‘defences’ front, a key issue would be who bears the onus of proof in OHS
prosecutions. Fenlon noted in Queensland and New South Wales the onus was on
the duty holder (the employer or business) to prove the measures they took were
reasonably practicable.
The
WRMC’s goal is to work co-operatively to harmonise OHS legislation by 2011 and
ensure the terms of the intergovernmental agreement struck earlier this year
are complied with, Fenlon said.
He noted
all ministers had agreed on the national OHS legislation currently before
parliament in the form of the Safe Work Australia Bill (see related
story in this edition).
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Demand
for PPP trainee places exceeds supply
The
Federal Government has announced an extra 15,000 job seeker training places at
Certificate III level under the Productivity Places Program (PPP), with the
original allocation of training places in phase one and two of the program
having been fully taken up.
Deputy PM
and WR Minister Julia Gillard on September 10 said since the scheme kicked in
in April, demand for training places and the job seeker component of the PPP
had been ‘very strong’, with almost 48,000 enrolments as of September 8. ‘This
is a great result for a program that has been going for less than six months’,
Gillard said.
On the
back of that success, Gillard announced the government would invest an extra
$45.5 million this financial year to create the 15,000 training places for job
seekers. Certificate III level was chosen because it was the entry-level
qualification in many occupations experiencing skills shortage.
The extra
places became available as of September 11.
Across
the program as a whole, 36,000 job seekers are currently in training, with
another 6,000 having completed their qualification and now in jobs or looking
for work.
‘Encouragingly,
when we look at the employment results from the program so far, of the 2,882
participants who have completed training that were referred by employment
service providers, 680 have gained a placement – 673 into jobs and seven into
further education. This is an outstanding result,’ Gillard said.
Training
for existing workers is being rolled out through pilot programs across the
country, with South Australia now having signed up to partner with the
Commonwealth in delivering training for 1,800 workers.
AMMA
Education and Training has been approved to deliver training programs under the
PPP contract (see related article in this edition).
For more
information about the PPP, click here.
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WorkSafe
Victoria launches new compliance codes
WorkSafe Victoria has released eight new compliance codes as practical guides for those with duties
or obligations under the Victorian OHS Act or Regulations.
The codes
cover:
§
communicating
health and safety across languages;
§
workplace
amenities and work environment;
§
confined
spaces;
§
first
aid in the workplace;
§
prevention
of falls in general construction;
§
foundries;
§
management
of asbestos in workplaces; and
§
asbestos
removal from workplaces.
‘The
codes were developed after extensive consultation with industry, employers,
employees, governmental agencies and the community to provide greater certainty
about what constitutes compliance under the OHS Act,’ WorkSafe executive
director of Health and Safety, John Merritt, said in releasing the codes.
‘These
codes will provide Victorian employers, workers and health and safety
representatives with certainty and assistance in meeting their
responsibilities.’
To view
the codes, click here.
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Qld
mines inspectorate releases incidents reports and safety alerts
The Queensland
Department of Mines and Energy’s mines inspectorate has released a summary of
incidents report
for the state’s mining and quarrying sector for the period from May 1 to June
30, 2008.
The mines
inspectorate has also issued safety alerts including one
for managing contractors and contractors’ obligations and another
over a capsized pump pontoon.
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WorkCover
Tasmania releases compliance safety advice
WorkCover
Tasmania has released compliance advice to employers on workplace safety,
comprising six different advice sheets on issues of importance including:
§
management
commitment;
§
consultation;
§
safe
work procedures;
§
training
and supervision;
§
reporting
safety; and
§ workers’
compensation and return to work.
The
advice also includes a compliance checklist in each of the six areas so
employers can see if they are falling short in terms of compliance.
To view
the advice sheets, click here.
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New
strategies needed to cope with overweight employees
Workplace
strategies must be developed to address rising levels of obesity in Australia or there will be serious implications for employers and employees alike, a new
report has warned.
The Overweight
and Obesity: Implications for workplace safety and workers’ compensation
report was launched in August as a joint project between the Office of the
Australian Safety and Compensation Council (OASCC) and the Qld Department of
Employment and IR.
‘To date,
the focus has largely been on obesity as a health issue and little has been
done in response to obesity as a workplace concern,’ the report pointed out.
‘However, larger workers have implications for workplace health and safety and
the workers’ compensation system.’
Overweight
and obesity are increasing rapidly worldwide. The World Health Organization
estimates more than one billion people are overweight and 300 million of those
are obese.
‘Australia is among the most overweight and obese of the developed nations,’ the report
said, with more than half classified as overweight or obese in 2004/05 (more
than seven million people).
‘The
increasing rate of obesity in Australia will have implications for workplaces
and employers,’ the report said. Overweight people are more likely to have
short-term disabilities, longer absences due to illness and their work performance
is more like to suffer. ‘Obese workers are more likely to take sick leave and
be less productive’, it found.
The
increasing number of overweight and obese workers also means standards relating
to the design of work environments and plant and equipment will have to change.
Employers will need to assess whether weight capacities for equipment such as
ladders, hoists, elevators, seats and forklifts are adequate and to ensure
personal protective equipment such as respirators, hard hats, safety glasses and
gloves meet the needs of all workers, including those with larger body
dimensions.
‘Workplaces
will also need to ensure that appropriate equipment is supplied and fit tested
to ensure that the required level of protection is achieved,’ the report said.
To view
the report, click here.
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New
handbook aimed at reducing manual task injuries in construction
The Queensland
Government’s Department of Employment and Industrial Relations has released a
new handbook aimed at reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injury from manual
tasks in the civil construction industry.
The
handbook, Participative ergonomics in civil construction, is aimed at
managers, OHS staff and civil construction workers and draws heavily on the
earlier publication Reducing Musculoskeletal Risk in Open Cut Coal Mining.
It points
out that 39 per cent of non-fatal workers’ compensation claims in the
construction industry in 2005-06 were related to manual tasks.
It
identifies the five manual task risk factors as: forceful exertions, awkward
and static postures, vibration, repetition and duration.
‘When a
manual task risk factor has been identified, it is important to determine what
is causing it,’ the handbook says. ‘In order to eliminate or minimise the
risks, controls should be aimed at modifying the work area, tool, load, method
of handling and/or the way the work is organised.’
The
report emphasises training on its own is not an effective risk control strategy
and should never be relied on as the sole control strategy.
To
download the handbook, click here.
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HREOC
changes its name
The Human
Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) has changed its name to the
Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) as of September 4.
The new
corporate image is aimed at ensuring all audiences know Australia has an independent national institution with the responsibility to protect and promote
human rights, its website said.
The name
change is also understood to be consistent with the branding of other human
rights organisations around the world.
To visit
the AHRC website, go to: www.hreoc.gov.au.
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281,000
agreements now finalised under the fairness test
Of
337,000 workplace agreements lodged under the former Howard Government’s
fairness test in total, 281,000 have now been finalised, with 15,500 sent back
to employers for further information, federal parliament heard on September 22.
Senator
Joe Ludwig, the Minister Representing the Minister for Employment and WR, said
since March 28 this year the Workplace Authority had received for lodgement
54,000 workplace agreements, the vast majority of which were ITEAs (50,700).
More than
74,000 workers since March 28 have had their agreements finalised under the new
no disadvantage test, including those covered by collective agreements, Ludwig
said.
To
download the parliamentary Hansard, click here.
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Employment
growth falls again – now eight months and counting
The DEEWR
Monthly Leading Indicator of Employment fell in September for the eighth
consecutive month, its downward trend becoming more pronounced in recent
months.
The
indicator is designed to give advanced warning of turning points in cyclical
employment. A turning point is confirmed when there are six consecutive monthly
movements in the same direction. A fall in the indicator does not necessarily
mean the level of employment will fall but that the growth rate of employment
could fall below its trend rate of 2.4 per cent a year (revised from the
earlier 2.5 per cent a year benchmark).
While the
September results confirm a prospective slowing in the pace of employment
growth, cyclical employment has only fallen for five months - one
month short of confirming a downturn in cyclical employment.
To view
the September indicator, click here.
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Seasonally
adjusted unemployment rate drops to 4.1 per cent
The
seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped by 0.2 percentage points to 4.1
per cent in August, according to the latest ABS Labour Force statistics.
For men,
the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percentage points to
3.8 per cent and for women dropped by 0.3 percentage points to 4.4 per cent.
At the
same time, the participation rate dropped by 0.1 percentage points to 65.2 per
cent.
Meanwhile,
seasonally adjusted employment increased by 14,600 jobs to 10,744,300;
full-time employment increased by 7,500 jobs to 7,729,700; and part-time
employment grew by 7,200 jobs to 3,014,600.
To view
the August Labour Force statistics, click here.
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Mining
companies most likely to sell goods overseas
Just 9
per cent of Australian businesses sold their goods and services to overseas
markets in 2006/07, with companies in the mining industry most likely to have
done so at around 26 per cent of them.
Construction
companies were least likely to have sold their goods and services overseas,
with just 2 per cent of them having done so during the period.
The ABS Selected
Characteristics of Australian Business 2006-07 report released on September
19 found just 2 per cent of Australian businesses reported overseas markets as
their main source of income. Again, this was most prevalent for businesses in
the mining industry, with 13 per cent reporting overseas markets as their main
income source.
To view
the ABS report, click here.
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Business
confidence hits low point
General
business confidence has declined to its lowest level since March 2003,
according to the latest ACCI-Westpac Survey of Industrial Trends.
The
latest survey covers the three months to September 2008 and has found
indications of a ‘continuing deceleration of domestic economic activity’.
‘While continuing to grow, the Australian economy is slowing down’, ACCI director of industry policy and economics, Greg Evans, pointed out in releasing the report.
‘The
outlook for jobs growth has softened. Capital expenditure projections for plant
and equipment and buildings and structures have also declined, turning
marginally negative. At the same time, cost pressures have remained very
strong.’
The
labour market also softened markedly during the September quarter, with the net
employment indicator falling well below its decade average of minus 3 per cent,
the survey said.
‘The most
significant aspect of the survey results was the sharp deterioration in the
Labour Market Composition index’, according to the survey. The index fell by 10
points to minus six, the lowest level since March 2001. This points to a
further slowing in jobs growth over the first half of 2009 from 2.3 per cent a
year to 1 per cent, the survey said.
To view
the September quarterly report, click here.
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Employer
has absolute right to designate union meeting place
The
Workplace Relations Act as it stands gives employers the absolute right to tell
a union where to meet its members at the workplace, provided the place is
‘reasonable’, the Australian Industrial Relations Commission has confirmed.
Despite
protests from the Transport Workers Union that Virgin Blue Airlines in
Fortitude Valley, Queensland had changed the ‘traditional’ meeting room for no
valid reason, doing so was a ‘unilateral decision within the discretion of the
employer’, Senior Deputy President Peter Richards found.
The TWU
had sought orders from the commission that the ‘muster room’ rather than the
newly designated ‘Amco room’ was the most appropriate place to meet members.
Senior
Deputy President Richards in his September 17 decision said: ‘Unarguably, it is
convenient for the TWU to represent its members in the muster room because it
is airside, is immediately adjacent to the ramp services work area, and maximum
time can be spent by those who attend meetings on the business of the meeting
while consuming their lunch etc.’
He found
the union had used the room for eight years with no ‘detriment’ to the company,
and its withdrawal as a venue was not warranted.
However,
it was not the commission’s role to repair the relationship of trust between
the union and the company, and having to use another room would not cause
substantive detriment to the union.
‘The
removal of the muster room as a meeting venue has inconvenienced the TWU and
the relevant employees and it will require a change in traditional behaviours,
but this is as much as can be concluded on the evidence discussed above’, he
said.
Implications
for members
This
decision shows that under the current legislative regime, just because a union
has historically used a particular place to meet workers does not mean that
arrangement has to continue. However, employers will have to ensure any new
place they designate is ‘reasonable’.
To view
the decision, click here.
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Part-time
job going full-time justifies operational reasons dismissal
A former
employee of caravan and marine equipment company Camec Pty Ltd has failed in
his unfair dismissal bid, with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
finding he was dismissed for genuine operational reasons.
The man’s
employment was terminated by letter on May 9, citing as a reason that his job
as a permanent part-time retail sales assistant was being made ‘redundant’. The
company intended to replace the part-time job with a full-time one.
The job
the man originally applied for was full-time but he talked the company into
putting him on part-time.
Camec
gave evidence of difficulties compiling rosters when just one employee worked
part-time, difficulties achieving proper coverage over lunch periods, and a
lack of adequate service to customers on days when the man was rostered off.
This made it difficult to provide continuous service to customers, Camec said.
Having
decided a part-time role wasn’t working, the company went to ‘great lengths to
ensure that the applicant was offered that full-time position and given
adequate opportunity to provide the company with a positive response to this
offer’, the Motor Trade Association of West Australia on behalf of the company
said.
The man
claimed he was dismissed for family responsibilities and for approaching
management about his working arrangements. He said the company knew it was
‘impossible’ for him to take a full-time role as he had to pick up his daughter
from school each day.
Commissioner
Bruce Williams in his September 10 decision found no evidence the man was
dismissed for raising his work arrangements with management. In fact, evidence
showed management was not at all concerned about it, he said.
He was
satisfied the part-time role had been made redundant. ‘I find the reasons for
making the applicant’s position redundant were to do with the efficiency and
organisational arrangements within the business. Consequently, I am satisfied
that the reasons for the termination were operational reasons’, he said.
Implications
for member
This
decision shows an employer’s decision to expand a role from part-time to
full-time will be seen as a redundancy situation as long as it is backed up by
operational evidence. The onus will be on the employee in those circumstances
to prove they were dismissed for reasons other than operational ones.
To view
the decision, click here.
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DHL
Exel worker reinstated on appeal
A Full
Bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission has ordered the
reinstatement of a former DHL Exel Supply Chain employee with six years’
service, overturning an earlier decision against reinstating her.
The woman
had asked her employer for a month’s annual leave to visit her dying mother in India. The employee was on workers’ compensation leave at the time.
Her
employer refused a month’s leave but granted her a week off. She had already
booked flights based around taking a month off and decided to leave for India anyway, intending to change her flights once she arrived at the other end.
Once in India she fell sick and was hospitalised and couldn’t fly back. She produced an overseas
medical certificate for her absence.
DHL
meanwhile sent her a termination letter saying she hadn’t contacted the company
over her absence and she had abandoned her employment.
In the
initial decision, Senior Deputy President Lea Drake found the employer was
notified of the woman’s illness and had no grounds to reject her medical
certificate just because it was from overseas.
The
Senior Deputy President found the termination was harsh, unjust or unreasonable
and the employer’s actions were ‘unsympathetic’ to the woman’s family
situation. DHL’s grounds for rejecting her leave application were also
‘spurious’ as she was already on leave and the company was used to doing
without her, she said.
However,
she declined to order reinstatement, instead ordering 13 weeks’ compensation.
On
appeal, the Transport Workers Union on behalf of the woman said Senior Deputy
President Drake had not explained the reasons behind her decision not to order
reinstatement, therefore her decision was flawed.
The Full
Bench agreed it could not see how the reasons she outlined - particularly the
argument the employee had ‘dithered’ in rearranging her flights - could make
reinstatement impractical.
‘There is
no basis upon which it could be found that DHL could have an objectively
founded concern about the ability to resume the employment relationship,’ the
Full Bench said. The company’s claims of concern over low levels of trust was
based on the belief she had not tried to rearrange her flights, when in fact
she had, the Full Bench said.
There was
no legal basis on which the Senior Deputy President could have concluded
reinstatement was not appropriate, it found.
Implications
for members
The
original decision served as a warning to employers to be sympathetic to the
personal circumstances of employees and to not unreasonably deny leave
requests. The appeal decision shows employers must be able to prove that
reinstatement is impractical. If lack of trust is a reason against
reinstatement, it must be backed up by evidence.
To view
the original decision, click here.
To view
the appeal decision, click here.
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Boilermaker’s
dismissal for incapacity ‘sad’ but valid, finds AIRC
The AIRC
has found the termination of employment of a 59-year-old boilermaker by Bradken
Rail (Resources) was justified because he could no longer perform the inherent
requirements of the job.
Commissioner
Annette Larkin found that while Bradken’s dismissal of Brian Besley for
incapacity was ‘sad’, it was ‘defensible’ and ‘well-founded’.
Besley
had worked at the company’s Clyde Street, Hamilton fabrication workshop since
May 2003. He was injured at work in June 2004 and subsequently diagnosed with a
hernia. He later had a hip replacement and returned to work but only on light
duties between 2006 and 2008.
In
dismissing Besley, the company relied on doctor’s advice he could not perform
his pre-injury duties as a boilermaker.
Commissioner
Larkin in her September 1 decision said Besley had not been able to perform his
substantive role of boilermaker for at least three years. During that time the
company had given him a number of other jobs with alternative duties in
accordance with restrictions advised by his doctor.
‘I am
persuaded that the respondent did genuinely attempt to rehabilitate the
applicant to enable him to return to his pre-injury position’, she said.
However,
a doctor’s letter clearly stated he had ongoing problems following his left hip
replacement and was not capable of returning to his pre-injury job.
‘I am
satisfied that there was a valid reason, based on the applicant’s incapacity,
for the termination of his employment … as sad as that may be’, she said.
She
emphasised it was a ‘very sad matter’ as Besley had found his situation ‘quite
distressing and unable to accept’. He had been a good and proficient worker
with a high work ethic. It was ‘very unfortunate’ he could not perform his
boilermaker job and that there were no other suitable jobs in the company, she
said.
Implications
for members:
This
decision shows as long as an employer observes the proper injury management and
return to work processes beforehand, dismissing an employee on the basis they
can no longer perform the inherent requirements of the job will be upheld,
particularly if it is supported by medical evidence. Employers must also
consider other suitable jobs within the organisation, but if all else fails,
dismissal will be found to be defensible.
To view
the decision, click here.
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Injured
worker reinstated; his co-workers can help him, rules NSW IRC
The New South
Wales Industrial Relations Commission has ordered the reinstatement of an
injured worker to bulk liquid storage company Terminals Pty Ltd, finding the
NUW made out its case under s242 of the New South Wales Workers Compensation
Act.
Todd Bell
started work with Terminals in June 1995 at its Port Botany facility – one of
four port facilities run by the company. He injured his back and shoulder in
1997-98 and subsequently returned to work but had another period of back pain
about a decade later, the commission heard.
Due to
his most recent injury, Bell was unable to work between February and April
2007. After that he returned on light duties, which were gradually broadened.
His
employment was terminated in September 2007, with Terminals citing medical
evidence he would ‘never again’ be able to perform all the requirements of a
grade four operator. Bell wrote to the company seeking reinstatement, attaching
a medical certificate and saying he believed he was fit to perform the inherent
requirements of the job ‘with the exception of work on the wharf involving
lifting over 15kgs and moving the six-inch hoses’.
Commissioner
Donna McKenna in her August 26 decision found the union had established a case
for reinstatement, despite Bell’s physical restrictions.
‘There
appears to be no practical difficulty in reinstating Mr Bell on the expectation
that co-operative work practices will be involved, as the evidence indicated
that this is what occurs already’, she said.
‘To the
extent there may be shared lifting of heavier weights, the performance of such
tasks on a shared basis would act for the OHS benefit of all workers concerned
in the tasks at hand, not just to accommodate the medical recommendations
concerning Mr Bell.’
She noted
Bell was now well-recovered from his injury and almost ‘asymptomatic’.
Implications
for members:
This
decision shows where co-operative work practices currently exist, the New South Wales commission will see no reason why they can’t be used to accommodate
physical restrictions of injured workers. It also shows the commission will
view co-operative work practices for heavy lifting as beneficial to all
workers.
To view
the decision, click here.
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AMMA Education and Training
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About
AMMA Education and Training
AMMA
Education and Training is a division of Australian Mines and Metals Association
Inc. and is focused on providing member-driven education and training
initiatives specific to the resources and allied sectors.
Our
mission is to become the choice education and training provider for our members
to deliver quality and trusted education and training services.
One of
AMMA Education and Training’s key goals is to provide as many people as
possible in the resources and allied sector the opportunity for further
education. We are dedicated to providing as many learning options and
methods to facilitate this goal.
AMMA
Education and Training offers a wide range of services to assist organisations
achieve their education, training and development goals.
Our
education, training and development services are constantly updated to ensure
AMMA Education and Training meets the latest global trends and therefore
continually delivers products that surpass user requirements.
Our courses for
September and October are:
Course
costs
Course
cost is $420.00 for members (GST Incl), which includes workbooks,
handouts, refreshments and lunch. Course numbers are limited so to
avoid disappointment, please register early.
To
register or for more information please contact AMMA Training and Education on
1800 891 662 or email training@amma.org.au or
download our registration
form.
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Upcoming AMMA member forums
AMMA
conducts member forums on a quarterly basis at convenient locations for
members. AMMA also conducts online forums, making it easy for members in
remote locations to attend.
Member
forums are designed to keep AMMA members informed about important issues that
impact on the resources and allied services sector. External speakers present
on a range of relevant topics. AMMA member forums also act as an excellent
networking opportunity facilitating the exchange of information
The
second round of forums for 2008 took place during August, supplemented by two
online forums on 23 September. The final round of
member forums for 2008 will take place in November.
For more
information about these forums, contact AMMA Membership Services via email at membership@amma.org.au
.
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AMMA Employment
Opportunities
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About employment opportunities
with AMMA
Information about current
employment opportunities with AMMA is available in the employment area of the AMMA
website.
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Preferred Supplier Program
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About
AMMA’s Preferred Supplier Program
The AMMA Preferred
Supplier Program is designed to assist our members in finding quality service
providers for the varying needs within the resources sector.
As a service to
members AMMA is embarking on a project to identify suitable product and service
suppliers for members.
As part of the preferred supplier program
AMMA has engaged the services of a third party to analyse and evaluate all
applicants to the program. This analysis includes a thorough assessment of the
Applicant organisation’s business history, financial stability and professional
reputation. Only by proving itself a professional and reliable organisation can
an organisation be referred to as an AMMA Preferred Supplier.
To ensure the
ongoing quality and validity of the program the preferred supplier relationship
will be reviewed and renewed on a yearly basis. This will also ensure quality
of services to AMMA members is maintained.
If you believe your
organisation would qualify for the AMMA Preferred Supplier Program and would
like some more information please click
here, or contact Corlia Roos on (07) 3210 0313.
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AMMA Supported Events
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AMMA’s
Supported Events
AMMA is proud to support selected upcoming
events that we believe will be of relevance and interest to our members. Many
of these events offer a discount rate for AMMA members. Further information is
available on our Supported Events
page
of the AMMA website.
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The
AMMA Bulletin is published monthly and is available free to AMMA members. Copyright.
Reproduction prohibited.