A meeting convened at Parliament House of all Labor staff, where Bronwyn Taylor, Chief of Staff to Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek, spoke about a new addition to Bill Shorten’s office – one Matt Burke – who would assist with Labor’s federal election campaign. A few of those advisers with long memories were rather surprised that the leader’s office would employ Burke, a former associate of dodgy Health Services Union Secretary turned Labor MP Craig Thomson. Thomson employed Burke at the HSU without the authorisation of the union’s National Executive. Then Burke resigned in April 2007 to run Thomson’s campaign as Labor candidate for the federal seat of Dobell. Despite his resignation, Burke continued to use his HSU-issued credit card for the rest of the year, racking up $6700 in the lead-up to the November election. Thomson also paid Burke’s car insurance on his HSU credit card in November, seven months after Burke had left the union. All of these revelations are contained in Fair Work Australia’s investigation into the HSU’s national office following allegations of financial impropriety by Thomson and National President Michael Williamson, who is serving a five-year prison sentence. The report was compiled by Fair Work Australia investigator Terry Nassios and was released in March 2012.
December 15, 2015
The Australian Workers’ Union and the Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Q) – St Stephens Hospital Maryborough and Hervey Bay will ‘duke’ it out before Fair Work Commissioner Simpson at 11am today.
December 15, 2015
An application for approval of the Whyalla Aged Care Nursing Employees and ANMF Enterprise Agreement 2015 is to be determined by Fair Work Commissioner Roe in Melbourne.
December 15, 2015
Julie Raykos has been knocked back over her unfair dismissal claim against the Department of Human Services. Ms Raykos failed to respond to all communications from Fair Work after lodging her complaint.
December 15, 2015
Kalparrin Community Inc is alleged to have dismissed a staff member unfairly (Hill).
December 14, 2015
Aged care worker Garry Steven Davis has been committed for trial for murder over the deaths of Gwen Fowler and Ryan Kelly and the attempted murder of Audrey Manuel at the Summit Care Wallsend nursing home in Newcastle in 2013. The court heard his posts to Facebook included one that read: “I hate old people.” He entered no plea and was refused bail.
December 14, 2015
A major inquiry into Fair Work Vice-President Michael Lawler, who has taken fully paid sick leave for more than nine months since mid-2014, has been delayed after Mr Lawler resumed sick leave and checked himself into a mental health facility. Mr Lawler, the partner of disgraced former Health Services Union boss Kathy Jackson appears to have fallen victim to illnesses similar to those afflicting Ms Jackson as she faced Federal Court deadlines in recent years.
December 14, 2015
William Bolger has failed to convince the Fair Work Commission to extend the time allowed for him to pursue his claim for unfair dismissal against Austin Health.
