TURC: Fair Work Commission president Ian Ross ‘discussed AWU side deal’

Fair Work Commission president Ian Ross discussed deal struck with Thiess John Holland joint venture, TURC hears.

Fair Work Commission president Ian Ross discussed the side deal struck by the AWU and the Thiess John Holland construction joint venture that has come under fierce scrutiny in the trade union royal commission.

President Ross, who was the commission’s deputy president in 2004 when the deal was made spoke to the project’s human resources manager Julian Rzesniowiecki during negotiations to agree an enterprise bargaining agreement for the building of the $2.5 billion EastLink Tollway.

In a phone call with Mr Rzesniowiecki, then deputy president Ross transmitted a request from the AWU’s Cesar Melhem that the union wanted six full-time organisers on the job, the Commission heard.

After some “haggling”, Thiess John Holland agreed to fund a full-time union organiser on the project at a cost of $100,000 a year for three years.

Mr Rzesniowiecki also testified that Mr Ross was a guest speaker at an AWU Industrial Relations regulations seminar that Thiess paid $25,250 to attend.

Quizzed this morning by senior counsel assisting the royal commission Jeremy Stoljar, Mr Rzesniowiecki said: “In in the conciliation process before Ian Ross, Ian Ross indicated to me at that stage that Cesar Melhem was looking for six organisers and I indicated to Ian Ross that that would have to be dealt with outside the IR IAC process.

“We weren’t in a position to deal with it here and we’d come to an understanding with Mr Melhem,” he added.

Mr Stoljar said: “Mr Ross said something to you in the conciliation process?”

“That’s correct ... I think it was over the telephone”.

Mr Stoljar asked: “You had that discussion with Mr Ross and then you had a discussion with Mr Melhem?

Mr Rzesniowiecki replied: “That’s correct”.

President Ross approved the Thiess John Holland agreement in March 2005.

On the topic of the IR seminar, Mr Rzesniowiecki said: “Ian Ross was one of the guest speakers and we bought some tickets to, you know, to provide some support to the union in relation to our deal”.