During the reporting period, FWBC received 179 enquiries. The majority of these enquiries (116) were received via the 1800 hotline.

Issues raised by enquiries

Table 2.1 shows a breakdown of the issues that were raised through enquiries to 30 June 2012. Twelve per cent of enquiries related to the National Code and 11 per cent related to wages and entitlements.

Responding to enquiries

During the reporting period, FWBC responded to 97 per cent of enquiries within one working day.

FWBC resolved 97 per cent of enquiries within three working days.

Activities generated by enquiries

Table 2.2 sets out the outcome of enquiries FWBC received. Approximately 12 per cent of enquiries led to an investigation. In 75 per cent of cases, FWBC provided information, and FWBC referred 13 per cent of enquiries to other agencies.

TABLE 2.1 ISSUES RAISED BY ENQUIRIES

Enquiry issues

2011-12

Wages and entitlements

20

Agreements

2

Code or code compliance

22

Coercion

6

Discrimination

3

Domestic building

8

Fair Work Act general protections

2

Freedom of association

1

General FWBC information

18

Independent contractor

10

Industrial action

5

Licensing / permits

3

OHS

2

Other

10

Other Federal Agency

6

Other State Agency

5

Revocation of permit

0

Right of entry

5

Strike pay

1

Targeted audit

0

Union behaviour

17

Total

146

TABLE 2.2 ENQUIRY OUTCOMES

Enquiry outcomes

 

Information provided

114

Referred to other Agency

1

Referred to Federal Agency

8

Referred to State Agency

11

Unable to provide assistance

3

Upgrade to investigation

14

Total

151

TABLE 2.3 INFORMAL REFERRALS

Informal referrals

2011-12

State Agencies: domestic building, licensing

7

Code assessment and website

2

OHS Agencies: safety, OHS training cards ‘red’, etc

2

Workplace agencies: wages, unlawful or unfair employment

2

Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO)

2

Long service leave

0

Subcontractors payment (subject to state law), riggers, crane licensing

1

Australian Apprenticeships Referral Line

0

Employer associations

0

Australian Tax Office (ATO)

2

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)

0

Code Monitoring Group

0

Other

1

Total

19

TABLE 2.4 FIELD OPERATIONS PRESENTATIONS AND ATTENDEE NUMBERS

 

2011-12

Presentations

25

Attendees

379

TABLE 2.5 STATE BREAKDOWN OF SITE VISITS

State

2011-12

NSW

48

VIC

101

QLD

12

WA

93

SA

22

TAS

22

ACT

5

NT

13

Total

316

Informal referrals

Enquiries that are beyond FWBC’s jurisdiction are categorised as informal if they are referred before an investigation has started. Table 2.3 sets out details of the informal referrals FWBC made to 30 June 2012. FWBC referred 19 enquiries to other state and federal agencies during the reporting period. The majority of these were to state domestic building authorities.