Registered organisations page 214 of 220

The NSW Supreme Court has refused for now to issue jailed former HSU NSW leader Michael Williamson a certificate protecting him from self-incrimination in the union's proceedings against the branch's former assistant secretary, Peter Mylan.

In what the ACTU has dubbed a political witch hunt, the federal Attorney-General's department is questioning government agencies over their dealings with unions over the last ten years.

The head of Unions Tasmania, Kevin Harkins, will step down later this year as key unions and peak bodies undergo a leadership renewal.

The ACTU has produced a “bargaining toolkit” to help unions to pursue claims to offset Federal Budget measures, including the $7 GP co-payment, a freeze on child care rebates and the re-indexation of fuel excise.

Evidence to be presented to the Heydon Royal Commission by former CFMEU construction and general division NSW branch official Brian Fitzpatrick "reveals a troubling state of lawlessness" in the branch and the union that manifests in their preparedness to go to "war" against companies that incur their displeasure, according to its counsel assisting.

An investigation commissioned by CFMEU national secretary Michael O'Connor has cleared NSW construction and general division branch officials of going soft on building companies associated with Sydney business identity George Alex and of bullying two organisers who raised the allegations.

Boral chief executive Mike Kane has told the Heydon Royal Commission that his company is contemplating new legal action against its competitors, customers and the CFMEU under competition law, labelling them as conspirators in a union campaign to deprive it of its Melbourne market share after it refused to cut off supplies to Grocon.

The Heydon Royal Commission has raised the possibility that the CFMEU's bans on Boral concrete supplies might have contravened anti-cartel and blackmail laws, in addition to flouting secondary boycott provisions.

In a testy exchange with CFMEU barrister John Agius SC this morning, Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon has ruled that airing a building company director's secret recording of a telephone call with a union organiser was not unlawful because it was in the public interest for it to be played.

The Heydon Royal Commission today denied leaking information to the media, after the CFMEU’s construction division complained about the emergence into the public arena of material that is expected to be aired at next week’s hearing into the union.