Former union boss and ex-MP Craig Thomson has no money to pay any penalty imposed over hundreds of thousands of dollars in union funds he used without authority, including for prostitutes, the Federal Court has heard. The court is hearing submissions in Melbourne on penalties in a civil case brought by the Fair Work Commission over the former Health Services Union secretary’s misuse of union money for his own benefit. The hearing follows a damning judgment by Justice Christopher Jessup in September backing the commission’s position that Thomson had misspent more than $300,000 of union funds on brothels, travel and his own federal politics campaign in 2007. Thomson did not appear in court, and although the court was previously told he could not afford a lawyer, he was represented by employment lawyer Chris McArdle. The civil case comes after Thomson was last year found guilty of theft by the County Court of Victoria for which he was fined $25,000, narrowly avoiding jail time.
November 13, 2015
A union has criticised an aged care home on Hobart’s eastern shore for removing paid parental leave entitlements, saying it will not do any favours to a sector dealing with a skills shortage. The Fair Work Commission has approved a protected industrial action ballot for workers at the Queen Victoria Homes (QVH) in Lindisfarne. The Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) said it reached an in-principle agreement with the home’s management that workers would be entitled to 14 weeks of paid parental leave. The union said management had now taken that off the table, telling employees to access parental leave through the Federal Government. “Access to paid parental leave is one of the big issues for aged care workers, a predominantly female workforce,” state secretary Tim Jacobson said.
November 13, 2015
Thousands of health professionals are being actively monitored by authorities because they have a criminal history, drug problem, health impairment, or because they are not suitably qualified for their job. New data shows 5702 health professionals, including doctors, nurses and dentists, were being watched by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency last financial year because of concerns about their conduct. Doctors, nurses and Chinese medicine practitioners made up the bulk of those being monitored and the most common reason was their “suitability and eligibility” for the job. This could mean they do not hold an approved or substantially equivalent qualification in their profession, lack English language skills, or do not fully meet the requirements of any other approved registration standard.
November 10, 2015
The Fair Work Commission has given its consent to the Estia Investments Pty Ltd (trading as Estia Health) – Estia Health Grovesdale, Estia Health Wodonga, Estia Health Plenty Valley – ANMF and HSU Enterprise Agreement 2015.
November 10, 2015
Fair Work Commissioner Simpson in Brisbane has signed off the approval of the NoosaCare Inc Enterprise Agreement 2015.
November 10, 2015
The St John of God Health Care (Vic Hospitals) Medical Scientists, Dietitians and Psychologists Enterprise Agreement 2015 has gained Fair Work Commission consent in Melbourne.
November 10, 2015
The Mercy Public Hospitals Health Service (Biomedical Engineers) Enterprise Agreement 2014-2017 now has FWC approval.
November 10, 2015
Queensland Nurses’ Union of Employees and Queensland Health are in the middle of a s.576(2)(aa) (promoting cooperative and productive workplace relations and preventing disputes) lovefest.
