In a notable retreat from traditional demarcation battles, the ACTU is overseeing the national roll-out of an online membership system that simplifies transfers between different unions.
The Fair Work Commission has today reserved its decision on whether to approve the merger of the CFMEU, MUA and TCFU, with employer groups arguing that proceedings seeking to recover fines and penalties should be taken into account.
As the Australian Federation of Air Pilots seeks talks with objectors to its membership rule change bid before heading to the FWC in a fortnight, Qantas has labelled it "so broad" that it could extend to "any person anywhere", including pilots based outside Australia or employed by foreign entities.
The NUW plans to mount a concerted push to unionise Amazon's new warehouse operations in Australia, but may face competition from the SDA for members at the online retail giant.
Employers opposing the merger of the CFMEU, MUA and TCFU have warned the FWC that the unions would use their combined might to cripple the resource and construction industries, but they argue that in any case more than 45 pending penalty proceedings should legally disqualify them from amalgamating.
The High Court has confirmed that unions are entitled to run underpayment and other contravention cases for un-named classes of employees who are eligible for membership but are not members, paving the way for a pilots union to advance an adverse action claim on behalf of Regional Express cadets.
Time is running out for the Turnbull Government to pass its Bill to impose a public interest test on union mergers before the FWC considers green-lighting the CFMEU, MUA and TCFU amalgamation, with the tribunal planning to conduct a hearing in early February.
The ballots of MUA and TCFU members to determine whether they support amalgamation with the CFMEU closed today with a high turnout for an internal union vote.
The High Court has reserved judgment after this week hearing regional airline Rex's challenge to a union's entitlement to represent the industrial interests of eligible non-members as it pursues an adverse action claim on behalf of cadet pilots and prospective employees.
An FWC full bench has found it "reasonably arguable" that Coles should have known a 2014 agreement negotiated with the SDA could not satisfy the BOOT when it applied for Commission approval.