The Victorian Labor government has flagged it will aim for modest annual pay rises of 2%, setting the scene for an arm-wrestle with public sector unions in bargaining over a series of major enterprise agreements.
In a decision further clarifying the "minor procedural or technical errors" that can be overlooked in approving agreements, the FWC has rejected a deal capturing employees not contemplated at the time bargaining notices were issued, despite their subsequent involvement in voting it up.
Workers at BlueScope Steel's Port Kembla operations have backed a beefed-up three-year agreement offer that lifts pay by 11% and introduces a profit-share scheme.
A full Federal Court has upheld a finding that retailer Aldi issued invalid bargaining notices because it failed to strictly follow the mandatory content requirements when it replaced "employer" with "leader".
A university's decision to slash casual tutors' rates for online student support almost four years into an agreement has been endorsed by the FWC, despite the member observing that the deal's definition of tutorial harked back to his long-gone days at law school.
A senior FWC member has flagged a potential "revolution" in the way the tribunal assesses agreements should a full bench review being sought by IR Minister Kelly O'Dwyer find weight must be given to indirect as well as direct discriminatory terms.
IR Minister Kelly O'Dwyer's latest challenge to a contentious, newly-minted Melbourne fire brigade agreement is heading to the FWC for a hearing on Monday, with her bid for a stay order coinciding with the deal's scheduled start date.
The Australian operations of Domino's Pizza Enterprises have been hit with almost $11 million in costs that include a "nationwide industrial relations review", after scrutiny in recent years from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
The FWC has approved a Melbourne fire brigade agreement after it accepted undertakings that override terms that hindered workers going part-time and allowed their union to block flexible working arrangements, while a challenge is still on foot to an earlier finding that discriminatory deals can still get up.
