NATIONAL resource industry employer group AMMA – the Australian Mines and Metals Association  – says the Coalition’s legislative bill to restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) is a positive move that will help secure the $620 billion of new resource projects in Australia’s investment pipeline.

“Ensuring the rule of law is applied on mega resource sector construction sites is critical to delivering the $620 billion worth of projects currently in Australia’s investment pipeline,” says AMMA chief executive Steve Knott.

“Today’s legislation demonstrates to the global investment community that the rule of law will be upheld in building productive infrastructure in Australia. It sends the message that the significant capital being invested into new projects into our country is not being taken for granted.

“The extension of the ABCC’s jurisdiction to now cover the construction of offshore oil and gas projects, which operate in an ultra-competitive and high exposed marketplace, will help ensure a stable and lawful environment in which more nationally-significant projects can come to life.”

With the ABCC established following recommendations of the Cole Royal Commission, Mr Knott says the previous Labor Government erred when it ignored such findings and dismantled the watchdog in 2012.

“The ABCC has never been a political instrument, it was a law enforcement body specifically recommended by a Royal Commission. Any union complying with the law has nothing to fear from a tough regulator enforcing strong legislative compliance mechanisms,” he says.

AMMA also welcomes the move to address unlawful picketing at building sites, in particular so-called “community picketing” which are often coordinated by building unions to deliberately evade legal regulation of their industrial activities.

“The rights of our nation’s citizens to demonstrate peacefully in support of legitimate social and community concerns are too often undermined by a union ‘rent-a-crowd’ actually pushing industrial agendas and illegally disrupting important economic activity,” Mr Knott says.

“It is well beyond time that those unions which regularly engage in anti-social militancy, thuggery and intimidation accept that they are not above the rule of Australia’s workplace laws.

“The restoration of a tough regulator on Australia’s construction sites is long overdue. The resource industry calls on all members of parliament to act quickly and decisively in supporting this legislation.”

www.amma.org.au

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PEAK retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) congratulates NSW Minister for Small Business and Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson after she today released the Discussion Paper on the Review of the Retail Leases Act 1994.

ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said the ARA has been working alongside the NSW Government to get the review underway for some time now, and is pleased the NSW Government will now undertake a period of public consultation to ensure the most up-to-date feedback is gathered.

Recommendations will then be made to Cabinet, including proposed legislative amendments to the Act.

“The Retail Leases Act 1994 was put in place to regulate the relationship between tenants and landlords by setting minimum standards for leasing retail space. Some of the key areas to be considered in the review include potential misuse of market power, negotiation of leases and issues relating to full disclosure of the terms and conditions of a lease, and introduction of a standard retail lease.

“The review is critical to the retail sector in NSW and a crucial step forward to ensuring more transparency and fairness in the lease negotiation process - which the ARA has been advocating for in order to level the power relationship between landlord and retailer.

“In 2008 the previous government released a retail leases discussion paper to review the Act but never followed through with the review. The ARA thanks Minister Hodgkinson and the NSW Government for their support on this issue,” Mr Zimmerman said.

Since 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has been the peak industry body representing Australia’s $258 billion retail sector, which employs over 1.2 million people.

The ARA ensures retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

Visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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The Search Party has announced the world's first candidate Marketplace, which will transform how employers recruit talent. The Search Party connects Australian employers with the best qualified candidates quickly and cost effectively.

Employers can search a pool of the best qualified candidates and get connected to recruiters who can then arrange an introduction. At launch the talent pool has close to two million certified candidate profiles represented by agencies that have been handpicked to join.

Distinct from existing online recruitment networks that have been growing in popularity, Marketplace candidates are validated by recruitment professionals before organisations see their profiles. Australian employers at launch include two major international telecommunications companies, two out of the big four accounting firms, and one of the world's biggest technology companies.

"The current employment models are out of date and broken," said Jamie Carlisle, CEO - The Search Party.

 "Having the right people working in your business is one of the biggest priorities for all organisations. Yet it takes employers on average 81 days to hire a candidate at a cost of $15K per person. The Search Party provides a solution that is focused on what's important - finding great talent, quickly and cost effectively. We've built an online marketplace that gives employers access to deep knowledge on candidates by using the expertise of the best recruitment agencies to screen candidates. Alongside this we've designed a powerful search and a management function that makes sure only the most relevant candidates are viewed so employers don't get inundated with CVs."

Ben Hutt, Chief Financial & Operating Officer - The Search Party said, "in less than 10 weeks The Search Party has managed to capture 20 per cent of CVs in the Australian workforce and the candidate pool is growing 10 per cent week-on-week. We expect to have the vast majority of the Australian workforce in Marketplace by the end of 2014, represented by some of the most successful agencies in the country. The Search Party is looking to re-shape the global recruitment industry and will open a number of offices across the globe, starting with London in January 2014."

Paul Lyons, Managing Director - Ambition, Australia said, "the recruitment industry is ripe for change. Its business models are failing with our Clients not placing the same value as us on the work we do, especially where we are working competitively and only get paid when we place candidates.

"We need a new solution that will help us deliver better results for our clients and The Search Party's new approach is a game-changer for us. It allows us to focus on what we're good at which is building relationships with great talent and filling live job vacancies - all in a pricing model that's a win for both recruiters and employers."

The Marketplace's collaborative approach allows recruiters or hiring managers in the organisations access to a vast talent pool represented by top agencies at no cost. Employers can pick the candidates they want to meet, determine commercial terms with an agency and arrange interviews, all in the Marketplace. If employers don't find the right candidate there's no cost, and if they want guarantee periods these can be agreed.

About Jamie Carlisle - The Search Party, CEO

Jamie Carlisle is CEO and founder of The Search Party. He has over 10 years' experience managing leading technology start-ups as well as experience as a senior recruitment manager. Carlisle is a serial entrepreneur with a talent for using technology to solve real world problems. He started his first business at 19, and has been involved with a number of successful start-ups over the years including Spreets.com which was acquired by Yahoo!7 for $40 million, and GroupByWhat a group buying analytics platform. Carlisle has spent over three years with The Search Party and is responsible for technology, innovation and driving business growth and success.

Carlisle has held a number of high profile online positions, including Manager of National Brands for ReachLocal in the UK and Australia. He was Head of Social Media and SEO at Spreets.com in Australia before founding The Search Party.

He has firsthand experience of the recruitment industry and has held managerial positions in the UK at both Waters Barnes Associates (2007/2009), and Michael Page International (2006/7) where he started a new division.

Carlisle has a passion for neuropsychology, which he studied at UCL in London, and has a skill for taking academic theory into real world social-business situations. He is vocal about education reform and believes that the current conventional systems are failing to maximise the potential of young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

About Ben Hutt - The Search Party, Chief Financial & Operating Officer

Ben Hutt is Chief Financial & Operating Officer of The Search Party. He has over 15 years' experience in management consulting and problem solving with top-tier firms including Macquarie Group and PwC Consulting. Prior to The Search Party, Ben worked in a range of different roles in his five years at Macquarie Group, the last two of which were spent building an international team focused on delivering improved cost efficiency across the group.

Hutt is a perennial business problem solver and an expert in improving productivity. He began his career analysing call centre productivity and the impact of changes in technology for one of Britain's banks, whilst completing his final year thesis as a Psychology undergraduate. After that he spent three years at PwC consulting working for financial services and telecommunications clients in Europe, the UK and North America.

www.thesearchparty.com

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Representatives of more than 2 million independent retailers have joined Senator Nick Xenophon in his call for a moratorium on fuel dockets being offered by the major supermarket chains.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has pledged its support for this action to be taken urgently by the Abbott Government.

Russell Zimmerman, spokesperson for the informal coalition of small business groups and Executive Director of the ARA said "Australia's small businesses are hopeful that the ACCC's investigation into the behaviour of the chains will prove once and for all that they continually abuse their market power – the fuel dockets scandal is the most obvious example.

“We are becoming increasingly concerned by the ongoing delay – the ACCC has taken months to decide to take action against the chains and while they delay, our retailers are suffering at the unfair tactics of the chains.

"Immediate action is required to give the independent retailers of Australia the opportunity to compete on a level playing field. Without a moratorium on fuel dockets, many businesses may have no choice but to close for good.

"We are at an impasse. The cross subsidisation of the chains continues to impact small businesses on a daily basis. The major supermarket chains claim to be doing nothing wrong and acting in the best interests of the consumer.

"As if the cross subsidisation of fuel was not bad enough, recent offers by the chains are also promoting cross subsidisation of liquor" added Mr Zimmerman.

"Our only hope is that a moratorium on fuel dockets might level the playing field again so we have a fair chance to compete on product and price, at least until such time as the result of the ACCC's investigation is announced,” Mr Zimmerman said.

About the Independent Retailers of Australia – a coalition of retail bodies representing over two million small businesses and five million employees. It is a united voice for independent businesses who want action taken to enforce Australian competition laws; opposed to deep discount fuel dockets and the market dominance of the chains at the expense of a competitively diverse retail sector and ultimately consumer choice.

www.retail.org.au

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