The Australian Industry Group says the fuel cost recovery regime prompted by the Middle East conflict is "not working swimmingly", while withdrawing its only witness statement after the FWC refused to grant sweeping confidentiality orders.
A proposed new deal for BHP iron ore mineworkers in Western Australia has split union opinion, the AWU and MEU describing it as a "significant improvement" on the resources titan's previous offer, but the ETU calling it "an insult to the workforce".
Victoria's imminent restrictions on non-disclosure agreements might help curb workplace s-xual harassment secrecy, but an expert says their ultimate success hinges on lawyers abandoning an "entrenched culture" around settlements.
The FWC's powers should be further extended to conciliate underpayment claims as a quicker, low-cost alternative to the courts, the ACTU has told a Senate wage theft inquiry.
Large employers are set to gain an extra 12 months to bed down new "genuine and measurable" gender equality targets before they have to identify fresh ones and start the next three-year reporting cycle.
A former FWO chief counsel-turned judge has taken an axe to the workplace regulator's belief in penalties as a general deterrent, expressing astonishment at its "staggering" pursuit of a $21,000 fine against an employer who quickly coughed up a $976 underpayment once a junior worker provided proof of their age.
A labour law academic says a UN World Court finding that workers' right to strike is protected might revive ILO scrutiny of the extent to which the Fair Work Act "over-restricts" protected action, while a lawyer says it might "change the trajectory" of IR litigation and reform.
An alleged whistleblower's explosive allegations against franchising business Jim's Group may be headed for hearing, after a court gave him an extension of time and let him file an amended claim.
A tribunal member has declined to recuse himself from a harassment case, rejecting claims that what he "may know" about what was possibly agreed in a conciliation conference could affect his impartiality.
