Builders invited to weigh in on payment laws
04 September, 2015A full evaluation of the Security of Payment Act will be carried out later this year, according to Fair Trading Commissioner, Rod Stowe. Major changes were made to the Act in 2013 to ensure prompt payments for subcontractors through the contracting chain, protect retention monies and penalise contractors who provide false statements with fines or imprisonment.
5 critical field service metrics to know
01 September, 2015Field service leaders have an abundance of statistics to possibly track. Which metrics would have the greatest impact on your field service organisation?
Master Builders says Heydon made the right decision
01 September, 2015Master Builders Australia (MBA) is applauding Justice Heydon's decision to dismiss protests by unions and continue investigations into the building industry.
Recognising fleet management as a profession
27 August, 2015The Australasian Fleet Management Association (AfMA) is committed to promoting fleet management as a profession. In doing so, the association has developed a Graduate Certificate of Business Management (Fleet Management) with Swinburne University of Technology.
Manage lunch breaks to maintain peak efficiency
18 August, 2015The field worker lunch break is not only shrinking, in some cases it has disappeared altogether. While a reduced lunch break provides more time for work to be done, it can also lead to loss of productivity, irritability, stress and even health problems.
Construction employers call for new award
18 August, 2015Master Builders Australia has highlighted the complexity and the need for a user-friendly construction industry award with the release of the sixth edition of its Modern Award Manual.
Clarification — WHS responsibilities for on-hire arrangements
17 August, 2015The duties of the host organisation and the placement agency in on-hire arrangements have traditionally been a matter of uncertainty and ambiguity. With the on-hire firm serving as the actual employer of the worker, people tend to think that the primary responsibility for their wellbeing on the job resides with that organisation.
Taking care of business
13 August, 2015 by Dannielle FurnessAnother financial year has come and gone and this year's federal Budget featured some significant breaks for small business, including tax cuts and red-tape reduction. Don't wait till next year to investigate what it means for your business and how you can reap the rewards.
Paperless automation a proven success
12 August, 2015Going paperless isn’t so much about eliminating paper — it’s about streamlining operations by eliminating tedious and labour-intensive tasks. Too many field service organisations suffocate in paperwork and employ error-prone manual processes. As a result, their operational efficiency is far from optimal.
Toyota lodges court proceedings
11 August, 2015Following a six-month investigation, Toyota Australia has lodged Federal Court proceedings against two independent retailers that have been selling counterfeit airbag spiral cables and advertising them as genuine Toyota parts.
Live electrical work banned in WA
10 August, 2015In the wake of the deaths of three electrical workers in Western Australia over the past two years, electrical work on energised installations will now be prohibited. The state government is introducing a package of safety reforms that require main switches to be turned off while work is undertaken in a roof space.
nbn invests $40m in training workers
04 August, 2015nbn, with its delivery partners, is about to embark on a significant recruitment and training drive to support the accelerated connection of eight million homes to the nbn network by 2020. The current construction workforce is expected to double to 9000, with nbn committing nearly $40 million for training and awareness campaigns to help attract an extra 4500 workers into the industry.
Call for comment on explosives regulation
03 August, 2015The public comment period for the Explosives Regulation in Australia: Discussion Paper and Consultation Regulation Impact Statement is now open and Safework Australia is encouraging interested parties to have their say.
Finding good field service staff
31 July, 2015 by Daniela Bia'hIt's hard work finding the right employees to represent your field service business. This isn't a new problem; the headache has been very real for the past couple of decades. Finding good workers is just like any other problem that you face when you own a field service business - large or small.
Master Builders blasts CFMEU
28 July, 2015Master Builders Australia (MBA) has taken a swipe at the main trade union for the industry, the CFMEU, over efforts to have Queensland members sign a pattern agreement which they believe imposes massive costs to the industry and community without productivity trade-offs.
