RTBU DISPUTE UPDATE: Productivity and Site Allowance – North Shore Project

Bulletin: 6/19

To: All Laing O’Rourke RTBU Members

RTBU DISPUTE UPDATE: Productivity and Site Allowance – North Shore Project

Originally Commissioner Dean ruled that Laing O’Rourke employees working on the North Shore Project were not entitled to the Productivity and Site allowance within the Enterprise Agreement.

The RTBU immediately filed an appeal to this decision.

The appeal was accepted by the Fair Work Commission and set down for hearing in front of a full bench of Commissioners late last year.

On Friday the 18^th January 2019 we finally received the decision from the Fair Work Commission on the RTBU’s appeal case.

The appeal was successful!

The full bench of Commissioners determined that not only was Commissioner Dean’s original ruling made in error, but Laing O’Rourke must pay the Productivity and Site Allowance to their workers on the North Shore Project.

For well over a year your delegates and the RTBU have been fighting for this decision. Laing O’Rourke is earning much more off this project then originally announced and through the use of a contract variation they tried to avoid paying our members this allowance.

They did not get away with it.

The next steps are that another hearing will be heard where it will be determined as to how much is owed to our members, from when the allowance should have been paid and timeframes on when back pay must be processed.

Congratulations to all union members who took part in this dispute, it is an amazing achievement!

Your enterprise agreement is up for negotiation this year which will be another fight we must prepare for, if you are not a member of the RTBU, now is the time to join!