ROGUE union bosses who deliberately flout the law will be targeted in beefed-up laws to regulate trade unions.

The Turnbull Government is considering 79 recommendations made by the royal commission in its final report to improve union transparency and accountability.

But two recommendations that would impose penalties on dodgy individuals and ban them from holding office are expected to be key features of the Government’s revised Registered Organisations Bill, which has been rejected by the Senate twice.

The proposals — aimed at militant construction union the CFMEU — will also prevent unions using membership fees to pay the fines for rogue officers who break the law.

Victoria Police claims union officials are wearing fines as “badges of honour” as there are no laws which stops unions paying the fines imposed on their officers.

The new legislation will come before the Senate when Parliament resumes in February. The Government will also reintroduce a Bill to re-establish a construction watchdog.

If that Bill is rejected again it would hand the Government a possible double dissolution trigger, which it will need to go to an election before mid-July.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has vowed fight an election on the reforms, sparking renewed speculation about an early election.

“If we cannot get the passage of this legislation through the Senate, then in one form or another it will be a major issue at the next election and we will be going to the members of the unions and we will be saying to them we want you to get a fair deal,” Mr Turnbull said.

Victorian Liberal MP Dan Tehan said it was time union officials who break the law were held to account, calling on both sides of Parliament to back the two “critical” reforms.

“If not, the clear message our Parliament would be sending to officials in organisations like the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia is we are happy for you to break the law with impunity,” Mr Tehan writes in Monday’s Herald Sun.

The Government’s focus on rogue individuals is in line with royal commissioner Dyson Heydon’s recommendation not to deregister the CFMEU, arguing it wouldn’t address the problems within the industry and would impact members.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said the Government was “not ruling anything out”, but one MP said deregistering the union would be “difficult”.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/rogue-union-bosses-targeted-in-turnbull-governm...

....apparently Unions pay the fines of its officials that break the law?

Therefore there is no deterrent in imposing fines.

More corruption.

Swagman wrote on Jan 11^th, 2016 at 7:34am:

Not corruption, just a case where unions are not equal before the law.

aussie100percent wrote on Jan 11^th, 2016 at 7:40am:



Why not?

They run businesses, corporations, and conservative governments.

aussie100percent wrote on Jan 11^th, 2016 at 7:46am:



did you close your eyes once you moved onto looking at the NSW libs? 

aussie100percent wrote on Jan 11^th, 2016 at 8:10am:


you're so worried about the forest that you can't see the trees ..... do I need to remind you of the count so far?

half your luck ... I have to go fix a broken toilet 

aussie100percent wrote on Jan 11^th, 2016 at 7:40am:

No, I do not.

Nor do I think it is OK for criminals to run companies or be elected to parliament. Yet the law currently allows that.

If we ban criminals from holding offices in unions, we must also ban criminals from holding any office of responsibility, including being directors of companies or being elected to Parliament.

The law must be equal for EVERYONE.