Labor makes more union-aligned appointments to Fair Work

The new appointments take the number of union-aligned appointees to 16 in 14 months.

United Workers Union executive director Ben Redford.

The Albanese government had made three more union-linked appointments to the Fair Work Commission, taking the number of union-aligned appointees to 16 in 14 months, as Labor unwinds the Coalition’s stacking of the ­tribunal with those from an ­employer background.

Barrister Mark Gibian SC, who has represented unions in prominent cases including the Transport Workers Union against Qantas, has been appointed a commission vice-president, ­following the retirement of Joe Catanzariti.

Shop assistants union assistant national secretary Julia Fox and United Workers Union executive director Ben Redford have been appointed as commissioners.

Despite three rounds of union-linked appointments since March last year, most of the commission’s 53 members still come from the employer side as 26 of 27 permanent appointments by the previous Coalition government were linked to employers.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said Labor in opposition repeatedly pledged to rebalance the commission to give workers an equal voice in decisions that affect them. “Even with these appointments, the commission is still not balanced after a decade of shameless stacking by the previous Coalition government,” he said.

“I look forward to the day I can return to appointing people to the commission from employee and employer backgrounds in equal numbers.”

After the government made 13 union-linked appointments in six weeks last year, resource sector employers accused Labor of turning the commission into a “retirement home for union bosses”, claiming the appointments would undermine business confidence in the tribunal.

The ACTU said the appointments were ­another step towards rebalancing the tribunal after it had been stacked with “employer ideologues” by the Coalition.

With the retirement of Mr Catanzariti and the three new appointments, the overall number of commission members will increase by two to 53, with 29 coming from employer backgrounds.

Mr Burke said the new appointees had extensive experience and would bring “impartiality, dedication and diligence” to the commission.

SDA assistant national secretary Julia Fox.

Barrister Mark Gibian SC. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

Mr Gibian, a barrister since 2002, was appointed senior counsel in 2018. Ms Fox has held various positions with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association since 1996 while Mr Redford was Victorian assistant secretary at United Voice for 12 years before becoming the union’s executive director in 2019

Mr Burke said Ms Fox, who will start next week, and Mr Redford, who commence on July 8, would assist the commission in performing new functions arising from the passage of Labor’s Closing Loopholes legislation. “The work of the commission is more important than ever with the implementation of the government’s significant workplace relations reforms to ensure secure jobs, better pay and safer workplaces for Australian workers,” he said.

While governments once had a tradition of making appointments from both unions and employers, appointments have been more partisan in recent years.

Depending on which party is in government, employers have accused Labor of stacking the commission with “union mates” while unions have slammed the ­Coalition for making employer-friendly appointments.

In 2018, the Morrison government appointed six deputy presidents with employer backgrounds to the commission, ­ignoring a recom­mendation by then tribunal president Iain Ross that only one appointment was needed.