JobKeeper court test
A VICTORIAN finance company is being taken to court after a manager’s salary was slashed by more than 80 per cent amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Maurice Blackburn has launched the landmark test case against Mildura Finance, a subsidiary of Platform Financial Services, and its CEO on behalf of Mark Cornell.
Mr Cornell has worked for the company since 2003 and had an annual salary of $203,650. The law firm claims Mr Cornell’s salary was slashed to $40,000 – equivalent to the JobKeeper payment – in April despite the business remaining “busy and profitable”.
According to a statement of claim, Mr Cornell was told all employees would be going on
JobKeeper, but would be required to work the hours needed to meet their workload.
The company also allegedly told Mr Cornell he would be stood down without pay until he filled in a JobKeeper form and that they weren’t required to put anything in writing.
Maurice Blackburn alleges Mildura Finance has breached the Fair Work Act and breached Mr Cornell’s contract by not consulting with him or giving him at least three days’ notice of its decision.
They also claim the company “made it impossible for Mr Cornell to fulfil his obligations to his clients at a particularly busy time for the business”. Mr Cornell is seeking penalties and compensation.
A COMPANY and its director have been charged over a 2018 industrial fire that burnt for more than a week, shrouding Melbourne’s western suburbs with toxic smoke.
Graham Leslie White and his company Delacor were charged by the Environment Protection Authority on Wednesday over the West Footscray fire (right), which forced the closure of businesses and schools and contaminated nearby Stony Creek in late August 2018.
A total of 34 criminal charges have been filed against White and his company.
The charges allege the company permitted the dumping of industrial waste at the factory, caused or permitted the pollution of a local waterway and caused an environmental hazard.
The company has also been charged with numerous counts of aggravated pollution – the most serious charge under the Environment Protection Act.
“The charges that EPA has filed include the strongest charges EPA has at its disposal,” EPA chief executive officer Cathy Wilkinson said.
“We take this matter extremely seriously and will always look to hold those who pollute to account.”
Dark billowing plumes of smoke could be seen across Melbourne for days after the blaze.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the coroner.
COMPANIES, factories and farms will soon earn money by reducing their energy use when demand is high, in a move set to lower electricity prices.
The Australian Energy Market Commission has decided to set up a wholesale “demand response mechanism” to begin in October. Demand response is when consumers are paid to reduce their electricity use at peak times to avoid shortfalls and blackouts.
But the three organisations behind the rule – the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Total Environment Centre and the Australia Institute – are disappointed households won’t be part of the mechanism.