Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has this afternoon introduced legislation that outlaws payments of "corrupting benefits" to unions and imposes penalties on those who provide or receive such payments.
The Turnbull Government's national construction code is seeking to break the "cartel-like behaviour" between head contractors and construction unions, according to Employment Minister Michaelia Cash, but legal expert Andrew Stewart says building companies are facing "a complete mess".
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has asked the Opposition to back new legislation that would scrap the Fair Work Act's mandatory four-yearly reviews of modern awards.
As a court fines a regional café more than $500,000 for exploiting overseas workers and the FWO pursues two other cafes for unlawful "cash-back" schemes, Ombudsman Natalie James has welcomed the Federal Government's commitment to introducing laws to prohibit such arrangements.
The Senate last night passed unamended the Turnbull Government’s legislation to reduce the phase-in period for the 2016 national construction code from two years to nine months.
The CFMEU says it will organise national protests and work stoppages in coming weeks with support from other unions and the ACTU to protest the return of the ABCC and the accelerated implementation of the 2016 national construction code.
The Turnbull Government has won support for an earlier start for the tougher national construction code, after a dramatic about-face by crossbench Senator Derryn Hinch.
The Turnbull Government has been lambasted by the ACTU and state premiers after rejecting the push at today's COAG meeting for all modern awards to include paid domestic violence leave, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk decrying it as a "missed opportunity".
Key crossbench senator Nick Xenophon will push for a security of payments working group in return for supporting the Turnbull Government's legislation to re-establish the ABCC.
