Bench says employer's "bland" description no help to BOOT assessment; FWC takes chainsaw to gardener's sacking; and Tribunal rejects bid to require witness to appear in person.
In a significant addition to the jurisprudence around "arrangements" between transferring businesses, the FWC has rejected union arguments that the urgent use of an old employer's pathology equipment after a midnight handover should lead to continuing employees being retained on their existing, more generous enterprise agreement.
An FWC full bench has reserved its decision in a case that looms as a significant test of what constitutes a new activity for the purposes of making a greenfields agreement.
In a development that might fuel debate over the links between union power and wage rises, substantially above-average pay increases secured in the heavily-unionised construction sector have pushed bargained private sector wage rises off their recent historic low.
Pilots at budget airline Tigerair have warned that planned industrial action from Friday to Sunday could cause flight delays and cancellations, but unions say it could be back off the table by 5pm today if the employer improves its pay offer and budges on rostering, leave and parking costs.
The Fair Work Commission acceded to a bid by mining giants to terminate a coal loading agreement after concluding that a system of "self-directed" work teams that constrains management prerogative "needs to go".
Aerocare's 2500 workers today began voting on a new offer by the aviation ground-handler that seeks to cut through a thicket of litigation and hurdle strong opposition from the TWU and ASU.
An Italian consulate has failed to convince a full Federal Court that it is immune from underpayment claims pursued under Australian IR laws by two former employees who signed contracts linking their entitlements to Italian legal and industrial arrangements.
Coles deal gets up; Injunction against entry under state laws; IR barrister appointed to gallery board; and After full house, ROC wants to know if you want more.
A senior FWC member has approved an employer's request for legal representation in a dismissal case, but not before requiring hearings be conducted in private, that he be free to provide "appropriate" guidance to the unrepresented former worker, and that he retain the power to revoke permission if the lawyer complicates proceedings.
