Employer denied natural justice over late agreement: Bench; FWC upholds Coles' harassment sacking; Victorian gig economy inquiry extends submission deadline; and half million dollar safety fine for Patrick over threats to workers.
After providing $150,000 to settle an underpayments claim brought by five fruit pickers last year, labour hire company Agri Labour Australia is facing a new claim from 26 seasonal workers alleging they were short-paid more than $200,000.
An FWC full bench has upheld a finding that Victoria Police lacked reasonable business grounds to refuse a long-serving detective's request, under a "right to flexible working arrangements" clause, for extra rest days as he makes a transition to retirement.
The failure of a construction company's HR team to adequately explain two proposed "baseline agreements" or provide access to relevant awards has proven fatal to their approval, the FWC finding that other issues of non-compliance could have been dealt with by undertakings.
A council's imposition of a seven-month "leave blackout" period in a quest for greater efficiencies has run foul of the FWC, the tribunal finding its failure to consult workers over the policy breached best practice and notification provisions in its agreement.
An FWC full bench has used a workplace determination to call on the federal government to relax public sector bargaining guidelines, at the same time as it questioned the legal standing of a major department's decision to "go harder" after workers voted down multiple proposed deals.
The FWC is seeking submissions on some increases in the work value of pharmacists identified in its four-yearly award review, but Professionals Australia has slammed the tribunal's rejection of its signal bid to bump by more than a third the pay of those with accreditation.
The CFMMEU says two pared-back production and maintenance BHP agreements awaiting approval in the FWC would create an "in-house, cut-price labour hire workforce" and a "template for the mining industry to get around Skene".
Production workers at CUB's brewery at Abbotsford in Victoria are set for some Christmas cheer after striking an in-principle agreement on a new three-year deal that provides annual pay rises of 4%.
Less than 2% of private sector workers will be covered by agreements by 2030 if the current rate of decline in bargaining continues, according to new analysis by the Centre for Future Work.
