Nursing union called to court for non-compliance
The Fair Work Commission has taken Federal Court action against the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) and its WA branch secretary.
The court will hear allegations of several financial reporting issues.
The case was sparked by an investigation into the West Australian branch's failure to comply with reporting obligations from 2009 to 2012.
A statement of claim by the commission says it has evidence of nine alleged breaches of the Fair Work Act by the ANMF, including failure to provide propers financial reporting to members.
There are also nine alleged breaches by WA branch secretary Mark Olson, with the commission set to detail his alleged failure to maintain a proper standard of care in regard to the branch's financial reporting.
The commission says it does not believe there has been criminal conduct or misuse of funds, but that the allegations are still to be taken seriously.
It said the contraventions have left union members deprived of the opportunity to stay adequately informed of the union's financial position for several years.