THE NEWS WRAP: Union members to vote on major transport strike action

The Fair Work Commission has granted the Transport Workers’ Union the right to hold a ballot on a possible strike as part of an ongoing industrial dispute against transport giant Toll Group. Around 8500 workers at 400 yards are set to vote on a 72-hour stop-work action against the transport giant, with the Australian […]

Andrew Sadauskas 09 July, 2013

The Fair Work Commission has granted the Transport Workers’ Union the right to hold a ballot on a possible strike as part of an ongoing industrial dispute against transport giant Toll Group.

Around 8500 workers at 400 yards are set to vote on a 72-hour stop-work action against the transport giant, with the Australian Electoral Commission given 28 working days to hold the ballot.

“Fighting for the rights and conditions of workers at Toll is part of our fight to protect the rights and conditions of every transport worker in the country. Our members are prepared for this next step in this fight,” TWU assistant national secretary Michael Kaine says.

Holden threatens plant closures unless it gets another $60 million

Holden is demanding an additional $60 million industry assistance package, on top of $275 million package it negotiated last year, threatening to withdraw a commitment to build two next-generation vehicles in Australian and close its local car plants.

“[Holden] are seeking more funds in regards to replacing the Cruze and the Commodore. They have made it quite clear that no matter what the workers do, if they do not get more support from the government they will not go forward with the Cruze and the Commodore,” Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union South Australian secretary John Camillo told The Australian.

“I am taking the possibility of a closure very, very seriously,” South Australian Manufacturing Minister Tom Kenyon says.

Agribusiness chairman calls on ACCC to investigate Coles and Woolworths

The chairman of agribusinesses AACo and Nufarm and former president of the National Farmers Federation, Donald McGauchie, is calling on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to prioritise its investigation of Coles and Woolworths, as talks on a possible Australian Food and Grocery Council stall.

“There are some accusations made against the supermarkets that I have heard from a number of sources that need investigation and the ACCC needs to do that,” McGauchie says.

“They need to have sensitive ways of doing that because people tell me they are concerned about the way supermarkets treat them and are concerned that if they are seen to be making comments about that publicly, it would endanger their business.”