New IR push could ‘force’ employers to pay for union delegate rights

Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable says new industrial relations changes would allow unions to “force” employers to pay for delegates’ rights. A new proposal would see union delegates spend as much time on union business as the job that employers pay them to do. This comes as part of a push from the Mining and Energy Union. “That means that if a union delegate wants to do training, they can do up to five days training on whatever they like, wherever they like,” Ms Constable said. “Whatever the union delegate wants to do, the employer is going to have to pay for it.”